Integrating Real-Time Physics Simulation into Virtual Reality for Tap Changer Installation: A Feasibility Study

Sammanfattning

This thesis evaluates to what extent it is possible to have XR user inputs in an accurate industrial physics simulation. It further evaluates whether it could be viable as an industrial tool for operator training and digital twin applications. The task of installing a tap changer was selected to be simulated, and a prototype was built for a VR HMD using OpenXR and AGX Dynamics. Through the development process, incompatibilities were identified in maintaining simulation stability as well as in converting the tap changer CAD files to XR-compatible files. Solutions were built to overcome these issues, though they required compromises in user interactivity and visual accuracy, respectively. The development was successful in making a functional prototype, and the finalised application was evaluated by experts to determine whether there was value in the prototype if developed further. The XR-physics simulation framework was found to be viable as a concept both for digital twins and for training. At present the framework has significant hurdles in file incompatibilities and maintaining simulation stability that need to be overcome. The majority of these limitations were determined to be fixable with further development, but needing a buffer between the user and the simulation to maintain stability was deemed more permanent in nature. The application was also evaluated on capacity for expanding the simulation. Frames Per Second were monitored while increasing the number of physics objects in the simulation until a limit was found. The limiting factor was nausea, as dropping Frames Per Second increased the likelihood of nausea for the VR user well before the simulation became unresponsive. The capacity of the framework when run off of off-the-shelf consumer electronics, a laptop and a VR HMD, was determined to be sufficient for moderately complex applications, but is unlikely to be sufficient for a full digital twin model of a tap changer. This was not deemed an issue given the limited processing capacity employed in this thesis, meaning that there is still significant potential if more processing power is employed.