Applications of Computer
Graphics in the Aerospace
Industry
CSE598 Presentation
Yosei Sugiyama
Motivation
 Computer graphics has revolutionized the
aerospace industry
 CG is instrumental in all phases of an
aircraft’s development process
 Very wide range of applications
The Development Process
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Design
Implementation
Integration & Manufacturing
Maintenance & Sustainment
Design
 Computer Aided Design (CAD)
– No more 2-D illustrations and drawings
– All parts designed and stored on a computer
– Catia by Dassault Systems
 Electronic mock-ups
– Assemble the parts digitally
– Allows engineers to visually inspect and understand the design
– Check for the proper fit between structures, run interference checks
and spatial searches, and test for load predictions
– Consider more design alternatives
 Goal is to eliminate the need for physical mock-ups
– Significant cost reductions and time savings
Visualization: FlyThru CAD
 Boeing’s real-time
visualization and interaction
software
 “Preassemble” an entire
aircraft on the computer
 Features:
– Walk-through of the
assembled aircraft
– Large-scale manufacturing
illustrations
– Pilot/maintenance training
Source: www.boeing.com
Human Modeling
 Create a virtual environment by importing
CAD data, and populating it with
biomechanically accurate human figures.
 Analysis of:
– Vision & Vision Obscuration Plots
– Distance Analysis
– Collision Detection using Voxel Point
Shell (VPS)
– Automated Population Analysis
– Reach Accommodation
– Reach Envelopes
 Eliminate the need for any mock-ups
 Boeing Human Modeling System
(BHMS) by Boeing
 Transom Jack by Transom Technologies,
Inc.
Source: www.boeing.com
Human Modeling
 Another humanmodeling technique
 Maintainers can use a
head-mounted display
and gloves to
physically immerse
themselves in a virtual
environment and
simulate a
maintenance task
Source: www.boeing.com
Rapid Prototyping
 Cockpit development
stations allows rapid
prototyping of cockpit
displays
– Simulates the layout and
displays on each screen
– During reviews, change
instrumentations, layouts,
and displays on the fly
– Maximizes utility and
efficiency of controls
– Designer’s Workbench by
Centric Software
Source: www.boeing.com
The Development Process


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Design
Implementation
Integration & Manufacturing
Maintenance & Sustainment
Graphics in the Aircraft
 One of the core components that needs to be built
and implemented is the graphics system
 Consists of:
– Displays
 Cockpit displays
 HUD
 Helmet-mounted displays
– Graphics processor
– Inputs to the graphics processor
 The visual displays are the integral component in
providing the pilot with situational awareness
Graphics Processing
Radar
Avionics
System
Fuel System
Navigation
System
Weapons
System
Graphics
Processor
Digital Map
System
Cameras
Infrared
Sensors
Source: www.rockwellcollins.com
Graphics Processor
 Consists of:
– General purpose processor
 Processing of data from various modules
 Generate graphics commands
– Image processing
 Processes graphics commands
 Similar to OpenGL commands
– Vector processor
 Draws symbols and lines on displays
– Input/Output module
 Communication with other systems
– Video multiplexer
 Some aircrafts have over 8 displays
 Sends the correct video to each of the displays
Graphics Processor
 Advanced features:
– Overlaying graphics data from different systems
 Ex. Overlay radar data (such as enemy locations) over camera
footage.
– Helmet-mounted display adjusts displays depending on
where the pilot is looking
– Night mode and day mode
 Redundancy and fault tolerance to increase
survivability
 Built-in tests
The Development Process




Design
Implementation
Integration & Manufacturing
Maintenance & Sustainment
Manufacturing & Integration
 Machine the parts using CAD drawings – very
precise
 Electronic mockup means 100% fit at assembly
 With joint ventures & subcontracting, it is more
important that everything be designed digitally,
and then prototyped to ensure compatibility and fit
 Manufacturing participates in the design process
– Evaluate how the aircraft will be serviced or how
weapons will be loaded
– Incorporate efficiencies up front
– Resolve assembly issues beforehand
– Reduces assembly cost
Testing - Visualizations
 During testing, very large amounts of data are gathered.
We need a way to represent that data visually.
 Used to evaluate:
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Material flightworthiness
Structural mechanics
Computational fluid dynamics
Multidisciplinary design optimization
Source: www.boeing.com
 Identify potential flaws that could lead to part failure under
stress conditions
 A lot of this type of analysis can be done during the design
phase, before the aircraft is even built
The Development Process




Design
Implementation
Integration & Manufacturing
Maintenance & Sustainment
Maintenance & Sustainment
 A large part of the maintenance and
sustainment effort training:
– Courseware & manuals
– Pilot training
 Interim training & testing during development
 Formal training after the aircraft is deployed
– Maintenance-crew training
Courseware & Manuals
 Using the cockpit simulations and prototypes used
during the design phase, courseware developers
can become intimately familiar with the aircraft.
 All of the images and displays can be captured
directly from the simulations and CAD drawings
– What used to take 100 technical illustrators months to
do can now be down with 6 graphics engineers in much
less time.
– Since the aircraft was constructed from the same
drawings, the images are guaranteed to be accurate.
Flight-Crew Trainers
 Prototype trainers can use the
cockpit simulations.
 The full trainers will use the
actual operational flight
programs (OFP) with slight
modifications.
 Uses commercial off-the-shelf
products (COTS).
– Out-the-window displays use
graphics techniques similar to game
design
– AI for simulating other aircrafts
– Network with other trainers for
combat mission rehearsal.
Source: www.boeing.com
Maintenance Trainers
 VR trainers used during design phase
 Smart boards:
– Touch-screen displays that allow you to zoom-in and
perform virtual maintenance functions on the aircraft.
– Replaces full-scale mock-ups
– Updates are easy (a software change, as opposed to a
hardware change).
– Graphics can be based off of CAD drawings
– Avionics simulations and cockpit displays can use the
real OFP or the cockpit simulations from the design
phase.
Conclusion
 The use of computer graphics in the aerospace
industry will continue to expand.
 Other industries such as the automotive industry
are seeing similar trends.
 End result is:
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Lean manufacturing
Lower costs and labor
Faster development time
Shorter time-to-market
Less problems
More complete, sophisticated, and maintainable products
 Leverage the initial CAD effort across all other
phases