Mixed mock-up - development of an interactive augmented reality system for assembly planning

Virtual assembly simulations are used in the industry to save costs in early stages of product development. As previous work, the so called mixed mock-up was developed to support the assembly planning of an automotive supplier. The mixed mock-up extends cardboard engineering through Augmented Reality (AR) visualizations. Virtual components are assembled virtually at the physical assembly mock-up. The evaluation of the first mixed mock-up prototype revealed various deficits in the technical implementation and the user interaction. This paper describes the further development of the existing system with the aim of making the simulation more realistic and increasing the practical suitability of the application. Based on a generic system description, the system has been improved in its individual components. A new pair of AR glasses is used to extend the field of vision. In addition, innovative force feedback gloves are used to support the user interaction. The gloves enhance the handling and ensure a natural interaction with the system and the virtual components. The effort for the preparation of the simulation data and the configuration of the assembly scene is reduced by a semi-automatic data processing step. This makes it easy to exchange CAD data and enables a productive use of the system. An evaluation by experts of the industry partner resulted in a thoroughly positive feedback. The mixed mock-up application has become more realistic and intuitive overall.