Virtual assembly operations with grasp and verbal interaction

Abstract

This paper presents an immersive virtual reality environment (IVE) for performing assembly and maintenance simulations using the Jack® software package. The Flock of Birds™ motion tracking system is used to capture body postures of an immersed human and reproduce it in real-time in the virtual environment. The Cyberglove™ is used to capture finger movements in real-time for realistic grasp interaction. A comprehensive set of voice commands has been developed to provide significant functionality to allow one person to control the virtual environment while immersed in the environment, thereby improving productivity. One of the most important applications is a method by which the immersed human can walk and fly through the virtual environment, thereby greatly expanding the envelope of the virtual environment navigable under the constraints imposed by the limited tracking volume. These capabilities have been used to investigate assembly simulation of the windshield deicer of a Cessna aircraft.