Objective:
Address the problem of making the wiring connections within and into electrical components through adoption of a new process in which wiring design will be captured as part of the 3D model rather than a 2D schematic. The new process will employ Augmented Reality (AR) technology, similar to that used for the 1st-down “yellow line” in football telecasts.
Summary:
Navy shipbuilders are under constant pressure to reduce construction costs. A number of initiatives are under way seeking to identify state-of-the-art processes and tools that will lead to significant construction cost reductions. The use of visual aids is an area of recent technological advances. Electric Boat has determined that for the wiring of components 3D models are more cost-effective to produce than 2D paper schematics. This opens the door for the use of advanced visualization aids that can be used to improve the actual wiring process. These visualization aids can be delivered to the user on digital tablets, eliminating the need for paper. Augmented reality is a technology that can be exploited once tablets become part of the construction solution. Augmented reality (AR) consists of the superimposing of design and build data and graphics onto the real-time video image generated at the work site.
Although augmented reality promises significant savings in touch later, one problem is finding a use case well suited to its application. This project will address the problem of making the wiring connections within and into electrical components. This use case presents a well-bounded and well-suited application of AR technology.
Point of Contact:
Dr. Thomas Rando, GD-Electric Boat
Denny Moore, GD-Electric Boat
Overview
Project Team:
- General Dynamics Electric Boat
- General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
April 2015 - September 2016
NSRP ASE Investment: $603K
Industry Investment: $603K