CONCEPT OF PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT SIMULATOR FOR AN EXCAVATOR USING A HAPTIC DEVICE

The significance of Virtual reality (VR) tools lies on its capability to simulate physical presence. Dealing with 3D model in VR Systems is less expensive, less dangerous and easier to make modifications than dealing with real objects. Haptic devices are used because of their ability to generate and provide force feedback to the user during the real-time simulation. With this extra information, the user has gain more understanding of the model and makes it more real. In this paper we present a new concept for using VR-environment, real-time simulation model of the excavator and haptic device to sense power consumption. Force signal generated by the haptic device is used on reflecting power consumption of a diesel engine. Such method can be used to evaluate how excavator mechanism and fluid power line works together when excavator accomplishes different work cycles. This approach gives a physical feedback of behavior of the main design property to a human test user. Haptic feedback together with 3D visualization enriches human understanding on nature of the entity and enables human creativity to be involved in design process.