Physical Mock-ups Research Articles

A comprehensive ergonomic validation of workspaces design employing digital and physical mock-ups in the case of light armored vehicle

The study aims to evaluate the compatibility of the proposed design workspace dimensions of light armored vehicle (LAV) with the targeted populations of Ethiopian army personnel using both digital and physical ergonomic evaluations. The dimensional compatibility was tested using digital mock-up interfaced with human manikin representing the anthropometries of 5th percentile female and 95th percentile male values for Ethiopian army. CATIA V5 software was utilized for developing digital human and vehicle models, while the physical mock-up was tested through minimum possible user trials (to avoid redundancy of testing) that involved 13 users sufficient to represent the target population. The intended vehicular workspaces, in terms of space adequacy, view field, reaching, and manipulative needs were found to be ideally compatible with the target users, accommodating 90% (for adjustable units) and 95% (for non-adjustable units) of them. This confirms that the proposed basic design dimensions of LAV workspaces for driver, gunner, commander, and other infantry troops are compatible with the target users in both evaluation techniques. Hence, our findings indicate that the newly proposed design dimensions can be utilized as design standards primarily for fabricating Ethiopian LAVs, as they ensure occupational compatibility for the users, which can improve crew operational performance, efficiency, and safety.

Enhancing Daylight Comfort with Climate-Responsive Kinetic Shading: A Simulation and Experimental Study of a Horizontal Fin System

This study employs both simulation and experimental methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of bi-sectional horizontal kinetic shading systems (KSS) with horizontal fins in enhancing daylight comfort across various climates. It emphasizes the importance of optimizing daylight levels while minimizing solar heat gain, particularly in the context of increasing energy demands and shifting climatic patterns. The study introduces a custom-designed bi-sectional KSS, simulated in three distinct climates—Wroclaw, Tehran, and Bangkok—using climate-based daylight modeling methods with the Ladybug and Honeybee tools in Rhino v.7 software. Standard daylight metrics, such as Useful Daylight Illuminance (UDI) and Daylight Glare Probability (DGP), were employed alongside custom metrics tailored to capture the unique dynamics of the bi-sectional KSS. The results were statistically analyzed using box plots and histograms, revealing UDI300–3000 medians of 78.51%, 88.96%, and 86.22% for Wroclaw, Tehran, and Bangkok, respectively. These findings demonstrate the KSS’s effectiveness in providing optimal daylight conditions across diverse climatic regions. Annual simulations based on standardized weather data showed that the KSS improved visual comfort by 61.04%, 148.60%, and 88.55%, respectively, compared to a scenario without any shading, and by 31.96%, 54.69%, and 37.05%, respectively, compared to a scenario with open static horizontal fins. The inclusion of KSS switching schedules, often overlooked in similar research, enhances the reproducibility and clarity of the findings. A physical reduced-scale mock-up of the bi-sectional KSS was then tested under real-weather conditions in Wroclaw (latitude 51° N) during June–July 2024. The mock-up consisted of two Chambers ‘1’ and ‘2’ equipped with the bi-sectional KSS prototype, and the other one without shading. Stepper motors managed the fins’ operation via a Python script on a Raspberry Pi 3 minicomputer. The control Chamber ‘1’ provided a baseline for comparing the KSS’s efficiency. Experimental results supported the simulations, demonstrating the KSS’s robustness in reducing high illuminance levels, with illuminance below 3000 lx maintained for 68% of the time during the experiment (conducted from 1 to 4 PM on three analysis days). While UDI and DA calculations were not feasible due to the limited number of sensors, the Eh1 values enabled the evaluation of the time illuminance to remain below the threshold. However, during the June–July 2024 heat waves, illuminance levels briefly exceeded the comfort threshold, reaching 4674 lx. Quantitative and qualitative analyses advocate for the broader application and further development of KSS as a climate-responsive shading system in various architectural contexts.

A concept for non-uniform thermal irradiation emulation in an immersive virtual environment

This study addresses the challenge of emulating human thermal environments without the need to build physical mock-ups. The aim is to complement the established technology of emulating visual environments with head-mounted displays. For the user, the virtual environment (VE) emulates an arbitrary indoor environment including visual and thermal aspects. In contrast to conventional climate chambers, we describe a concept to emulate arbitrary non-uniform environments and room geometries without the need to construct or modify separate physical mock-ups for each scenario being tested. By fully emulating air temperatures as well as the thermal irradiation, a user can experience the same thermal sensation as in the actual environment. An air conditioning system and nine supply air diffusers are used for the air temperature and humidity control. For thermal radiation, 45 temperature-controlled surfaces are arranged in a hemicube around the user. An arbitrary environment’s thermal irradiation is emulated by a projection of temperatures on the hemicube surface elements. This study compares two methods for setting the surface temperatures in the VE to emulate thermal irradiation. Finally, it presents the results of computational fluid dynamic simulations that benchmark the capability of the VE to emulate a non-uniform indoor thermal environment. For the non-uniform thermal environment benchmark scenario, the assumption of a uniform enclosure (using the surface average radiant temperature) resulted in a surface root mean square error of 2.2 K (local deviation of up to 4.6 K) of radiant temperature on the person dummy surface. The projection method was implemented for the VE, utilising temperature-controlled surfaces. Depending on the projection method used to determine the surface temperatures, it was possible to decrease the root mean square error of the radiant temperature in the emulated environment to a range of 0.4 K to 0.7 K.

A New Method to Design and Manufacture a Low-Cost Custom-Made Template for Mandible Cut and Repositioning Using Standard Plates in BSSO Surgery.

In this study, a new methodology for designing and creating a custom-made template for maxillofacial surgery has been developed. The custom-made template can be used both for cutting and repositioning of the mandible arches for executing a BSSO (bilateral sagittal split osteotomy) treatment. The idea was developed in order to give the possibility of using a custom-made template with standard plates, thus reducing long times, high costs and low availability of custom-made plates; this represents the proof of novelty of the proposed template, based on a well-established methodology. The methodology was completely developed in the CAD virtual environment and, after the surgeons' assessment, an in-vitro experiment by a maxillofacial surgeon was performed in order to check the usability and the versatility of the system, thanks to the use of additive manufacturing technologies. When computer-aided technologies are used for orthognathic surgery, there are significant time and cost savings that can be realised, as well as improved performance. The cost of the whole operation is lower than the standard one, thanks to the use of standard plates. To carry out the procedures, the proposed methodology allows for inexpensive physical mock-ups that enable the BSSO procedure to be performed.

Features of adaptive training algorithms for improved complex skill acquisition

Training complex skills is typically accomplished by means of a trainer or mediator who tailors instruction to the individual trainee. However, facilitated training is costly and labor intensive, and the use of a mediator is infeasible in remote or extreme environments. Imparting complex skills in applications like long-duration human spaceflight, military field operations, or remote medicine may require automated training algorithms. Virtual reality (VR) is an effective, easily programmable, immersive training medium that has been used widely across fields. However, there remain open questions in the search for the most effective algorithms for guiding automated training progression. This study investigates the effects of responsiveness, personalization, and subtask independence on the efficacy of automated training algorithms in VR for training complex, operationally relevant tasks. Thirty-two subjects (16M/16F, 18–54 years) were trained to pilot and land a spacecraft on Mars within a VR simulation using four different automated training algorithms. Performance was assessed in a physical cockpit mock-up. We found that personalization results in faster skill acquisition on average when compared with a standardized progression built for a median subject (p = 0.0050). The standardized progression may be preferable when consistent results are desired across all subjects. Independence of the difficulty adjustments between subtasks may lead to increased skill acquisition, while lockstep in the progression of each subtask increases self-reported flow experience (p = 0.01), fluency (p = 0.02), and absorption (p = 0.01) on the Flow Short Scale. Data visualization suggests that highly responsive algorithms may lead to faster learning progressions and higher skill acquisition for some subjects. Improving transfer of skills from training to testing may require either high responsiveness or a standardized training progression. Optimizing the design of automated, individually adaptive algorithms around the training needs of a group may be useful to increase skill acquisition for complex operational tasks.

Mechanical response of tensegrity-origami solar modules

This work studies the mechanics of novel origami solar modules with tensegrity architecture for integration in the dynamic solar façades of energy-efficient buildings. The analyzed modules are deployed by adjusting the rest lengths of cables attached to given nodes, so as to form a tensegrity origami. Their stiffness is tuned by adjusting the pretension of the actuation cables, when the deployment motion is locked. The insertion of solar thermal or photovoltaic panels into the rigid elements of the module makes it possible to form positive-energy solar systems. The work studies the kinematics and the mechanics of the investigated structures through analytic and numerical methods. Two folding motions are examined: to open and close the modules and to track sun rays. The rapid prototyping of a physical mock-up permits an experimental validation of the force–displacement response in a given configuration of the sun-tracking motion. A procedure for the computation of the fundamental vibration modes and vibration frequencies of a quadrangular solar module is also given, and the expected response of the system under wind loading is outlined.

Real-Time Hierarchical MPC Applied to an MMC in Grid-Forming Mode: Implementation and Validation in Power Hardware-in-The-Loop

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) are now expected to fulfill AC and DC grid stability functions while at the same time they must ensure their own operation. In this paper, we propose a new MIMO control structure to coordinate the AC/DC power exchange and MMC internal energy control using a hierarchical MPC. This controller is tested on an AC/DC system where the MMC works in grid-forming mode on the AC side and controls the DC-grid voltage at the same time. This MPC solution is implemented in a real-time controller to operate a physical mockup of a 6kVA MMC which contains 60 submodules and interfaces a 400V DC grid and a 120V (line-to-ground) AC grid. The MPC solution shows similar tracking performance with the state-of-the-art dual PI control solution based on two PI controllers working in parallel, and exhibits a better disturbance rejection capacity than this dual PI.

Erken Tasarım Aşamasında Mimarlık Öğrencilerinin Fiziksel ve Bilgisayar Destekli Modelleme Kullanım Tercihleri

Preferences for using physical mock-up modeling or computer-aided design (CAD) among architecture students in the early design phase are analyzed. The data is obtained from a questionnaire, consisting of eight multiple-choice questions and one open-ended question. The respondents are architecture students; the majority of them are still in their undergraduate studies. As quantitative analysis methods hypothesis tests based on the probability distributions known as the z-distribution, and the Chi-squared distribution were carried out. Generally, it was investigated which modeling technique is more efficient in the early design phase. Moreover, according to the age groups of respondents, the difference in the preference among mock-up and CAD is identified. Explicitly, younger students prefer CAD, while other ones prefer mock-up representation. The reasons for the difference are analyzed. Since the choice for mock-up modeling or CAD modeling can have a strong impact on the design processes of both, students and professionals, the result of the study is relevant, because it gives a hint about probable future architecture practice.

Identifying Built Environment Risk Factors to Provider Workflow and Patient Safety Using Simulation-Based Evaluation of a Pediatric ICU Room.

This study aimed to identify latent conditions in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) by analyzing characteristics of flow disruptions (FD) during a simulation of a three-phased scenario. The built environment of healthcare facilities contributes to FD that can lead to clinical errors and patient harm. In the facility design process, there is an opportunity to identify built environment features that cause FD and pose safety risks. Simulation-based evaluation of proposed designs may help in identifying and mitigating safety concerns before construction and occupancy. During design development for a new 400-bed children's hospital, a series of simulations were conducted using physical mock-ups in a large warehouse. A three-phased scenario, (1) admission and intubation, (2) cardiac arrest, and (3) bedside surgery involving a cannulation to extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, was conducted in a PICU room mock-up. Each scenario was video recorded from four angles. The videos were systematically coded to identify FD. Analysis identified FDs in three ICU zones: respiratory therapists (RT) zone, nurse zone, and head of the patient. Challenges in these zones were related to spatial constraints in the RT zone and head of the bed, equipment positioning in the RT zone and nurse zone, and impeded visibility related to the location of the boom monitor in the nurse zone. Simulation-based evaluation of prototypes of patient care spaces can help identify characteristics of minor and major FD related to the built environment and can provide valuable information to inform the iterative design process.

Experimental studies of fission product release from model fuel elements at the physical start-up of the IVG.1M research reactor

During the physical start-up of the IVG.1M research reactor, which involved the conversion to low-enriched uranium fuel, various studies were conducted using physical mock-ups of the fuel assemblies. The mock-up consisted of 468 model low-enriched uranium fuel elements that were cut into three sections without end coatings at the cut locations. This configuration allowed for the simulation of fuel element decompression and the experimental determination of fission product release into the coolant.The coolant samples obtained from the mock-up were analyzed using a gamma-spectrometer equipped with a high-purity germanium detector. As a result of the studies, the activities of fission products in the coolant and the averaged relative fission product release were determined. The relative release is defined as the ratio of the release rate of reference fission products to its birth rate.For the first time, fission product release was experimentally obtained in a situation simulating the decompression of IVG.1M fuel cladding.

The use of the interactive DA-42T aircraft cockpit mockup in the process-oriented training

When conducting training sessions at an aviation university, it is advisable to demonstrate samples of aeronautical equipment, individual elements of systems and accessories, or use specialized stands and posters. However, when studying modern types of training aircraft, the cockpits of which contain multifunction displays, complications arise when absorbing training resources. When studying multi-function display cockpits, it is necessary to use interactive training devices in which displays must operate under power and possess the required capabilities. Training on hardware is impracticable in some cases, and unadvisable in others. The use of the integrated simulator for training in various disciplines is limited as the simulator is primarily designed to impart primary aircraft control skills rather than for classroom training. The article deals with the issue of upgrading pilot-trainees training skills during the familiarization with the cockpit equipment using an interactive DA-42T aircraft cockpit mockup with all the controls and indications (except for the control stick and pedals), including two primary multi-function displays and one backup, during the process-oriented training of the university. The operation of multi-function indicators is implemented in the form of special devices with a display and a push-button frame connected to a specially developed program on a PC that simulates the aircraft data system operation. For this purpose, to be based on information from the Aircraft Flight Manual, the information frames, shown on multi-function displays in the DA-42T aircraft, are reproduced. The content of the developed frames duplicates completely the DA-42T aircraft indication, contributing to improving academic study and acquiring practical skills to work on the integrated simulator as well as in a real aircraft. The physical cockpit mockup controls also correspond, in terms of the appearance and location, to the controls in the real DA-42T aircraft cockpit. The procedure to develop simulators of multi-function displays and the DA-42T aircraft cockpit mockup is described. The capabilities to use simulators of multi-function displays and the DA-42T cockpit mockup in the process-oriented training to upgrade skills are described. The conducted research results are described; the advantages of using the interactive cockpit mockup in the process-oriented training are presented.

Multimodal Haptic Simulation for Ventriculostomy Training.

Freehand ventriculostomy is a frequent surgical procedure and is among the first ones that junior neurosurgery residents learn. Although training simulators exist, none has been adopted in the clinical routine to train junior residents. This paper focuses on a novel multimodal haptic training simulator that will lift the limitations of current simulators. We thus propose an architecture that integrates (1) visual feedback through augmented MRIs, and (2) a physical mock-up of the patient's skull to (3) active haptic feedback.

Development of the optical remote handling connector for ITER Divertor Operational Instrumentation

Divertor Operational Instrumentation (DOI) measures mechanical, electromagnetics and thermal parameters of the ITER Divertor Cassettes. The maintenance of the Cassettes requires their periodic removal and replacement by remote handling tools. The remote handling connector (RHC) of the DOI includes electrical and optical connections for the instrumentation cables, which must be disconnected during maintenance. The available space for the DOI RHC design is limited and the environmental conditions inside the Vacuum Vessel include high vacuum 10^-5 Pa, high temperature up to 350 °C and neutron and gamma-ray irradiation up to 1 GGy by the end of ITER operation. The access of remote handling tools is limited in the operating space surrounding DOI RHC. A study of existing connectors designed for plasma diagnostics electrical cables indicated that the concepts could not be adapted as such for the DOI RHC. The main concerns were related to the increased limitation of space, and the need to incorporate optical contacts for the fiber-optic cables that should be aligned with high precision to minimize optical losses. A dedicated design was required and developed. A novel extending DOI RHC concept was selected as it minimizes the required design changes to the surrounding systems. The concept consists of a cassette socket with an extending link located on the Divertor Cassette and a permanently installed vacuum vessel socket. The concept relies on the actuation of linear motion by the bolting tools of Cassette Toroidal Mover (CTM) manipulator and the flexibility of the cabling during the actuation. A physical full-size mock-up of the DOI RHC was manufactured to test the design solutions. The functionality of the mechanical structure in regards to remote handling operations were tested at remote handling connector platform (RHCP) at VTT Tampere Finland. Suppliers of optical connectors and ferrules were contacted to discuss the requirements of DOI RHC and commercial off-the-shelf optical components. Since there is no commercially available solution for attaching the fiber to the ferrule which would meet the aforementioned requirements, initial soldering tests were performed. The developed DOI RHC design provides input to the following design phases.

Immersive Virtual Reality Mockup Versus Physical Mockup

This paper presents the results from an academic-industry partnership where a team of university researchers and architecture, engineering, and construction industry (AEC) professionals compared a physical mockup to an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment. The goals of this research were to understand how and in what ways VR can replace the use of physical mockups. The study included an experiment where two groups of AEC professionals reviewed a physical mockup and a VR mockup of the same hotel room layout. Group members were asked first to evaluate each mockup from the owner's standpoint as hotel guests and housekeepers, and then suggest design changes based on their professional expertise individually. The groups were then asked to discuss the design together and make a team decision. At the end of the experiment, participants reflected on how the VR mockup did or did not meet their needs in reviewing the room design. The findings from this study show that VR cannot yet fully replace physical mockups due to the user dimension perception, lack of touch sense, unrealistic simulation in VR, and the need for physical samples. However, participants reported VR could be a cost-efficient tool to look at design options and layout in the early design phase and get feedback from the project team and end-users before the construction of the physical mockup to save potential time and money in rework. They also suggested using VR for visualization of the conflicts between different building systems in 3D coordination process.

CHIMERA Fusion Technology Facility: Testing and Virtual Qualification

The Combined Heating and Magnetic Research Apparatus (CHIMERA) fusion technology test facility is under construction. The facility will be uniquely capable of semi-integral testing of fusion materials and component modules up to the size of the ITER test blanket module box, under combined conditions of in-vacuum high heat flux, static and pulsed magnetic fields, and high-temperature/high-pressure water cooling. This paper reports the high-level capabilities of the CHIMERA baselined design and the planned program of testing and describes the proposed strategy for use of simulations for virtual testing, qualification, and in-situ monitoring. The first step in testing of a component mock-up is to take data from as-built geometry and other measurements and transmit them to an integrated computational model that can closely mimic the physical asset and form a digital replica. Not only can this digital replica be queried in advance of physical testing in the facility, allowing optimization of the test program, but combined with subsequent test data, it also can deliver much greater insight into experimental results than can be obtained using test data alone. The digital replica is used as the basis for a digital twin, which is live coupled to the running experiment, and is under development as a proposed key facet of fusion reactor surveillance in-service. Physical mock-ups for testing can be subjected to in-vacuum heat flux up to 0.5 MW/m2 over the entire surface while within a strong horizontal magnetic field. The central field can be up to 4 T with a peak in the test region of 5 T. The same component mock-ups can also be subjected to repeated magnetic field pulses with ramp rate 12 T/s, which can simulate loading conditions of a plasma disruption. Facility upgrades are underway to include a liquid metal circulation loop to allow the study of magnetohydrodynamics effects and to add a high-heat-flux system using a very high-power continuous-wave laser to achieve divertor-relevant heat fluxes of 20 MW/m2 over the area of a small-scale mock-up. Four examples are given to illustrate the physical testing program that is currently foreseen.

Overview of recent ITER TBM Port Plug R&D activities

The objective of ITER project is the demonstration of the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion energy. Tritium fuel is required for the fusion reaction in DEMOnstration reactors and future commercial reactors but it is not available in nature because of its instability. To investigate tritium breeding self-sufficiency, two equatorial ports in ITER are dedicated to operating test blanket modules (TBMs) using the TBM Port Plug (TBM-PP). The TBM-PP design should be investigated with the physical mock-ups to validate the leak tightness in the primary vacuum boundary and to ensure TBM replacement and refurbishment compatible with Remote Handling (RH) operations in the ITER Hot Cell Facility during the ITER lifetime. This paper summarizes the achievements on the two most relevant R&D topics as described herewith. Several TBM-PP components (i.e., back parts of the TBM-Frame, the Dummy-TBMs, the TBM-Shields, and the TBM feeding pipes) are part of the vacuum boundary implying that these components are Vacuum Quality Classification (VQC) 1A. To test and develop high vacuum sealing for the TBM-Frame flange and the TBM-Set or Dummy-TBM flange, the ITER Large Seal Test Rig (LSTR), and metallic gasket seals for the TBM application have been manufactured and installed in the ITER site. The helium leak tests were performed at different operating temperatures to investigate the vacuum performance of metallic gasket seals with VQC 1A. The TBM-PP design shall guarantee the feasibility of a rapid replacement and refurbishment compatible with ITER Remote Handling (RH) operations by using RH tools in the Hot Cell Facility during the ITER's lifetime. Therefore, an experimental program has been performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the critical RH refurbishment tasks including the insertion and removal of TBM-Set/Dummy-TBM and the RH bolting.

Augmented reality to perform human factors analysis in maintainability

The simulation of maintenance activities is deployed within the industry to assess maintainability and human factors in preliminary aircraft architecture and design review. The use of augmented reality (AR) associated with a physical mock-up could be an alternative to other existing complementary simulations (virtual reality, physical mock-up alone). This paper introduces the first experiment with this hybrid simulation and the results of its performance. Through experimentation, we tested the ability of this solution to improve the design using the participants' feedback. This hybrid solution reduces the lead time in the development and decision process. It reduces the cost of the mock-up using only the basic shape of the model and tangible interfaces for the user. AR increases the details of the model, allows multiple configuration review and fosters collaboration between designers and project stakeholders.

Cyber Physical Mockup for Usability Evaluation at Upstream Stage of Design Process

Cyber Physical Mockup for Usability Evaluation at Upstream Stage of Design Process

Side-by-Side Comparison of Human Perception and Performance Using Augmented, Hybrid, and Virtual Reality.

Alternative reality (XR) technologies, including physical, augmented, hybrid, and virtual reality, offer ways for engineered spaces to be evaluated. Traditionally, practitioners (such as those designing spacecraft habitats) have relied on physical mockups to perform such design evaluations, but digital XR technologies present several streamlining advantages over their physical counterparts. These digital environments vary in their level of virtuality, and consequently have different effects on human perception and performance, with respect to a completely physical mockup environment. To date, very little has been done to characterize and quantify such differences in human perception and performance across XR environments of equal fidelity for the same end application. Here, we show that perception and performance in the virtual reality environment most closely mirror those in the physical reality environment, as measured through volumetric assessment and functional task experiments. These experiments required subjects to judge the dimensions of 3D objects and perform operational tasks presented via checklists. Our results highlight the potential for virtual reality systems to accelerate the iterative design of engineered spaces relative to the use of physical mockups, while preserving the human perception and performance characteristics of a completely physical environment. These findings also elucidate specific advantages and disadvantages to specific digital XR technologies with respect to one another and the physical reality baseline. Practitioners may inform their selection of an XR modality for their specific end application based on this comparative analysis, as it contextualizes the niche for each technology in the realm of iterative design for engineered spaces.

A Review of Physical and Digital Mock-Up Applications in Healthcare Building Development

Mock-up simulation is a design or human factor research method to help designers identify key design issues and factors of a product or environment. This paper discusses physical mock-up (PMU) and digital mock-up (DMU) applications in healthcare building development through a narrative literature review. The following questions are addressed in this paper: what would the purposes of using PMU or DMU simulations be? At which phase of a hospital design would a PMU or DMU simulation be used? What methods can be used to conduct PMU and DMU simulations? The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these two mock-up methods and highlights the importance of clinical staff’s involvement in mock-up simulations. It gives recommendations for the design practitioners or project managers of healthcare building development recommendations to implement these two mock-up methods in healthcare building development projects.