research-article

Pteromys: interactive design and optimization of free-formed free-flight model airplanes

Authors:

Nobuyuki Umetani,

Takeo IgarashiAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Graphics (TOG), Volume 33, Issue 4

Article No.: 65, Pages 1 - 10

https://doi.org/10.1145/2601097.2601129

Published: 27 July 2014 Publication History

Abstract

This paper introduces novel interactive techniques for designing original hand-launched free-flight glider airplanes which can actually fly. The aerodynamic properties of a glider aircraft depend on their shape, imposing significant design constraints. We present a compact and efficient representation of glider aerodynamics that can be fit to real-world conditions using a data-driven method. To do so, we acquire a sample set of glider flight trajectories using a video camera and the system learns a nonlinear relationship between forces on the wing and wing shape. Our acquisition system is much simpler to construct than a wind tunnel, but using it we can efficiently discover a wing model for simple gliding aircraft. Our resulting model can handle general free-form wing shapes and yet agrees sufficiently well with the acquired airplane flight trajectories. Based on this compact aerodynamics model, we present a design tool in which the wing configuration created by a user is interactively optimized to maximize flight-ability. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our tool for glider design by novice users, we compare it with a traditional design workflow.

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Cited By

Le QBu JQu YZhu BDu T(2024)Computational Biomimetics of Winged SeedsACM Transactions on Graphics10.1145/368789943:6(1-13)Online publication date: 19-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3687899
Asfour TPark JYoshida EPan ZLiu MGao XManocha D(2023)Joint search of optimal topology and trajectory for planar linkagesInternational Journal of Robotics Research10.1177/0278364921106915642:4-5(176-195)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/02783649211069156
Mazursky ALi BTeng SShifrina DPassananti JMidianko SLopes P(2023)ThermalRouter: Enabling Users to Design Thermally-Sound DevicesProceedings of the 36th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3586183.3606747(1-14)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3586183.3606747
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Pteromys: interactive design and optimization of free-formed free-flight model airplanes
1. Computing methodologies
  1. Computer graphics
    1. Animation
      1. Physical simulation
    2. Shape modeling
2. Mathematics of computing
  1. Continuous mathematics
    1. Topology
      1. Geometric topology

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Published In

cover image ACM Transactions on Graphics

ACM Transactions on Graphics Volume 33, Issue 4

July 2014

1366 pages

ISSN:0730-0301

EISSN:1557-7368

DOI:10.1145/2601097

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Copyright © 2014 ACM.

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Publication History

Published: 27 July 2014

Published in TOG Volume 33, Issue 4

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Cited By

Le QBu JQu YZhu BDu T(2024)Computational Biomimetics of Winged SeedsACM Transactions on Graphics10.1145/368789943:6(1-13)Online publication date: 19-Dec-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3687899
Asfour TPark JYoshida EPan ZLiu MGao XManocha D(2023)Joint search of optimal topology and trajectory for planar linkagesInternational Journal of Robotics Research10.1177/0278364921106915642:4-5(176-195)Online publication date: 1-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1177/02783649211069156
Mazursky ALi BTeng SShifrina DPassananti JMidianko SLopes P(2023)ThermalRouter: Enabling Users to Design Thermally-Sound DevicesProceedings of the 36th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3586183.3606747(1-14)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3586183.3606747
Faruqi FKatary AHasic TAbdel-Rahman ARahman NTejedor LLeake MHofmann MMueller S(2023)Style2Fab: Functionality-Aware Segmentation for Fabricating Personalized 3D Models with Generative AIProceedings of the 36th Annual ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology10.1145/3586183.3606723(1-13)Online publication date: 29-Oct-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3586183.3606723
Hofmann MAuradkar NBirchfield JCao JHughes AKim GKurpad SLum KMack KNilakantan ASeehorn MWarnock EMankoff JHudson S(2023)OPTIMISM: Enabling Collaborative Implementation of Domain Specific Metaheuristic OptimizationProceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3544548.3580904(1-19)Online publication date: 19-Apr-2023
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3544548.3580904
Fujikawa JIjiri T(2023)Fabricatable 90° Pop‐ups: Interactive Transformation of a 3D Model into a Pop‐up StructureComputer Graphics Forum10.1111/cgf.1495442:7Online publication date: 30-Oct-2023
https://doi.org/10.1111/cgf.14954
Shen ICherng FIgarashi TLin WChen B(2023)EvIcon: Designing High‐Usability Icon with Human‐in‐the‐loop Exploration and IconCLIPComputer Graphics Forum10.1111/cgf.1492442:6Online publication date: 19-Aug-2023
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Piccolotto NBögl MMiksch S(2023)Visual Parameter Space Exploration in Time and SpaceComputer Graphics Forum10.1111/cgf.1478542:6Online publication date: 3-Apr-2023
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Rosset NCordonnier GDuvigneau RBousseau A(2023)Interactive design of 2D car profiles with aerodynamic feedbackComputer Graphics Forum10.1111/cgf.1477242:2(427-437)Online publication date: 23-May-2023
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Obayashi NJunge KIlić SHughes J(2023)Robotic automation and unsupervised cluster assisted modeling for solving the forward and reverse design problem of paper airplanesScientific Reports10.1038/s41598-023-31395-013:1Online publication date: 14-Mar-2023
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