Optimizing Equipment Design Using Virtual Environments

Real-time motion capture posturing has the capability to scale any size user to any size mannequin.

Traditionally, a subject matter expert’s opinion was used to procure equipment incorporated into the pit manufacturing process. Today proposed equipment for pit manufacturing, such as glove boxes¹ and turning centers, can be evaluated for many different criteria and virtually re-designed for optimization before procurement. Huge return on investment can be realized if mistakes are identified using Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools before procurement and/or fabrication.

Immersive Visualization Theaters, such as the RAVE, give virtual modeling a feeling of the real world.

Actual ergonomics of the glove box can be evaluated immediately to see if it is properly sized, without the expense of building a mock-up.

Immersive Visualization Theaters give the virtual modeling a feeling of the real world. The "true-to-scale" models can be viewed and "touched" by the users. The High-Performance Systems Integration Group (HPC-5) RAVE immersive space at Los Alamos National Laboratory is currently being used to bring CAD models of the glove boxes into a virtual environment at actual size and in stereo. In this way, the actual ergonomics of the glove box can be evaluated in the most immediate way. The user enters the facility and tries out the size of the glove box, and can immediately see if it is properly sized, without the expense of building a mock-up.

The Pick-n-Place software, developed by HPC-5 visualization people for Advanced Simulation and Computing Program use of the facilities for the LANL Reliable Replacement Warhead bid, is currently being used to visualize these glove boxes. Further work will include the Delmia standard ergonomics evaluation software in the RAVE facility to evaluate each glove box.

¹ Note : Glove box is defined as an enclosure where at least one wall contains openings sealed by gloves to safely manipulate dangerous materials or biohazards.