This paper addresses the use of virtual environments and associated visualization methods in the design of military ground vehicles. The focus is increased accuracy and correlation to the physical environment in a virtual environment. The motivation is to enable position-based design studies in a virtual environment as a substitute for a physical buck.
Techniques for the use of visualization for large assembly flythrough are well-known [
1
]. Many virtual environment software products are available and CAD data access is streamlined. Virtual environment technology is often used in aerospace, architecture, automotive and armored ground combat vehicle design. However, in order to conduct a study representative of the intended design, the virtual environment system must be calibrated and accurate. This is particularly important in reach and vision studies for human interface design including the placement of the controls and displays.
There are many areas in which the virtual environment needs to be calibrated in order to accurately represent a physical property. These areas include the virtual-to-physical coordinate system alignment and field of view correlation, placement of a physical property to be used with the virtual models and head, hand and finger tracking accuracy. Furthermore, at different points within the physical environment, the correlation with the virtual environment may not be at the same level of accuracy.
The results of the calibration effort will characterize the confidence of the virtual environment compared to the physical environment. A pilot design study involving alternatives for placement of controls and displays will also be conducted.