Virtual Asset Safety Simulation for Industrial Design Validation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional 2-dimensional CAD drawings for industrial environments lack interactive experiences, leading to undetected design flaws that can create unsafe conditions, and existing validation methods require costly and time-consuming physical implementation to detect safety violations.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method for optimizing virtual asset design in a simulated 3D environment, incorporating safety standards and allowing interactive simulation scenarios to identify and rectify safety violations before physical installation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If 2-dimensional CAD drawings are used for designing industrial environments, then the design process is simple and straightforward, but design flaws cannot be detected and safety violations remain undetected before physical implementation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety complianceVSAvoiddesign validation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a digital twin (virtual copy) of the industrial environment that replicates the physical space and assets. This digital replica allows safety validation to be performed on the copy before implementing changes in the physical environment, thereby detecting design flaws without physical implementation while maintaining design simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs safety validation and simulation scenarios in advance during the design phase, before physical implementation. By conducting automated safety checks and virtual commissioning beforehand, design flaws are detected early, preventing unsafe conditions from being deployed to the physical environment.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If physical implementation is performed to detect safety violations, then safety compliance can be validated, but the process becomes time-consuming and expensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety complianceVSAvoidvalidation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of physically implementing and testing the industrial environment to detect safety violations, the patent uses a digital twin to replicate the environment and perform all necessary safety validations virtually. This copying approach eliminates the need for time-consuming physical commissioning and testing while maintaining comprehensive safety validation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces physical mechanical validation processes with automated computational simulations and safety checks in the digital environment. Automated scripts and simulation scenarios substitute for manual physical testing, dramatically reducing validation time and cost while maintaining thoroughness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If interactive simulation scenarios are implemented in a 3D virtual environment, then safety violations can be detected early, but the system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety complianceVSAvoidsimulation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The digital twin system serves multiple functions: it visualizes the industrial environment for design review, performs automated safety validations, executes simulation scenarios, and enables virtual commissioning. This multi-functionality consolidates various validation activities into a single unified platform, managing system complexity while comprehensively addressing safety compliance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system incorporates automated safety validation scripts and algorithms that autonomously execute safety checks and simulation scenarios without requiring manual intervention. The digital twin self-validates the design by comparing it against safety standards and regulations, reducing the operational complexity of managing the simulation system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentEP4703954A1Computer-implemented method for supporting the user in optimizing the design of a virtual assets rendered in a computer-simulated environment based on user-detected safety violations
Publication Date: 2026.03.04 SIEMENS AG
  • EP4703954A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4703954A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4703954A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The method comprises importing a simulation of one or more virtual assets (104a-104n) into the computer-simulated environment (102). Further, the simulation is enriched with data corresponding to safety standards associated with the industrial environment. Further, a plurality of safety-simulation scenarios that are to be simulated in the computer-simulated environment (102) for validation of safety standards of the one or more virtual assets (104a-104n) are defined. Further, the safety-simulation scenarios are executed on the one or more virtual assets (104a-104n) to determine safety violations associated with the one or more virtual assets (104a-104n). Further, one or more inputs are received from a user for optimizing the design of the one or more virtual assets (104a-104n) to overcome the determined safety violations. Finally, the design of one or more virtual assets (104a-104n) is optimized based on the input received from the user to overcome the safety violations.