Utilization of Virtual Reality Technology in Risk Analysis and Safety of Production Machines

The doctoral thesis introduces a study of possibilities for utilization of virtual reality technology in risk analysis and safety of production machines. The main goal of the thesis is to analyse and examine possible means of integrating visualization and interaction techniques of virtual reality into the risk identification process in the early stage of the production machine life cycle. The proposed work provides a methodological approach to the theoretical implementation of these techniques in the definition of dangerous areas of a machine, identification of sources of possible risks and verification of applied measures built-in in the machine structure. A system approach is used for forming and optimizing the introduced methodological procedures. The solution includes the design of the methodology for effective transfer of 3D design data into immersion virtual reality domain. This enables overcoming existing barriers in exploitation of virtual reality technologies in industrial applications. The next section introduces a procedure of implementation of real tools and equipment in immersion virtual reality domain, including an option for detection of collisions between the real tools and virtual objects. Experimental tests confirm its capability of practical utilization. The impact of the final practical contribution is shown by a decrease in the number of accidents during assembly work, due to its appropriate planning and thanks to training of the personnel on a virtual prototype, carried out already before the manufacturing of the actual machine. The result of the presented doctoral thesis contributes to further qualitative improvement of techniques and methods for preventive increase of safety and reliability of developed machines, particularly of machining centres, which will help increase their competitiveness. The properties of the designed procedures are documented and verified on real industrial cases