VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING METHODS - Prof. Monica Bordegoni

 The objective of the course is to provide to the students knowledge on the most modern methods for the development of virtual prototypes of industrial products, and their use in the phases of products concept, design, validation and use, as well as maintenance and disposal in the cycle life of the product, and also knowledge on the most innovative technologies in support of virtual prototyping. After completing the course, the students will be able to manage independently and effectively the development process of a product, being able to integrate all the aspects concerning a product, which include functional, aesthetic, and ergonomic aspects, by using the best methods and techniques of Virtual Prototyping that are supported by ICT tools (CAD, PLM, VR/AR, haptics, etc.).
The course is divided into two parts. A first part dedicated to methods based on the use of virtual prototypes for the aesthetic, functional and ergonomic validation of products. It will be illustrated the state of the art of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies for realistic 3D and real-time visualization, of tracking, the multimodal interaction, and Rapid Prototyping. Besides, the course will illustrate techniques for Functional Simulation and the integrated use of virtual prototypes with virtual mannequins. The second part of the course is dedicated to methods for the validation of products based on the use of haptic devices integrated in the virtual prototype. Specifically, the course aims to provide the basics of the sense of touch and of haptic systems, used in simulation and virtual prototyping applications, which allows us to interact physically with virtual objects, by perceiving the contact and force reactions.
The course also includes laboratory activities where the students will have the poossibility to practice state of the art technologies for virtual prototyping, individually or in group with other students. 

HAPTICS - Prof. Vincent Hayward

The course aims at providing students with the basic principles for the development of haptic technologies.

The main topics that will be covered will be:

1 - Biomechanics

2 - Somatosensory system

3 - Haptic sensations + hands on experiments

4 - Haptic Perception + hands on experiments

5 - Haptic techniques and technology

The course includes laboratory activities carried out in the Virtual Prototyping Lab, where students will be able to practice individually or in group, using state of the art technologies to build haptic technologies and applications based on haptic interaction. 

References:

Gallace, A., Spence, C.. In touch with the future: the sense of touch from cognitive neuroscience to virtual reality. Oxford University Press. 2014

Grunwald, M. Human haptic perception. Basics and Applications Berlin. 2008

Hatzfeld, C., Kern, T. A. (Eds.). Engineering Haptic Devices: A Beginner's Guide. Springer. 2014

Jones, L. A., Lederman, S. J.. Human hand function. Oxford University Press. 2006

Lin, M. C., Otaduy, M. Haptic rendering: Foundations, algorithms and applications. AK Peters, Ltd., 2008

The books will be integrated with handouts, notes and technical and scientific articles provided by the Lecturer.

Background Knowledge required: none

The exam consists in the development and discussion of a project, developed by the students individually or in groups, and decided in agreement with the Lecturer.