issues, especially in wing production, which she said reports the most injuries industrywide. “We don’t yet have a 777X wing out there in the factory,” Haugo said. But “we can use this technology to simulate the production environment to understand some of the ergonomics risks a 777X mechanic might encounter.” The 777, designed and built in the early 1990s, used Computer-Aided, Three-Dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA) and fly-through systems that enabled engineers to simulate design geometry on a computer, reducing the need for physical mock-ups. Another 3-D system, the Integration Visualization Tool (IVT), was used widely in 787 development and production to manipulate and analyze engineering data. “This gives you that life-size and three-dimensional perspective that you don’t get as much from a CATIA or IVT session—it makes you feel like you’re there,” Little said. As 3-D technology expands, the next step is to bridge the gap between what’s real and what’s virtual, according to Richardson, who joined Boeing in 2006 with a research doctorate in human factors focusing on virtual environment technology. That might mean putting on a headset, known as a Head Mounted Display, or HMD, and navigating virtual space rather than have a mannequin do it. Large-screen displays might become obsolete. Conference rooms would remain, well, conference rooms. “The software is very capable and it continues to evolve,” Richardson said. “The next frontier is the interaction— of enabling more natural forms with these systems.” n da niel.w.ral ey@boeing.com Photo: From left, 777X manufacturing engineer Josh Little, Boeing Research & Technology’s Richardson and 777X production engineer Meagan Haugo follow the movements of an IC.IDO virtual mannequin. Jenu 2015 19
Frontiers June 2015 Issue
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