Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A CAVE-like environment as a tool for full-size train design

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Virtual Reality Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Simulations of models, in all different areas, is an expanding, attractive line of work. More and more applications are taking advantage of the improvements in technology and knowledge in this field, thus achieving results that would have been impossible to achieve with a real model, or foreseeing facts that otherwise would have been encountered too late in the production process. The rail industry is one possible beneficiary of this approach. Usually, before commencing the fabrication process of a new train, the construction of a full-size model is mandatory. Instead of building this full-size real model, which leaves little room for later, last-minute modifications, a virtual model can be built in the digital realm, thus offering a new platform for easier interaction with it. In this article, a simulation of a train is presented in order to tackle visual, aesthetic and ergonomic issues. The simulation runs on a PC-based CAVE-like architecture, offering a certain degree of interaction to the user, and combines static and dynamic computer-generated imagery, both with and without stereoscopy for 3D visualisation, as well as augmented virtuality techniques for the integration of the train with its environment.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5a–d
Fig. 6a–h

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hollands R (1996) The virtual reality home brewer’s handbook. Wiley, New York

  2. Burdea G (1996) Force and touch feedback for virtual reality. Wiley, New York

  3. Kalawsky R (1993) The science of virtual reality and virtual environments. Addison-Wesley, New York

  4. Clark Dodsworth Jr. (1998) Digital illusion: entertaining the future with high technology. ACM, New York

    Google Scholar 

  5. Research driving simulators (2003) http://www.inrets.fr/ur/sara/Pg_simus_e.html. Cited 24 November 2003

  6. DaimlerChrysler Corporation (2004) http://www.daimler-benz.com. Cited 2003

  7. Cruz-Neira C, Sandin DJ, DeFanti TA, Kenyon R and Hart J (1992) The CAVE: audio visual experience automatic virtual environment. Comm ACM 35(6):64–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Cruz-Neira C, Sandin DJ and DeFanti TA (1993) Surround-screen projection-based virtual reality: the design and implementation of the CAVE. In: Proceedings of SIGGRAPH’93, Anaheim, CA, 1–6 August 1993

  9. von Laszewski G, Insley JA, Foster I, Bresnahan J, Kesselman C, Su M, Thiebaux M, Rivers ML, Wang S, Tieman B and McNulty I (1999) Real-time analysis, visualization, and steering of microtomography experiments at photon sources. In: Proceedings of the Ninth SIAM Conference on Parallel Processing for Scientific Computing, San Antonio, TX, 22–24 March 1999

  10. Spoelder H, Renambot L, Germans D, Bal H and Groen F (2000) Real-time interaction in VR with a distributed multi-agent system. Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Sciences, April 2000

  11. Renambot L, Bal H, Germans D and Spoelder H (2000) CAVEStudy: an Infrastructure for computational steering in virtual reality environments. In: Proceedings of the Ninth IEEE International Symposium on High Performance Distributed Computing, Pittsburgh, PA, 1–4 August 2000

  12. Germans D, Spoelder H, Renambot L, Bal H (2001) VIRPI: a high-level toolkit for interactive scientific visualization in virtual reality. In: Proceedings of the Immersive Projection Technology/Eurographics Virtual Environments Workshop (IPT/EGVE), Stuttgart, Germany, 16–18 May 2001

  13. Maletic JI, Leigh J and Marcus A (2001) Visualizing software in an immersive virtual reality environment. In: Proceeedings of ICSE’01, the Workshop on Software Visualization, Toronto, Canada, 12–13 May 2001

  14. Hudson R, Gunn C, Francis G, Sandin DJ and DeFanti TA (1995) Mathenautics: using VR to visit 3-D manifolds. In: Proceedings of the Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics, Monterey, CA, April 1995

  15. Leigh J, DeSchutter E, Lee M, Bower JM and DeFanti TA (1993) Realistic modeling of brain structures with remote interaction between simulations of an inferior olivary neuron and a cerebellar purkinje cell. In: Proceedings of the Simulation Multiconference on the High Performance Computing Symposium, The Society for Computer Simulation, Phoenix, AZ, April 1993

  16. Bobick AF, Intille SS, Davis JW, Baird F, Pinhanez CS, Campbell LW, Ivanov YA, Schütte A and Wilson A (1996) The kids room: a perceptually-based interactive and immersive story environment. MIT Media Laboratory Perceptual Computing Section Technical Report No. 398, 1996

    Google Scholar 

  17. Roy TM, Cruz-Neira C and DeFanti TA (1995) Cosmic worm in the CAVE: steering a high performance computing application from a virtual environment. PRESENCE: Teleop Virt Environ 4(2):121–131

  18. Kaufman L (1974) Sight and mind: an introduction to visual perception. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  19. Lipton L (1991) CrystalEyes handbook. StereoGraphics Corporation, San Rafael, CA

  20. Pastoor S (1991) 3D television: a survey of recent research results on subjective requirements. Sig Proc Imag Commun 4:21–32

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Woods A, Docherty T and Koch R (1993) Image distortions in stereoscopic systems. In: SPIE, Vol. 1915, Stereoscopic Display and Applications IV, February 1993

  22. Stereographics developers’ handbook. StereoGraphics Corporation, San Rafael, CA

  23. Brooks FP (1986) Walkthrough—a dynamic graphics system for simulating virtual buildings. In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Interactive 3D Graphics, Chapel Hill, NC, 22–24 October 1986

  24. Airey JM, Rohlf JH and Brooks FP (1990) Towards image realism with interactive update rates in complex virtual building environments. In: Proceedings of the Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics and the Symposium on the Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML’95), ACM Press, San Diego, CA

  25. Ellis G (1996) They’re not making ‘em like they used to: virtual reality saves time and money in manufacturing and construction. Iris Universe, Summer 1996

  26. Greenfield D (1996) Virtual prototyping at Rolls-Royce. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA

  27. McNeely W (1996) Boeing’s high performance visualization software: Flythru. In: Proceedings of the CERN Computing Seminar, Geneva, Switzerland, June 1996

  28. Balet O, Luga H, Duthen Y and Caubert R (1997) PROVIS: a platform for virtual prototyping and maintenance test. In: Proceedings of Computer Animation ‘97, Geneva, Switzerland, June 1997

  29. Balaguer JF and Gobbetti E (1995) i3D: a high-speed 3D Web browser. In: Proceedings of the VRML’95 Symposium, San Diego, CA, December 1995

  30. Gobbetti E, Balaguer, JF (1995) i3D: an interactive system for exploring annotated 3D environments. In: Proceedings of Scientific Visualization’95, World Scientific Publishing Co, New York

  31. Jasnoch U, Klement E, Kress K and Schiffer N (1996) Towards collaborative virtual prototyping in a world market. In: Proceedings of FAIM, Atlanta, GA, May 1996

  32. Milgram P, Takemura H, Utsumi A and Kishino F (19949 Augmented reality: a class of displays on the reality-virtuality continuum. SPIE 2351.282–292

    Google Scholar 

  33. Renfe Corporation (2004). http://www.renfe.es. Cited 2004

  34. SGI (2004) http://www.sgi.com/products/appsdirectory.dir/apps/app_number859393.html. Cited 2004

  35. McAllister D (1993) Stereo computer graphics and other true 3D technologies. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ

  36. Woo M, Neider J, Davis T and Schreiner D (1996) OpenGL programming guide. Addison-Wesley Developers Press, Reading, MA

  37. Kempf R, Frazier C (1997) OpenGL reference manual. Addison-Wesley, Reading, MA

  38. Serón FJ, Magallón JA, Meléndez E and Latorre P (1995) The ALEPH project: image synthesis using illusion and physical based rendering. Visualization and Intelligent Design in Engineering and Architecture; Ed. Computational Mechanics Publication, 1995

    Google Scholar 

  39. Wann Jensen H (2001) Realistic image synthesis using photon mapping. AK Peters, Natick MA

  40. CAF (2004) http://www.caf.es. Cited 2004

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Abel Hernández, Jorge del Pico, David Román and Virginia Remiro for their continuous work throughout the whole project, and Carmelo López and Jorge López for their valuable contributions. This research was partially done under the sponsorship of the Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología (CICYT), projects TIC 2000-0426-P4-02 and TIC 2001-2392-C03-02.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Engineering Research Institute of Aragon, University of Zaragoza, C/ María de Luna, 1 50018 - Zaragoza, Spain

    Francisco J. Seron, Diego Gutierrez, Juan A. Magallon, Emilio J. Sobreviela & Jose A. Gutierrez

Authors
  1. Francisco J. Seron
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Diego Gutierrez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Juan A. Magallon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Emilio J. Sobreviela
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jose A. Gutierrez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francisco J. Seron.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Seron, F.J., Gutierrez, D., Magallon, J.A. et al. A CAVE-like environment as a tool for full-size train design. Virtual Reality 7, 82–93 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-003-0117-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-003-0117-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation