Railway Evaluation  Prosolvia Clarus and Svedab (Swede-Dane Bridge Consortium) have been engaged in a project modeling the railway link to the bridge across Öresund bay. This bridge will connect the city of Malmö in Sweden to Copenhagen in Denmark. The model was created by students at the Virtual Reality Center in Västerås, Sweden.  Lena Högfeldt, Svedab said: "We see great advantages using an interactive model compared to an animation. Instead of buying one fixed presentation we can create a large number of presentations adjusted to different purposes. For instance, we can use the application for general information to the public, but also in different situations such as when applying for building permits for noise shields. A person can actually choose a viewpoint corresponding to his apartment and see the impact of a suggested change. Another use is in the evaluation of changes from the viewpoint of the train engineer."    Prototype Vehicle Usability Testing (Volvo Car, Sweden )  Volvo is using virtual reality technology at various stages throughout the design, engineering, manufacturing and testing of cars. One promising application, developed with the assistance of Prosolvia Clarus, is in the area of usability testing of virtual prototypes. Volvo’s Creative Ergonomics Department, a division of Volvo Technological Development, has since 1992 developed virtual driving simulators. The simulators comprise a combination of real fittings and controls, and virtual instrumentation and scenery. Various experiments are conducted in the driving simulator, including measurements of drivers’ behaviors - their mental and physiological response - during dynamic traffic conditions. New controls and instruments are multiplying the cognitive load for today’s drivers, and in future designs, the amount of information presented to drivers will continue to grow.  Volvo is interested in studying cognitive ergonomics, the driver’s response to this information. The concern is that drivers will be overwhelmed with information and distracted from the task of driving safely. Engineers can improve automotive safety by evaluating the driver’s reaction to information displayed in different configurations. In the virtual environment, more design alternatives can be explored and situations can be created that would be unsafe in a real car.    Medical Training  Prosolvia Clarus is currently involved in a project called Virtual Shoulder Arthroscopy (VSA). The purpose of this project is to develop a simulator for arthroscopic operations on shoulders. The simulator is developed in cooperation with two physicians at the University Hospital in Linköping, Sweden: Rolf Norlin (M.D., Ph.D.), assistant professor and a member of the staff at the Department of Orthopedics, and Bo Tillander (M.D.), an orthopedic surgeon with vast experience from arthroscopic surgery.  The main purpose for using Clarus Virtual Shoulder Arthroscopy is to improve quality of surgical education. This can be obtained showing arthroscopic and related instruments in a "real" environment without using a patient. Being inexpensive, safe and always available, this technology provides a method for developing new prospects in treatment and research.  Rolf Norlin says: "The advantages of a simulator are obvious as it can be used to educate students in arthroscopic anatomy, arthroscopy as a tool and in basic surgery. Also, orthopedic surgeons can enhance their experience by studying new instruments and surgical techniques. They can also practice new procedures using the Virtual Shoulder Arthroscopy simulator without jeopardizing a patient."  The VSA simulator is built around a standard Silicon Graphics workstation, which is used to simulate the view from the arthroscopic instruments. The simulator uses real instruments connected to the computer by a fixture. The virtual "world" consists of a model of a human shoulder, enhanced by the use of photo-textures.    Virtual Sports  Virtual reality technology with interactive 3D graphics and audio has shown great promise for applications in entertainment and marketing. One example of this is the "Virtual Sports," a game prepared for the 5th World Championship in Athletics 1995 in Gothenburg, Sweden.  The game consists of a realistic replica of the Ullevi stadium (where the Championship was held), virtual competitors and a virtual audience. The main character is a lynx, "Kalo," the official mascot of the championship, competing in a hurdles race where the competitors consist of animated cartoon-like animals. To compete, the player has to physically run and jump during the game; wearing a simple body suit, the movements are registered by a tracking device and are instantaneously transferred to the virtual lynx on a large projection screen.  This type of application can easily be adapted for distribution, having the players compete from different locations.    Tactical Tank Trainer  Prosolvia Clarus, in cooperation with Weibull AB, has developed TornSim (Turret Simulator), a new tactical training system for the Swedish army's Leopard 2 main battle tanks. The Turret Trainer consists of a movable gun/turret and loading simulator, including practice rounds, and a computer-generated virtual environment.  The (virtual) environment is shown on small displays connected to the turret’s gun sight and periscope and the views are continuously updated according to the position and heading of the battle tank. The views can be changed from a day sight to an infrared (IR) sight with several choices of magnification.  Controlling the simulation from outside the turret, a simulator supervisor can simultaneously view the gunner’s sight, the commander’s periscope and a map of the terrain. After a training session the scene can be replayed from any position during debriefing. Several simulators can also be networked using the distributed interactive simulation (DIS) protocol.  Targets, such as trucks, tanks and helicopters, are controlled from the supervision console and show realistic behavior when hit. Currently, three different types of ammunition are supported with corresponding tracers and trajectory tables.    Crash Simulation  At Prosolvia Research & Technology in Munich, Germany, VR technology has been used as a tool for animation of a car crash simulation. The simulation is based on a numerical model of a car hitting a block of concrete and was calculated using LS-DYNA3D. The models were then transferred into a model of tessellated polygons using the CAD Real-Time Link tool.  The project manager, Anton Jurinic, says: "VR technology provides a faster and much more powerful animation as compared to traditional post-processors. Also, it provides greater insight into complex scenarios, which is important especially for people who lack the expertise required by traditional methods and tools."  Using VR, the animation can be changed in real time, for instance certain structures can be highlighted or isolated for evaluation of details. Also, occluding parts, such as the engine hood or a door, can be eliminated completely or can be made semi-transparent to reveal details. Using color-coding, multi-dimensional data can be viewed together with the structures. Anton Jurinic says, "Attaching textures to surfaces enables you to put a simulation inside a realistic environment which, apart from other obvious advantages, provides great promotional value."    Reconstruction of Lost Worlds  A ship lost for 350 years has been reconstructed using VR technology. The pride of the Swedish navy in 1628, the royal "Vasa" sank in mid-Stockholm on its maiden voyage, but was discovered in 1956 and the remains have since been on public display in Stockholm. However, although the findings from the Vasa are extensive, the display does not give visitors a view of the inside of the Vasa or of the ship as a whole. Using VR technology at the Nacka VR Center in Stockholm, the Vasa has now been revived.  The modeling of the Vasa was made by three students at the Nacka VR Center, Ylva Ljungdell (M.Sc.), Barbro Parck (architect) and Ylva Sandberg (graphic designer), with support from the Vasa museum. The current Vasa model contains three scenes: one cannon deck, the wheelhouse and the captain’s quarters. All surfaces are texture mapped, primarily using a wooden texture for the oak used to build the ship. "The textures give a very realistic impression of the rooms," says Per A. Jonasson, program manager for VR Centers at Prosolvia, "and with a Head Mounted Display on your head you can really feel how big this ship was, yet how narrow."  The captain’s quarters on the Vasa was heavily decorated with sculptures, tinted glass and paintings. This quite colorful appearance, which does not come to life in the traditional exhibit, is shown throughout the VR model. For comparison, the "Virtual Vasa" has been modeled in two versions, the original as described above and a model of the ship in its current state.

An indispensable tool for training power station operations personnel

CAE Electronics produces a wide variety of flight, tactics and full mission simulators for both fixed and rotary wing aircraft. These range from today's most advanced fighters and helicopters, to heavy transport and patrol aircraft. We also supply tactical simulators for anti-submarine warfare, radar, electronic warfare and other mission training applications. CAE Electronics has supplied military training simulators to the defense forces of more than 20 nations.

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