Laser scanner improves automotive modelling

Using NVision's laser scanner to create surface models of vehicle interiors and occupants can substantially improve the occupant packaging design process.

Using NVision's laser scanner to create surface models of vehicle interiors and occupants can substantially improve the occupant packaging design process.

Occupant packaging is the process of measuring human factors criteria, such as reach, posture, and visibility, for a proposed interior package.

In the past, many companies would place manikins in a new experimental design and measure important points with a co-ordinate measuring machine (CMM).

Using a CMM, it can take a technician about a week to develop a packaging database consisting of approximately 15,000 points, which does not provide the level of resolution or detail that most engineers want to see.

The laser scanner from NVision captures thousands of points per second, making it possible to generate complete surface models of the vehicle interior and manikin.

This provides engineering staff with much more detailed information, which reduces engineering time and often leads to more innovative designs.

The Toyota Technical Centre is one company currently using the NVision scanner to improve its occupant packaging design process.

"We selected the NVision laser scanner because it uses a 140mm stripe, over twice as wide as the alternatives we considered, to collect twice as much data in the same amount of time".

"NVision has also implemented numerous software upgrades that have increased the accuracy of the data, and reduced post-measurement processing time", said Marc Reish, Senior Technician, Human Factors Group of Toyota in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

NVision's laser scanner works by projecting a laser light onto surfaces, while a camera continuously triangulate the changing distance and profile of the laser as it sweeps along, enabling the object to be accurately replicated.

Occupant packaging engineers can typically capture between three and four million points in an hour with the scanner.

They can also easily capture important discrete points with the articulating arm.

The point cloud generated by NVision's scanner is then converted into a surface model using surfacing software.

With a surface model, engineers have a complete 3D representation of the vehicle interior that eliminates any limitations on the design issues they can address.

For example, they can easily move the position of the interior components in order to determine the impact on the human factors.

The surface model is also much easier to visualise.

By providing engineers with detailed, 3D surface models of vehicle interiors, the NVision scanner is proving itself to be an important tool in the quest to find innovative designs while saving time and money.

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