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IBM, StereoGraphics and CrystalEyes



A Virtual Environment for Automotive Design


Researchers at General Motors' Research & Development Center have developed an advanced 3-D visualization system which uses virtual reality technology to help automotive designers and engineers evaluate math models of products without building physical prototypes.

Stereo visualization is accomplished using CrystalEyes eyewear fromStereoGraphics Corporation of San Rafael, California.

Virtual Prototype

GM's SIGGRAPH '94 exhibit featured scenes of virtual car exteriors and interiors composed of ray-traced imagery and dynamically rendered geometric surfaces. Viewers could walk around and then sit inside a car made only of light. The correct viewpoint of the car interior was maintained by tracking the viewing position and orientation of the occupant. The viewer could change interior illumination by moving a virtual light around by hand or change a color by pointing at a color palette, then pointing at the desired surface.

Benefits

Evaluation of early interior design concepts is now done by building full-sized physical mock-ups which require time and expense. Virtual mock-ups and prototypes have the potential to replace many early physical prototypes. In addition, virtual rendering provides flexibility in altering and viewing the model in ways not possible with the physical component.

The naturalness of this human-in-the-loop simulation - a real person in a virtual car - is necessary for valid decisions regarding aesthetics, engineering, safety, and ergonomics.

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