The research is expected to lay the scientific foundation for human centric, simulation-based engineering design through a novel "multiresolution" framework that incorporates virtual prototyping. Virtual prototyping is often used to reduce design time, lower production cost, and improve the level of innovation in developing mechanical parts of varying scale: from nanometer-sized objects such as nanoscale robots, to large man-made computer aided design of complex systems such as airplanes, power plants and submarines composed of millions of parts. This project focuses on advancing the fundamental understanding of the design process through the creation of novel algorithms and systems that are based on the "multiresolution" framework. This framework describes geometry, spatial arrangements, numerics, and physical simulation across different scales. Key issues to be addressed include the realization of visualization, modeling and simulation techniques, new level-of detail representations and novel multiresolution algorithms for interactive display, proximity query and physics-based simulation and manipulation of massive CAD models. To ensure the relevance of the framework and incorporated algorithms to engineering design, tests and validation will be conducted through the virtual prototyping of highly complex or massive CAD models provided by the industrial collaborators and GOALI partner.
With the increasing complexity of engineering design, it is expected that this approach could potentially offer robust and efficient solutions to large size problems by adequately modeling across the scales, providing mutual interaction among the multiple entities in mechanical, physical or biological systems. The system is envisioned to not only reduce the time and costs associated with the design and review process of complex mechanical systems; it also has the potential of generating effective animation sequences for electronic maintenance training. Outreach to middle and high schools students, linked through the power of the visualization tools where students could experience virtual manipulation of structures within a complex system such as an airplane is expected to raise the interest in engineering design education. The collaboration with Boeing will provide both the ability to validate the framework and to capture the interest of K-12 students through the introduction to real engineering design problems.
