Product Behaviour Simulation in Mixed Reality

Abstract

The use of Mixed Reality in the product development process is emerging as a promising solution that combines the advantages of virtual and rapid prototyping. A mixed prototype is usually based on a physical mock-up on which the visual appearance of the product is superimposed thanks to the augmented reality technologies. An open issue in mixed prototyping is the reduction of time and efforts required to generate and update the behaviour model of the product. This paper presents a Mixed Reality environment in which the product behaviour is simulated using the same models and the same software employed by the engineers in the design phase. This approach guarantees the reliability of the simulation and allows a strong reduction of the time needed to develop the digital prototype. Moreover the paper presents an innovative technique, specifically studied for the simulation of electrical appliances, that aims to make the user able to naturally interact with the mixed prototype. This technique is able to manage the occlusion between real and virtual objects and the interpretation of the user’s gestures while he/she is interacting with the elements of the product interface. The novelty of the technique is that it does not require any specific device like data-gloves or tracking systems.