360-Degree Automation Visualization With Real-Time Interaction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automation system visualizations often lose overview in complex systems, especially when displaying machine data, and offer limited interaction possibilities.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing 360-degree panorama data and function blocks for interaction points within a client-server model, enabling real-time machine data exchange and interactive navigation and control of automation systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a traditional 2D plan or graphical representation is used for visualization, then the system structure is simple, but the overview is lost in complex automation systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D plan views to 360-degree panoramic representations, adding a dimensional aspect to the visualization. This allows operators to view the automation system from multiple angles and perspectives within a single comprehensive view, preventing loss of overview while managing complexity through standardized panoramic capture and rendering processes
2Loss of information
If more machine data is displayed in the visualization, then the information completeness improves, but the interaction possibilities are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The visualization system is designed to serve multiple functions simultaneously: it displays machine data from multiple sensors and actuators, provides navigational context through 360-degree views, and enables direct interaction with automation components. The panormaic representation acts as a universal interface that combines monitoring and control capabilities in one system
3Ease of operation
If a client-server model with web-based visualization is used, then the accessibility improves, but the real-time interaction capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous real-time data exchange between the client interface and server backend, ensuring that machine data updates and control commands are transmitted without interruption. The web-based client continuously receives updated panoramic views and machine state information, while control inputs from the user are immediately forwarded to the automation system, preserving real-time responsiveness despite the distributed architecture
Data Source
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AI summary
To enhance a visualized representation of an automation system (1) and to improve the possibilities of interactions with the automation system (1) via the visualized representation, a system for visualizing the automation system (1) is proposed, which at least comprises a server unit (2) and at least one client unit (6). The server unit (2) is designed to provide at least one client unit (6) with a visualization application (3), which comprises 360-degree panorama data (PA_DAT) of the automation system (1) and function blocks defining interactions for interaction points(HS) and to integrate the function blocks in such a way into the visualization application (3) that an interaction linked to a respective interaction point (HS) can be triggered by selecting the respective interaction point (HS) embedded in a 360-degree representation of the automation system (1), and which is furthermore designed to exchange machine data (DAT) with the automation system (1) in real-time via at least one interface (4) to make the machine data (DAT) available for the function blocks and the interactions integrated into the visualization application (3). The client unit (6), which is connected to the server unit (2) via a real-time capable communication link (5), is designed to retrieve the visualization application (3) from the server unit (2) and to interpret and execute the received visualization application (3) in such a way, that the 360-degree panorama data (PA_DAT) of the automation system (1) are displayed as 360-degree representation of the automation system (1), wherein the 360-degree representation offers navigation, and that the interaction points (HS), which are displayed in the current displayed section of the 360-degree representation of the automation system (1), can be selected to trigger the interaction associated with the respective interaction point (HS).