SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an interactive NURBS modeling system using a force/position sensitive glove that mimics in real time the process of modeling objects using a clay or similar materials. The system will allow designers to use their artistic talents for conceptualizing, modeling and modifying products, in a very natural and intuitive manner. The Phase I work will address four objectives: 1) it will develop a design framework for capturing force and motion applied by the human hand during sculpting tasks; 2) it will develop a methodology to transmit and/or synthetically simulate the patterns of force and motion on a virtual model; 3) an intuitive user interface and interaction system will be proposed to make the task of design both practical, easy and pleasurable; and 4) the system will interface with commercial CAD systems and Rapid Prototyping systems, through a neutral file exchange system, making this into a ubiquitous CAD peripheral system. The research effort will impact in the state of art in design, human factors and ergonomics, education opportunities for students learning CAD fundamentals and mechanical engineers designing and modeling products. Future leveraging of the software and hardware infrastructure developed through this Phase I research for a commercial system will revolutionize the process of product design and manufacturing

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop a Virtual Clay system comprised of a patent-pending sensor-enabled glove (called the ModelGlove), and a physics-based simulation engine which presents the user with a virtual 3D representation of modeling clay. The glove enables a designer to mold and shape the virtual clay with his or her fingers and hand, just as he or she would with physical clay. Clay modeling was pioneered by General Motors in 1914, and remains a popular technique. Since the early 80's, the computer aided design (CAD) market has grown dramatically, and 3D CAD has become the most technically-advanced tool for designing complex shapes. However, very little work has been done to merge the physical clay and CAD environments. Virtual Clay aims to fuse these environments, blurring the line between art and engineering and giving designers a unified modeling tool at all stages of development.

By advancing the state of the art in design and opening new worlds of design to mechanical engineers designing and modeling products, broad impacts are anticipated. The Virtual Clay system represents a significant advancement in wearable computing, where the user directly manipulates a virtual object with his or her hand. Further, a physics-based simulation of clay in a design environment promises to open new areas of exploration in the CAD world. By giving control to the user of not only the design, but the simulation environment itself (the user can control how soft or hard the clay is, for example), a whole new way of thinking about how simulation and CAD can evolve. Further, artists and engineers will benefit from being able to watch and decipher every manipulation that an expert modeler has completed on the virtual clay. Bringing a physical medium to a digital environment will thus open up numerous possibilities in design, assessment and analysis, testing, and collaboration