Interactive Assembly Modelling within a CAVE Environment

This paper presents the design and implementation of a constraint-based virtual environment for supporting interactive assembly and maintenance tasks within an immersive virtual reality environment. The system architecture of the constraint-based virtual environment is based on the integration of components such as OpenGL Optimizer, Parasolid geometric kernel, a Constraint Engine and an Assembly Relationship Graph (ARG). The approach presented in this paper is based on pure geometric constraints. Techniques such as automatic constraint recognition, constraint satisfaction, constraint management and constrained motion are employed to support interactive assembly operations and realistic behaviour of assembly parts. The rendering and the interaction capabilities of the OpenGL Optimizer graphical API has been extended to run on a CAVE environment. Interactive assembly and disassembly operations are performed through a glove-based interface. The current system has been evaluated using two industrial case studies: digger mechanism and a helicopter rotor blade mechanism. This work is being carried out as a part of a research programme referred to as IPSEAM (Interactive Product Simulation Environment for Assessing Assembly and Maintenance), at the University of Salford.