XR for Advanced Prototyping of Spacecraft Mechanical Systems

Abstract

This article discusses how teams in the Space Exploration Sector at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) are using XR as an advanced prototyping capability. Prototypes enable engineering and design teams to see or experience an object before committing resources to full-scale production. XR provides a means of digitally prototyping high-fidelity physical information in a nonmaterial form. The collaborative immersive qualities of XR appeal to human visual processing senses, enabling teams to quickly engage complex system information, make decisions, and confidently move from ideas to actions. The design intelligence gained through using XR enables teams to make faster decisions with greater confidence and less risk. APL teams introduced production-grade XR tools into mechanical design workflows in 2017, making critical contributions to Parker Solar Probe, Europa Clipper, and other programs. But XR is only a small part of a bigger picture challenging companies to rethink conventional business operations for the modern competitive global industrial ecosystem. Incorporating XR as part of a broader digital transformation (DX) strategy carves a path to greater advantages and opportunities that cannot be realized by XR alone.