Computer game technology leads to augmented reality composites guides
Technology used by computer games enthusiasts is being employed in a project to digitise laminate lay-up processes in aerospace composites manufacturing.
The three-year project, funded with a £430,000 Technology Strategy Board grant, aims to develop a system that can be sold SMEs at a competitive price.
In the interim, elements of gaming technology will be used by Airbus to assist with off-site field work and to train staff working on composite assemblies.
Simon Astwood, research leader of Airbus Group Innovations’ Digital Factory, explained that the overall objective is to develop a system that represents simulated design for manufacturing that can be applied to conceptual design and eventually to products that are more focussed on manufacturing and production.
He told The Engineer: ‘We’re taking the [Microsoft] Kinect controller - just the camera system because its USB operated - and connecting it to a standard Windows laptop and running our own C-Sharp programme on top of that that let’s us use the…skilled worker as an input device.’
The first demonstrator developed by the project focussed on very low cost composite repair work flow.
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