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October 29-31, 2019 │ Novi, MI

The objective of this work was to design an automated bed clearing mechanism for the Anet brand A8 3D printer, which uses Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) process. This work has been carried out as a capstone course. Many OEMs are focusing on using functional 3D printed parts to replace metal parts that otherwise require complex assemblies or to reduce weight. The concept behind the work presented in this paper was to allow every user to be able to print multiple parts without human interaction. This saves time to load and unload one part at a time. The idea was to develop a universal bed clearing mechanism that can be used for most brands of 3D printers. Upon researching into the many different styles and designs of printers, it became clear that the designs are different and complex to create a universal product. It was decided to aim for the most common style of 3D printers for which easy modeling and testing should be possible.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has interest in automatically generating the extensive aerodynamic databases essential for six degree of freedom (6DOF) models and the use of 6DOF models for design. To be most useful, automation must include all aspects of producing the database including meshing, control surface deflections, running the CFD solution, and storage of the results. This effort applies newly-developed software to produce the desired results. Firstly, AFRL software called Computational Aircraft Prototype Syntheses (CAPS) allows automated meshing using the Advancing Front Local Reconnection (AFLR) software from Mississippi State University1 and automated control surface deflection using Engineering Sketch Pad (ESP) software from MIT/Syracuse. CAPS includes the ability to run the NASA CFD code FUN3D and interpret the FUN3D results via an Application Interface Module (AIM). This may sound like a complicated process.

Autonomous Driving is used in various settings, including indoor areas such as industrial halls and warehouses. For perception in these environments, LIDAR is currently very popular due to its high accuracy compared to RADAR and its robustness to varying lighting conditions compared to cameras. However, there is a notable lack of freely available labeled LIDAR data in these settings, and most public datasets, such as KITTI and Waymo, focus on public road scenarios. As a result, specialized publicly available annotation frameworks are rare as well. This work tackles these shortcomings by developing an automated AI-based labeling tool to generate a LIDAR dataset with 3D ground truth annotations for industrial warehouse scenarios. The base pipeline for the annotation framework first upsamples the incoming 16-channel data into dense 64-channel data.

Abstract ISO 26262 needs to be considered when developing safety-relevant E/E systems within the automotive industry. One part of the development process according to ISO 26262 is the derivation of the safety requirements for component functions. Here, one attribute of the safety requirements is the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL). The ASIL at a component level can be determined using ASIL allocation and decomposition. Considering complex systems such as vehicle electrical systems, countless possibilities can be identified for how the ASILs at a component level can be assigned in line with safety goals. In terms of efficiency, manual assignment is not expedient. Therefore, an algorithm for automated assignment of the ASILs will be introduced which considers constraints based on a fault tree analysis. The function of the approach will be demonstrated using the example of a vehicle electrical system from an automated vehicle.

As part of the current initiatives aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency and environmental sustainability of aviation, a significant improvement in the efficiency of aircraft operations is currently pursued. Innovative Communication, Navigation, Surveillance and Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) technologies and operational concepts are being developed to achieve the ambitious goals for efficiency and environmental sustainability set by national and international aviation organizations. These technological and operational innovations will be ultimately enabled by the introduction of novel CNS/ATM and Avionics (CNS+A) systems, featuring higher levels of automation. A core feature of such systems consists in the real-time multi-objective optimization of flight trajectories, incorporating all the operational, economic and environmental aspects of the aircraft mission.

The Simulation Model of Automobile Collisions (SMAC) computer program was developed by Calspan Corporation as an aid with which to accurately reconstruct road accidents. Part of the overall objective of the research has been to make the system “user oriented” so that users without an engineering background can operate it with ease. This has necessitated developing a START program which automatically runs the SMAC program from a minimum of input data and an iteration routine designed to optimize the input values of velocities to provide a “best fit” reconstruction to the available scene data. A summary of how the START program works is given; however, emphasis is placed in the paper on the development of the iterative routine. The theory behind the routine is given and a number of examples are then presented to show how it works. For each example the results of each successive iteration are given to illustrate the manner in which the program converges to an acceptable reconstruction.

An automated data handling system to assist in the operation of a diesel engine lubricant test laboratory, involving two mini-computers, is described in terms of why it was needed, the design goals sought, and the operating experience which resulted from its use. The concept of two digital systems, one for on-line data logging and another as a ready back-up, as well as a data processor, is discussed. Direct and peripheral benefits which have resulted from the application of the system, such as semi-automated report processing, operational aids, and various engineering applications, are reported.

An automatic optimization process for the aerodynamic design of automotive vehicle shapes is presented. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) mesh generation and the analysis software packages are coupled for transfer of data and information between the two packages. This communication enables an automated process in which designs are created and analyzed for the aerodynamic drag. New designs are created by morphing the CFD model for the baseline design. The automated process is applied to perform a parametric study on a generic automobile sedan shape. The results show that the process can be used for aerodynamic optimization of any automotive vehicle shape. The turnaround for the automated process is at least an order of magnitude less than the conventional analysis process.

The foremost aim of the work presented in this paper is to improve fuel economy and decrease CO2 emissions by reducing the aerodynamic drag of passenger vehicles. In vehicle development, computer aided engineering (CAE) methods have become a development driver tool rather than a design assessment tool. Exploring and developing the capabilities of current CAE tools is therefore of great importance. An efficient method for vehicle shape optimization has been developed using recent years' advancements in neural networks and evolutionary optimization. The proposed method requires the definition of design variables as the only manual work. The optimization is performed on a solver approximation instead of the real solver, which considerably reduces computation time. A database is generated from simulations of sampled configurations within the pre-defined design space. The database is used to train an artificial neural network which acts as an approximation to the simulations.

The University of Kansas, Flight Research Laboratory is developing an interactive, user-friendly computer program to perform preliminary design and analysis functions for fixed wing airplanes. This paper presents a discussion of the current status of this program. Use of the program is illustrated with an example application to an advanced stealth bomber.

In April, 1986, the U.S. Air Force selected Ogden ALC (Air Logistics Center) to investigate automated/robotic capability for U.S. Air Force Logistics Aircraft Maintenance Divisions to plastic media blast (PMB) F-4 and F-16 aircraft. This paper discusses the three phases of the contract: *Phase I - Process Selection and Optimization (completed July 1987). Different stripping methods were evaluated before selecting plastic media blast (PMB) as the most viable process. Design configuration mandated incorporation into existing facility. *Phase II -System Fabrication, Test and Validation (estimated completion by April 1989). Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio was awarded contract for design of bench model. Design requirements to include a one time strip clean operation. The U.S. Air Force will review vision system translation by the robot and give final “buy off” of the operation. *Phase III - Installation and Verification (estimated completion date is December 1989).

The Hi-Set Fastening System is a high strength (95 KSI shear) single piece fastener used for automated airframe assembly with squeeze type assembly equipment. As the demands for improved surface quality, shorter cycle times and lower cost increase throughout the airframe industry, automated assembly is becoming more attractive. The design detaiils, installation tooling, installation sequence and cost effectiveness of the Hi-Set are reviewed and compared to other fastening systems.

The Automated Alignment Facility is used to manoeuvre and position major aircraft fuselage sections for aligning them according to the best fit philosophy. The major goal is to fulfill the increasing requirement of aircraft manufacturer to ensure the accuracy of completed airframes to meet a very high aerodynamic standard. This paper is intended to describe and focus on the main aspects and the application of the Automated Alignment Facility. It will as well describe the sophisticated technology used to ensure the important requirements including pictures and photographs showing the system in process.

Continued advancement of vehicle features creates complexity that restricts service technicians’ ability to understand how the vehicles are meant to behave and how to diagnose problems. Handheld diagnostic tools are great for retrieving snapshots of data but can not provide the necessary systematic overview to analyze the next generation of problems brought on by these complexities. New tools are needed to oversee vehicle systems operations, to automate data capture and analysis, and to improve the diagnostic process. This paper addresses the requirements for this next generation of diagnostic tools and the framework needed to support them.

Computational ergonomic analyses are often laboriously tested one task at a time. As digital human models improve, we can partially automate the entire analysis process of checking human factors requirements or regulations against a given design. We are extending our Parameterized Action Representation (PAR) to store requirements and its execution system to drive human models through required tasks. Databases of actions, objects, regulations, and digital humans are instantiated into PARs and executed by analyzers that simulate the actions on digital humans and monitor the actions to report successes and failures. These extensions will allow quantitative but localized design assessment relative to specific human factors requirements

A method for linking human subject simulation programs to animation programs is presented. The simulation of a human subject is briefly reviewed the link method is then discussed in detail together with its utilization in the kinematic analysis of the subject/vehicle collisions. The limitations of animation are shown for a small computer and methods for circumventing these in human subject animation are discussed. This method has been shown to be useful for automating an animation. It makes possible more analyses in a given time, which means it is more cost effective. It also allows rapid kinematic analyses when the key issues are those of motion constraints and no loads are required.

In modern vehicle acoustics, Active Sound Design (ASD) is a popular method to enhance the interior sound perception of a vehicle. In vehicles with a traditional internal combustion engine, the load dependency of the sound can be increased to give a positive dynamic feedback. Irritating small band resonances can be attenuated by boosting the surrounding frequency content, and downsized-engines with a small number of cylinders can be made to sound like the larger ones from former days. However, once a characteristic sound is designed for a specific vehicle, it is a tedious process to transfer this lead-sound to derivatives (e.g. same model but different exhaust system). So far, sound designers must adapt the ASD dataset manually - usually this takes several loops of measuring the vehicles interior sound on a track and adjusting the ASD settings back in the office.

Silicone hardcoating and plastic headlamp lenses were first developed in the late 1970's due to the growing trend, in automobile design, towards weight reduction as well as a desire for design flexibility. A few creative people presented the auto industry with a plastic substitute that replaced glass and offered new design possibilities. Ford Motor company presented data to the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration indicating that the chance of total failure for a plastic headlamp component was less than for a glass sealed beam headlamp. General Electric's LEXAN polycarbonate with it's excellent impact and high temperature resistance, good optics, flame retardant and light weight was selected as a perfect candidate for glass replacement in headlamps.

Avcorp Industries Inc. recognized the need to reduce assembly labor costs in order to stay competitive with global competition. After two years of research and investigation it was determined that a joint project with Dassault Aviation provided the most viable solution. The key elements of the technology developed by Dassault were its high flexibility and rapid payback of capital investment. This paper describes the system and the application. The structure’s design and robotic system design were performed in parallel. A number of design challenges had to be overcome. Many of these issues encountered were common to any automated assembly application. By covering these challenges Avcorp was able to introduce automated assembly at a level that had typically been previously attained exclusively by much larger enterprises. The robotic system consists of two anthropomorphic robots, which work both individually and in tandem.