A multi-material virtual prototyping system for biomedical applications

• Published in: 2009 IEEE International Conference on Virtual Environments, Human-Computer Interfaces and Measurements Systems pp. 73 - 78
• Main Authors: Choi, S.H., Cheung, H.H., Zhu, W.K.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-05-2009
• Subjects: Analytical models; Biomedical objects; Fabrication; Humans; multi-material layered manufacturing; Performance analysis; Process design; Process planning; Virtual environment; Virtual prototyping; Virtual reality; Visualization
• ISBN: 142443808X; 9781424438082
• ISSN: 1944-9410; 1944-9410
• DOI: 10.1109/VECIMS.2009.5068869

This paper describes a multi-material virtual prototyping (MMVP) system for modelling and digital fabrication of discrete and functionally graded multi-material objects for biomedical applications. The MMVP system consists of a DMMVP module, an FGMVP module, and a virtual reality (VR) simulation module. The DMMVP module is used for design and process planning of discrete multi-material (DMM) objects, while the FGMVP module is for functionally graded multi-material (FGM) objects. The VR simulation module integrates these two modules to perform digital fabrication of multi-material objects, which can be subsequently visualized and analyzed in a virtual environment to optimize MMLM processes for fabrication of product prototypes. Using the MMVP system, two biomedical objects, including a human dextrocardic heart made of discrete multi-materials and a hip joint assembly of FGM are modelled and digitally fabricated for visualization and analysis in a VR environment. These studies show the MMVP system is a practical tool for modelling, visualization, process planning, and subsequent fabrication of biomedical objects of discrete and functionally graded multi-materials for biomedical applications.