Design and Development of an in situ Machining Simulation System Using Augmented Reality Technology

CNC machining simulation has been developed to validate NC codes and optimize the machining process. Conventional simulation systems are usually performed in virtual environments, and this has the limitation that the operator needs to transfer the knowledge from the software environment to the real machining environment. The ARCNC system is proposed in this paper where the operator can observe in situ simulation between the real cutter and a virtual workpiece. The system design and the research problems addressed are discussed in this paper, including the tracking and registration methods and the physical simulation approach based on an enhanced dexel model.