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In-Situ Bending Moment Visualization of a Structure Using Augmented Reality and Real-Time Object Detection

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Digital Methods in Mechanics: Teaching with Digital Tools

Tagged Division

Mechanics Division (MECHS)

Page Count

18

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44644

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44644

Download Count

102

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Paper Authors

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Diana Arboleda University of Miami Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0003-0175-4536

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Diana Arboleda, PhD., P.E. is a structural engineering Senior Lecturer at the University of Miami, Florida. She received her B.S. in Computer Engineering from the University of Miami in 1988 and, after a full career as a software engineer in corporate America, she returned to academia by earning a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Miami in 2014. Her research interests and experience are in the fields of concrete sustainability, composite material systems for the civil infrastructure, engineering education, and technology transfer through education and community outreach.

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James Giancaspro, P.E. University of Miami

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James Giancaspro, Ph.D., P.E. is an associate professor of civil engineering with an emphasis on structures and mechanics. He has two years of industry experience and 17 years of teaching and research experience at the University of Miami, where he is also currently a graduate program director. His current engineering education research interests include instructional technology in mechanics, undergraduate student retention, and graduate student support.

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Max Cacchione University of Miami

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Agile technology executive with 20 years of experience leading software development teams towards delivery of digital projects for organizations such as Coca-Cola, Chrysler and the State of Florida. Currently leading IT innovation at the University of Miami, involving AI, mixed and virtual reality (MR/VR). SAFe, PMP and Scrum certified, winner of Project Management Institute (PMI) competition, quick to zero in on key performance indicators and harness technology to improve them. Published business writer. Princeton University computer science graduate. University of Miami MBA. Fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish.

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Mert Okyay University of Colorado, Boulder

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I am a theoretical physicist working in quantum information and condensed matter, and with interests in education, software development and machine learning.

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Abstract

A critical learning outcome of undergraduate engineering mechanics courses is the ability to understand how a structure's internal forces and bending moment will change in response to static and dynamic loads. One of the major challenges associated with both teaching and learning these concepts is the invisible nature of the internal effects. Although concentrated forces applied to the top of the beam can be easily visualized, observing the corresponding changes in the shear and bending moment diagrams is not a trivial task. Nonetheless, proficiency in this concept is vital for students to succeed in subsequent mechanics courses and, ultimately, as a professional practitioner. One promising technology that can enable students to see the invisible internal effects is augmented reality (AR), where virtual or digital objects can be seen through a device such as a smart phone or headset. This paper describes the proof-of-concept development of a Unity®-based AR application called "AR Stairs" that allows students to visualize (in-situ) the relative magnitude of the internal bending moment in an actual structure. The app is specifically tailored to an existing 40-foot long, 16-foot high steel staircase structure located at the authors' institution. This paper details the application design, analysis assumptions, calculations, technical challenges encountered, development environment, and content development. The key features of the app are discussed, which include: (a) coordinate system identification and placement, (b) automatic mapping of a stairs model in-situ, (c) creation of a virtual 2-dimensional staircase model, (d) object detection and tracking of people moving on the stairs, (e) image recognition to approximate people's weight, (f) overlays of virtual force vectors onto moving people, and (g) use of a chromatic scale to visually convey the relative intensity of the internal bending moment at nodes spaced over the length of the structure. It is the authors' intention to also provide the reader with an overall picture of the resources needed to develop AR applications for use in pedagogical settings, the design decision tradeoffs, and practical issues related to deployment. As AR technologies continually improve, they are expected to become an integral part of the pedagogical toolset used by engineering educators to improve the quality of education delivered to engineering students.

Arboleda, D., & Giancaspro,, J., & Cacchione, M., & Okyay, M. (2023, June), In-Situ Bending Moment Visualization of a Structure Using Augmented Reality and Real-Time Object Detection Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44644

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