Explore the vast range of titles available.

This study presents a spiral pipeline robot designed for detecting and preventing oil and gas pipeline leakages. A comprehensive analysis of factors such as spiral angle, normal force, pipe material, and operating attitude is conducted based on the robot’s mechanical model in a straight pipe. This in-depth investigation determines the optimal spiral angle, normal force, pipeline material, and operating attitude to enhance the robot’s motion stability and traction performance. Using virtual prototype technology, the robot’s traction performance is simulated under various working conditions, normal forces, and attitude angles within the pipeline. An experimental platform is established to verify the impact of deflection angle, normal force, and pipeline material on traction performance. The experimental results and simulation analysis mutually validate each other, providing a reliable reference for robot design and optimization. The spiral pipeline robot and its motion strategy proposed in this study possess both theoretical value and practical application prospects in the field of oil and gas pipeline inspection and maintenance.

Using the parametric modelling feature in Solidworks software, a three-dimensional solid model of a planetary gearbox with linear reciprocating motion of the output shaft was constructed. By conducting theoretical calculations related to the kinematics of the transmission system and combining Adams virtual prototyping simulation technology, a dynamic simulation model of the planetary gear transmission mechanism was established to analyse the motion laws and dynamic characteristics. The simulation results were compared and analysed against the theoretical calculation results, and they showed good agreement and consistency. The study also investigated the impact of counterweights on the inertia forces and moments of the output shaft in the transmission mechanism. The results indicated that adding counterweights effectively reduced the inertia impact caused by inertia forces at the start and end positions of the stroke, as well as the inertia torque caused by changes in angular acceleration during the startup and stopping phases, thereby enhancing the smooth operation of the mechanism. Additionally, different thicknesses of counterweights had varying effects on balancing the inertia forces and moments of the output shaft. The study aimed to find the optimal thickness of counterweights to achieve the best balance effect. Furthermore, the study examined the influence of different speeds of the driving gear on the inertia forces of the output shaft. The results showed that at a driving gear speed of 1500 rpm, the horizontal thrust generated by the output shaft was 63566 N, which could provide the required thrust for the rolling mill operation, and the inertia forces of the output shaft tended to stabilize.

The paper presents some methods used to create and analyze human virtual bones. The cooperation between medical research team and the engineer research group give important tools for medical devices or implants design. To re-create anatomical 3D models it was used a CAD software which permits to define complex models. First, there were defined the \"hard\" parts as the main bone components and \"soft\" parts as ligaments or menisci using CT images. Also, using CAD methods, were created virtual models of human joints. In the last decade, a new concept called rapid prototyping, physical coating or without solid pre-form manufacturing, has become very popular.

In this paper, a virtual rehabilitation training system based on electroencephalogram (EMG) feedback is proposed to solve the problem that the existing virtual rehabilitation training methods can not reflect the initiative of patients and lack of individual adaptability. Aiming at the EEG data fusion rehabilitation system based on Virtual Prototyping technology, a motion pattern recognition method based on the feature fusion of EEG and EMG signals is studied to improve the accuracy and flexibility of the rehabilitation training system. The corresponding virtual rehabilitation training scene is designed, and the control and feedback adjustment of the virtual scene are realized by using the above EEG feature analysis method. Finally, the virtual rehabilitation training is realized. The multi-level coupling relationship between EEG and EMG signals under different grip forces was explored by using the synchronous coupling characteristics between EEG and EMG signals, which provided a theoretical basis for further application in clinical rehabilitation evaluation.

Specialized fashion software, as a technological instrument for virtual modelling, has a critical role in reducing the length of the design process and time to market, simplifying communication with other departments and improving the quality of the creative process. This paper presents a survey of the modelling technologies used in Romanian clothing companies as a critical starting point for outlining a new methodology in teaching digital fashion. As part of the larger European survey in the framework of the Erasmus+ Digital Fashion Project, collected data from Romanian textile companies present their current needs for clothing designed with computer technologies and 3D software for virtual prototyping. According to the sampled companies, most have high (over 42%) and medium (over 33%) levels of digital skills. The most needed occupational profile was the 3D Designer, and the age expectation was between 25–40 years. The ability to design clothing patterns using virtual prototyping was the most selected preference when asked about future development requirements. The survey results are valuable both in establishing the new methodological framework for teaching digital fashion and in identifying the needs for the other project outcomes, such as the textile database, the virtual training platform, and the new curricula.

Prototyping and evaluation are imperative phases of the present product design and development process. Although digital modeling and analysis methods are widely employed at various product development stages, still, building a physical prototype makes the present typical process expensive and time consuming. Therefore, it is necessary to implement new technologies, such as virtual prototyping, which can enable industry to have a rapid and more controlled decision making process. Virtual prototyping has come a long way in recent years, where current environments enable stereoscopic visuals, surround sound and ample interaction with the generated models. It is also important to evaluate how representative the developed virtual prototype is when compared to the real-world counterpart and the sense of presence reported by users of the virtual prototype. This paper describes the systematic procedure to develop a virtual prototype of Gazal-1 (i.e., the first car prototype designed by Saudi engineers) in a semi-immersive virtual environment. The steps to develop a virtual prototype from CAD (computer-aided design) models are explained in detail. Various issues involved in the different phases for the development of the virtual prototype are also discussed comprehensively. The paper further describes the results of the subjective assessment of a developed virtual prototype of a Saudi Arabian-designed automobile. User’s feedback is recorded using a presence questionnaire. Based on the user-based study, it is revealed that the virtual prototype is representative of the real Saudi Arabian car and offers a flexible environment to analyze design features when compared against its physical prototype. The capabilities of the virtual environment are validated with the application of the car prototype. Finally, vital requirements and directions for future research are also presented.

The sitting position is very common in everyday life and therefore any garment should be comfortable in that positon. It is especially important for those who are disabled and are confined to a sitting position throughout life. These include paraplegics whose restricted movements are due to paralysis of the lower limbs and restrict them to a wheelchair. Garments for a sitting position should meet certain particular needs like the body dimensions and postures of each individual. Design considerations should provide ergonomic comfort in a sitting position and include functional requirements due to limitations of strength and mobility in such a way that they do not cause additional health problems to paraplegics, e.g. skin irritations, pressure sores, obstruction of the blood flow etc., but rather to improve the quality of life for paraplegics. Today, the development of garments is practically impossible to imagine without the assistance of 3D CAD systems for the virtual prototyping of garments, which usually provide only the 3D body models in a standing position. The aim of this study was to explore the possibilities for the virtual prototyping of garments in regard to the sitting position, using the OptiTex 3D commercial CAD system. For this purpose 3D scans of subjects in sitting position were performed using a general-purpose ATOS II 3D optical scanning system. In addition, processing techniques of the human body mesh modeling and surface reconstruction techniques were involved to obtain a sitting 3D body model. The garments’ basic pattern designs for a standing position were constructed according to the rules of the M. Müller&Sohn construction system. Their reconstruction into garments’ basic pattern designs for a sitting position were performed by using the virtual measured dimensions of the scanned 3D body model in a sitting position, and virtual prototyping of the garments. Comparisons between the dimensions of the real and the 3D body models were carried out, as well as a comparison between the real sewn and virtually developed garments. The research showed that a reliable sitting 3D body model was achieved by used scanning technology, modeling and reconstruction techniques, as well as the usefulness and effectiveness of the virtual prototyping of the garments for a sitting position. In this study fully mobile individuals were involved to avoid unnecessary burdening of paraplegics in this stage of the research. The experiences gained from this study will enable us to include paraplegics within the study during the scanning and anthropometric survey with the aim of designing a general parametric 3D body model. Its body dimensions and postures would be possible for adapting from able-bodied persons with the purpose of developing individual garments for paraplegics.

Digital twin, a concept introduced in 2002, is becoming increasingly relevant to systems engineering and, more specifically, to model-based system engineering (MBSE). A digital twin, like a virtual prototype, is a dynamic digital representation of a physical system. However, unlike a virtual prototype, a digital twin is a virtual instance of a physical system (twin) that is continually updated with the latter’s performance, maintenance, and health status data throughout the physical system’s life cycle. This paper presents an overall vision and rationale for incorporating digital twin technology into MBSE. The paper discusses the benefits of integrating digital twins with system simulation and Internet of Things (IoT) in support of MBSE and provides specific examples of the use and benefits of digital twin technology in different industries. It concludes with a recommendation to make digital twin technology an integral part of MBSE methodology and experimentation testbeds.

In this article, a novel secretary bird-inspired vibration isolator (SBIVI) is presented and investigated. The vibration isolator consists of an X-shaped stiffness adjustment mechanism and a lever arm structure that mimics the leg and wing of the secretary bird respectively. The biodynamics of the secretary bird is briefly introduced. The structure mapping from the body of the secretary bird to the scheme of the proposed SBIVI is analyzed. For the purpose of confirming the isolation performance of the SBIVI, the theoretical dynamics model is built while the virtual prototype simulation is carried out. By adjusting the values of the inertial mass and spring stiffness, the SBIVI can be easily installed with optimal operating conditions. From the simulation results, it is concluded that the vibration suppression ability of the SBIVI surpasses the traditional X-shaped structure within the interest of the frequency bandwidth.

The present work deals with the dynamic analysis of a vehicle wheel guidance system by using virtual prototyping software tools. The study is based on the development of a full-vehicle model, which integrates the following specific subsystems: front suspension, rear suspension, steering, car body, and anti-roll bar. The design and simulation of the full-vehicle virtual model is carried out by using the MBS (Multi-Body Systems) software package ADAMS, more specifically the module dedicated to the automotive industry, namely ADAMS/Car, which offers facilities for simulating the complete vehicle under various road conditions and loading states. The results obtained through the dynamic analysis in a virtual environment, which are presented both in the form of in-time variation diagrams and in the form of graphical simulation frames, enable the accurate assessment of the vehicle wheel guidance system behavior, what is found in effective decision-making from the early stages of the design process.