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| The Virtual Reality Laboratory (VRLab) at the University of Maryland at College Park (UMD) is a graduate research laboratory specialized in the design of Smart Structures in a virtual reality environment using real-time interactive computer graphics, acoustics and touch sensing. The VRLab was established on August 23rd 2000 by funds from the Army Research Office (ARO), Office of Naval Research (ONR) and University of Maryland (UMD).
MissionThe mission of the VRLab is to design in a Virtual Reality environment. In such an environment, the design engineers are immersed in an audio-visually coupled tele-operated environment in order to enable direct interaction with the design process in real time. In this manner, the behavior of synthetic structural models of the QUIET smart structures is monitored by literally walking around/inside the structures and adjusting their design parameters as needed to ensure optimal performance while satisfying design and operational requirements. For example, electronic wands are used to vary the number, size, type and location of active/passive treatment used in these structures, monitor the resulting closed-loop structural vibrations visually or by haptic feedback and simultaneously listen to the radiated sound pressure field. Such manipulations of the virtual smart treatments in the scene are carried out while the engineer is navigating outside/inside the smart structure to ensure that the vibration and sound levels, at critical locations, are within the acceptable limits.
Directions to the Lab
Contact Information
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Last modified: March 23, 2002 |
