Structure design and analysis with integrated AR-FEA

Traditional finite element analysis (FEA) tools, which are important tools for design and analysis of engineering structures, do not facilitate model evaluation and result interpretation easily, as they usually have complex and non-intuitive user interfaces. This paper presents a design approach integrating FEA with augmented reality (AR) to enhance structure design and evaluation. With integrated AR-FEA, design engineers can apply virtual loads and examine critical regions directly on physical prototypes with FEA models and results superimposed directly on these prototypes. Intuitive data slicing and clipping allow designers to explore FEA results. Virtual structures can be added to simulate design modification.