Implementation of Machine Learning (ML) to improve product and production development processes poses a significant opportunity for manufacturing industries. ML has the capability to calibrate models ...with considerable adaptability and high accuracy. This capability is specifically promising for applications where classical production automation is too expensive, e.g., for mass customization cases where the production environment is uncertain and unstructured. To cope with the diversity in production systems and working environments, Reinforcement Learning (RL) in combination with lightweight game engines can be used from initial stages of a product and production development process. However, there are multiple challenges such as collecting observations in a virtual environment which can interact similar to a physical environment. This project focuses on setting up RL methodologies to perform path-finding and collision detection in varying environments. One case study is human assembly evaluation method in the automobile industry which is currently manual intensive to investigate digitally. For this case, a mannequin is trained to perform pick and place operations in varying environments and thus automating assembly validation process in early design phases. The next application is path-finding of mobile robots including an articulated arm to perform pick and place operations. This application is expensive to setup with classical methods and thus RL enables an automated approach for this task as well.
The amalgamation of Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) results in the development of many promising applications that are helpful for society in many aspects. This research was ...done to study the effect of immersive and non-immersive applications on user's psychological parameters. In this paper, an intelligent, interactive, and immersive digital application was designed, and the various psychological parameters of users while using the application were analyzed through the brain computer interactive device, Emotiv. The impact of these robust and immersive applications on the emotions of human beings was analyzed. According to the observations, the stress and relaxation levels are getting minimally affected, whereas the engagement levels are high for an immersive application rather than a non-immersive application. Hence, it can be concluded that immersive applications put users “in” the application environment and provide a near-realistic experience by blurring the line between the real and virtual worlds. Deeper immersion results from the increased sensation of presence, which in turn is helpful in increasing motivation and emotional investment.•This paper demonstrates the implementation of the A* algorithm within the Unity 3D Game Engine to develop an intelligent digital application, fostering interactivity and depth.•This paper explores the integration of VR technology to transform the digital application into an immersive and interactive experience, enhancing user engagement and realism.•This paper investigates the utilization of the Emotiv Insight device to analyze cognitive parameters within both non-immersive AI-based and immersive AI & VR-based applications, providing insights into user experiences.
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In this article, we discuss the analytical findings from a qualitative investigation of musicking (Small, 1998) with a digital score. The main focus of this article is our methodology and the outline ...of our methods. The composition at the centre of this study is Nautilus - a digital score created using the Unity game engine. We discuss in detail the construction of a novel quantitative dataset, which has been designed as a standard structure for the analysis of different digital score case studies. Following this we present our analytical findings from the qualitative study and outline the themes that were created as part of a thematic analysis. As a conclusion, we assess the relevance of our findings against the core aims of the project, critically reflect on the methodology, and finally present some design considerations that emerged through this case study for those wishing to explore game engines as a platform for creative music-making.
This article analyzes inverse kinematics algorithms and demonstrates the application of the chosen algorithm to the Unity game engine. It has been found that Unity inverse kinematics solvers do not ...offer functionality necessary to apply anatomically correct animation to a humanoid agent. A few inverse kinematics algorithms were chosen for comparison, such as Cyclic Coordinate Descent, FABRIK and triangulation; due to the support of multiple end effectors and possible optimizations, FABRIK was chosen to be implemented in the “FABRIK IK” solver. After comparing the functionality of “FABRIK IK” to Unity’s “Two Bone IK” and “Chain IK” solvers, it was found that “FABRIK IK” has more built-in functionality than “Two Bone IK” and “Chain IK” in the analyzed areas. The measurement of framerate has shown that the application of either solver has not posed a significant difference in performance on Unity (the difference in performance ranges from –8.29% to 5.89%). The visual demonstration that shows the application of “FABRIK IK” demonstrates an anatomically sound and accurate walking cycle, especially compared to “Chain IK”; the accuracy of the animation is comparable to “Two Bone IK”.
•Building information modeling data are integrated with power consumption data sets.•Spatiotemporal mechanisms are utilized to analyze the fused data sets.•Potential energy-saving tips and ...circumstances can be identified and prompted.•Residents can be better educated to save energy in the game-like environment.
Using a visualization engine to display the analyze results of power consumption data in a building can provide immediate and informative feedback for energy conservation research. Previous research has demonstrated that change of residents’ behavior can facilitate achieving the net-zero energy goal for a building. This research proposed a system called iARTS (interactive Augmented Reality system for Temporal and Spatial analysis of power consumption data integrated with building information models) that was designed to: (1) integrate building information model data into power consumption data sets in order to visualize the analysis results in Unity, which is a visualization engine originally designed for game development; (2) perform a spatiotemporal analysis mechanism to help residents realize an energy-saving tip, by identifying the appliances to be turned off; (3) perform another spatiotemporal analysis mechanism to identify the appliances that can be used jointly in order to consume all the solar PV-generated electricity at a maximum; (4) provide residents with query forms, scenes retrieval functions, and animations to educate residents as to where and when to implement the aforementioned energy-saving tips. With the use of iARTS, the temporal relationships between power sockets and appliances can be accurately described along with timestamped power consumption data. Residents are expected to be able to identify the electricity usage patterns that are wasteful, as well as to see any potential adjustment plan for using as much generated electricity as possible.
The purpose of this work is, before the mission, training of personnel searching for explosives with metallic mine detectors for their operations in the battlefield and gaining experience by ...searching for explosives in a virtual environment. In this context, a search model was created by determining the factors affecting the search for explosives in the methodology. In this study, first of all, a scene where explosive materials will be detected was prepared. In this scene, three-dimensional models of the explosives and detector to be used were made from the first point of view of the character. In addition, a signal model proposal for how to detect explosives placed on the field by the detector operator using the Unity game engine is presented. In this model proposal, detectors, explosives, land and user-related issues have been evaluated and added to the model. With the prepared model, the reaction of the search coil to the signal source was observed, and it was ensured that the speed and method of the operator affected the signal. In addition, soil structure change in different types of land has been added to the model. A generic flow chart showing the behaviors to be applied by the detector operator during the intervention to the signal was prepared and this scheme was requested to be used for control purposes in the application. As a result of the study, a realistic and cost-effective training aid that can be used in the training of detector operators has been prepared.
Unity Snappable Meshes Fachada, Nuno; e Silva, Rafael C.; de Andrade, Diogo ...
Software impacts,
August 2022, 2022-08-00, Letnik:
13
Journal Article
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The Snappable Meshes algorithm procedurally generates 3D maps for computer games by iteratively selecting and linking pre-built map pieces via designer-specified connectors. In this paper we present ...an implementation of this algorithm in the Unity game engine, describing its architecture and discussing core implementational solutions. A number of examples illustrate the potential of the algorithm and the capabilities of the software. We assess the application’s impact on past and ongoing research, and how it can be improved to support future research questions.
•Snappable Meshes is an algorithm for procedurally generating 3D maps for computer games.•Maps are created by joining pre-built blocks via designer-specified connectors.•An implementation of the algorithm in the Unity game engine is presented and its architecture discussed.•The implementation has supported two research papers and is currently used as the basis of on-going research.
This paper outlines the main steps towards an open and adaptive simulation method for human-robot collaboration (HRC) in production engineering supported by virtual reality (VR). The work is based on ...the latest software developments in the gaming industry, in addition to the already commercially available hardware that is robust and reliable. This allows to overcome VR limitations of the industrial software provided by manufacturing machine producers and it is based on an open-source community programming approach and also leads to significant advantages such as interfacing with the latest developed hardware for realistic user experience in immersive VR, as well as the possibility to share adaptive algorithms. A practical implementation in Unity is provided as a functional prototype for feasibility tests. However, at the time of this paper, no controlled human-subject studies on the implementation have been noted, in fact, this is solely provided to show preliminary proof of concept. Future work will formally address the questions that are raised in this first run.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have long histories in the healthcare sector, offering the opportunity to develop a wide range of tools and applications aimed at improving the quality ...of care and efficiency of services for professionals and patients alike. The best-known examples of VR–AR applications in the healthcare domain include surgical planning and medical training by means of simulation technologies. Techniques used in surgical simulation have also been applied to cognitive and motor rehabilitation, pain management, and patient and professional education. Serious games are ones in which the main goal is not entertainment, but a crucial purpose, ranging from the acquisition of knowledge to interactive training.These games are attracting growing attention in healthcare because of their several benefits: motivation, interactivity, adaptation to user competence level, flexibility in time, repeatability, and continuous feedback. Recently, healthcare has also become one of the biggest adopters of mixed reality (MR), which merges real and virtual content to generate novel environments, where physical and digital objects not only coexist, but are also capable of interacting with each other in real time, encompassing both VR and AR applications.This Special Issue aims to gather and publish original scientific contributions exploring opportunities and addressing challenges in both the theoretical and applied aspects of VR–AR and MR applications in healthcare.
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