AR HMI Virtual Testing in Digital Plant Environments
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Industrial automation systems face challenges in testing and debugging augmented reality human-machine interfaces (AR HMIs) without physical systems, as existing methods require on-site installation and can be time-consuming and costly, and users struggle to correlate data with specific industrial assets within the HMI.
Innovation Solution
A virtual reality (VR) system is developed to simulate an industrial environment, allowing for the testing and debugging of AR HMIs within a virtual representation, using a digital model of the automation system and an emulated industrial control program, enabling overlay of augmented reality data based on user location and orientation, thereby mimicking the physical environment for training and commissioning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If on-site installation and physical system testing are used for AR HMI testing, then testing accuracy and data correlation with physical assets are improved, but time consumption and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical industrial system including 3D models of equipment, assets, and environment. This virtual replica allows AR HMI testing to be performed in a simulated environment that accurately mirrors the physical system, enabling thorough testing without requiring on-site installation or physical system availability, thus reducing testing time while maintaining data correlation accuracy through the faithful virtual representation
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary configuration and setup of the virtual environment, digital twins, and AR HMI interfaces before actual testing begins. All system components, data linkages, and user interactions are pre-configured in the virtual space, allowing testing to start immediately without time-consuming on-site installation, while ensuring data correlation is established in advance
2Reliability
If on-site installation and physical system testing are used for AR HMI testing, then testing realism is improved, but costs and deployment time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual testing system serves multiple functions: it can test AR HMI interfaces, validate data correlations, simulate various operational scenarios, and train users all within a single unified platform. This multi-functional virtual environment eliminates the need for separate physical testing setups for different purposes, reducing deployment complexity while maintaining testing realism through comprehensive scenario simulation
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual environment acts as an intermediary between the physical system and the AR HMI being tested. It provides a realistic simulation of physical conditions and data flows without requiring direct connection to actual physical assets, thereby maintaining testing realism while simplifying deployment by avoiding complex on-site installation and integration with physical systems
3Productivity
If virtual reality simulation is used for AR HMI testing, then time and costs are reduced, but testing fidelity and data accuracy may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates accurate digital twins and 3D models that faithfully replicate physical assets, equipment, and environmental conditions. These virtual copies maintain the same data structures, relationships, and operational characteristics as their physical counterparts, ensuring that testing in the virtual environment produces accurate and reliable results while enabling efficient parallel testing of multiple scenarios simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual testing system incorporates feedback mechanisms that validate data correlations and interface responses against expected outcomes. Testing results are continuously verified and compared with predefined criteria, ensuring data accuracy is maintained throughout the testing process while enabling rapid iteration and refinement of AR HMI interfaces through immediate feedback loops
4Reliability
If comprehensive virtual environment setup is performed for AR HMI testing, then testing thoroughness is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual testing system is divided into modular components: 3D environment models, digital twin representations, AR HMI interfaces, data correlation engines, and testing validation modules. Each component can be independently configured, tested, and validated, allowing thorough testing of individual aspects while managing overall system complexity through modular architecture that enables targeted testing without requiring complete system configuration
Data Source
AI summary
An industrial virtual reality (VR) system includes visualization processing capabilities that allow an augmented reality (AR) human-machine interface (HMI) application to be tested within a virtual representation of the plant environment. This approach can yield an interactable AR HMI that simulates, within the VR environment, what a wearer of an AR appliance will see while traversing the physical plant. In this way, proper operation of the AR HMI can be verified prior to commissioning of the physical system. This can include ensuring that graphics are tied to the correct data points, confirming correct and non-obtrusive locations of graphics within the user's field of view.