A proper understanding of the dynamics of a mechanical system is crucial to ensure the highest levels of performance. The understanding is frequently determined through modeling and testing of components. Modeling provides a cost effective method for rapidly developing a knowledge of the system, however the model is incapable of accounting for fluctuations that occur in physical spaces. Testing, when performed properly, provides a near exact understanding of how a pat or assembly functions, however can be expensive both fiscally and temporally. Often, practitioners of the two disciplines work in parallel, never bothering to intersect with the other group. Further advancement into ways to fuse modeling and testing together is able to produce a more comprehensive understanding of dynamic systems while remaining inexpensive in terms of computation, financial cost, and time. Due to this, the goal of the presented work is to develop ways to merge the two branches to include test data in models for operational systems. This is done through a series of analytical and experimental tasks examining the boundary conditions of various systems. The first venue explored was an attempt at modeling unknown boundary conditions from an operational environment by modeling the same system in known configurations using a controlled environment, such as what is seen in a laboratory test. An analytical beam was studied under applied environmental loading with grounding stiffnesses added to simulate an operational condition and the response was attempted to be matched by a free boundaries beam with a reduced number of excitation points. Due to the properties of the inverse problem approach taken, the response between the two systems matched at control locations, however at non-control locations the responses showed a large degree of variation. From the mismatch in mechanical impedance, it is apparent that improperly representing boundary conditions can have drastic effects on the accuracy of models and recreational tests. With the progression now directed towards modeling and testing of boundary conditions, methods were explored to combine the two approaches working together in harmony. The second portion of this work focuses on modeling an unknown boundary connection using a collection of similar testable boundary conditions to parametrically interpolate to the unknown configuration. This was done by using data driven models of the known systems as the interpolating functions, with system boundary stiffness being the varied parameter. This approach yielded near identical parametric model response to the original system response in analytical systems and showed some early signs of promise for an experimental beam. After the two conducted studies, the potential for extending a parametric data driven model approach to other systems is discussed. In addition to this, improvements to the approach are discussed as well as the benefits it brings. / Master of Science / A proper understanding of the dynamics of a mechanical system in a severe environment is crucial to ensure the highest levels of performance. The understanding is frequently determined through modeling and testing of components. Modeling provides a cost-effective method for rapidly developing a knowledge of the system; however, the model is incapable of accounting for fluctuations that occur in physical spaces. Testing, when performed properly, provides a near exact understanding of how a pat or assembly functions, however, can be expensive both fiscally and temporally. Often, practitioners of the two disciplines work in parallel, never bothering to intersect with the other group and favoring one approach over the other for various reasons. Further advancement into ways to fuse modeling and testing together can produce a more comprehensive understanding of dynamic systems subject to environmental excitation while remaining inexpensive in terms of computation, financial cost, and time. Due to this, the presented work aims to develop ways to merge the two branches to include test data in models for operational systems. This is done through a series of analytical and experimental tasks examining the boundary conditions of various systems and attempting to replicate the system response using inverse approaches at first. This is then proceeded by modeling boundary stiffnesses using data-driven modeling and parametric modeling approaches. The validity and impact these methods may have are also discussed.

The architectural opportunity to develop the sound and light lock of a performance venue as a space that engages and prepares the audience for a performance is one that is sadly missing from most halls. I have explored the development of this threshold as a true architectural space, one that enhances the overall experience for the audience members. And by introducing a parametric process into the architectural and acoustic development, have proposed a unique process for the design of concert halls. From physical model building to analysis by computer simulation, digital technology has undoubtedly advanced the realm of acoustic prediction. But common computer prediction programs that exist today are still essentially digitized applications of the analog model building process. Being: construct a model, analyze, make adjustments and repeat until the desired results are achieved. By implementing a parametric approach to model building it allows for design changes and the significance of those changes to be recognized in real time, an invaluable tool in the development of a sound-sensitive space. Utilizing the 3D software Rhinoceros and its scripting plug-in Grasshopper, it becomes possible to easily visualize crucial first-order reflections relative to surfaces that can be controlled and manipulated in very precise ways. This software is becoming more popular amongst architects and designers, and the prediction process will be an extension of this software into the field of acoustics. By using software already in the design vernacular, there is a seamless transition between design and analysis, making for a more cohesive project / Master of Architecture

This dissertation addresses the problem of employing 3D depth information on solving a number of traditional challenging computer vision/graphics problems. Humans have the abilities of perceiving the depth information in 3D world, which enable humans to reconstruct layouts, recognize objects and understand the geometric space and semantic meanings of the visual world. Therefore it is significant to explore how the 3D depth information can be utilized by computer vision systems to mimic such abilities of humans. This dissertation aims at employing 3D depth information to solve vision/graphics problems in the following aspects: scene understanding, image enhancements and 3D reconstruction and modeling. In addressing scene understanding problem, we present a framework for semantic segmentation and object recognition on urban video sequence only using dense depth maps recovered from the video. Five view-independent 3D features that vary with object class are extracted from dense depth maps and used for segmenting and recognizing different object classes in street scene images. We demonstrate a scene parsing algorithm that uses only dense 3D depth information to outperform using sparse 3D or 2D appearance features. In addressing image enhancement problem, we present a framework to overcome the imperfections of personal photographs of tourist sites using the rich information provided by large-scale internet photo collections (IPCs). By augmenting personal 2D images with 3D information reconstructed from IPCs, we address a number of traditionally challenging image enhancement techniques and achieve high-quality results using simple and robust algorithms. In addressing 3D reconstruction and modeling problem, we focus on parametric modeling of flower petals, the most distinctive part of a plant. The complex structure, severe occlusions and wide variations make the reconstruction of their 3D models a challenging task. We overcome these challenges by combining data driven modeling techniques with domain knowledge from botany. Taking a 3D point cloud of an input flower scanned from a single view, each segmented petal is fitted with a scale-invariant morphable petal shape model, which is constructed from individually scanned 3D exemplar petals. Novel constraints based on botany studies are incorporated into the fitting process for realistically reconstructing occluded regions and maintaining correct 3D spatial relations. The main contribution of the dissertation is in the intelligent usage of 3D depth information on solving traditional challenging vision/graphics problems. By developing some advanced algorithms either automatically or with minimum user interaction, the goal of this dissertation is to demonstrate that computed 3D depth behind the multiple images contains rich information of the visual world and therefore can be intelligently utilized to recognize/ understand semantic meanings of scenes, efficiently enhance and augment single 2D images, and reconstruct high-quality 3D models.

Le confort des véhicules automobiles est un élément stratégique et économique lors de leurs développements. L’un des enjeux de demain est la personnalisation du confort, qui ne pourra être atteinte qu'avec des modèles numériques originaux de pointe. En effet, il faudrait être capable de prendre en compte la diversité anthropométrique des occupants au niveau mondial. Dans ce contexte, Faurecia, équipementier de sièges d’automobile et leader dans ce domaine, souhaite optimiser son processus de conception, au moyen d’outils numériques permettant d’analyser le confort dès les premières étapes de la conception. Cependant, à l’heure actuelle, aucun outil numérique n’est disponible pour valider le confort du dossier. Le but de cette étude est donc de développer un outil numérique d’évaluation du confort du dos pour la conception des sièges en tenant compte des différences interindividuelles. Cet outil repose sur le développement d’un modèle biomécanique paramétré du tronc. Tout d’abord, une campagne d’essais a permis d'identifier la reproductibilité d’assise d’un volontaire dans une position standardisée (position, répartition de pression). Un modèle paramétré en éléments finis du tronc a été développé et permettra de simuler ces conditions expérimentales. Le modèle a été validé d’un point de vue géométrique et le maillage a été analysé. Pour valider complètement le modèle et pour permettre son utilisation par les équipementiers, des positions assises, dont la courbure du rachis est connue, devront être simulés. Puis, le modèle sera évalué pour l’analyse du confort par comparaison des cartographies de pression à l’interface homme/siège. / The comfort of motor vehicles is a strategic and economic element in their developments. One of the future challenges is the individual comfort, which can only be achieved with original digital models. Indeed, we should be able to take into account the diversity of anthropometric occupants in the worldwide. In this context, Faurecia, automotive seating manufacturer and leader in this field, wishes to optimize its design process through digital tools to analyze comfort in the early design steps. However, at present, no digital tool is available to validate the comfort of the backrest. The purpose of this study is to develop a numerical assessment tool for the comfort of the backrest design taking into account individual differences. This tool is based on the development of a biomechanical trunk model. Firstly, a test campaign allowed identifying the sitting reproducibility of a volunteer in a standardized position (position, pressure distribution). A parametric finite element model of the trunk was developed and will allow simulating these experimental conditions. The model was validated from a geometrical point of view and the mesh was analyzed. To fully validate the model and allow its use by OEMs, sitting positions which the spine curvature is known will be simulated. Then the model will be evaluated for the comfort analysis by comparison of the pressure maps to the human/seat interface.

The use of parametric CAD models in engineering, analysis, and optimization has greatly enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of the product development process. Parametric models provide an attractive avenue for expansive design exploration. There still exists, however, a great challenge for products requiring design input from multiple disciplines. The collaboration of engineering disciplines can be hampered by many factors including: competing design objectives, communication of design changes, the use of different design and analysis software, and different geometry definitions. These obstacles become compounded when developing products at the assembly level. The use of solid parametric assembly models is not readily employed for products developed by groups from differing engineering disciplines. This is due to the huge cooperative effort required to create, analyze, and iterate on the geometry of the assembly model. The objective of this thesis is to present a method for separate disciplines to be able to analyze multiple parameterizations of the same CAD assembly to help develop a master parametric assembly, and to define the design space to be explored during analysis and optimization. This is done through a custom application developed using the Application Programming Interface of Siemens' NX CAD software. The custom application allows the user to monitor the affects of manipulating the driving parameters of an assembly by observing user specified geometry, features, or parametric expressions. The application also allows switching from one set of parametric design rules controlling the assembly to another in a matter of seconds. Manipulating and observing key geometry from different parameterizations allows engineering teams to discover the impact of each discipline's driving equations and geometry on another discipline. This will have a profound impact on multidisciplinary design teams in developing a robust parametric assembly, while still taking consideration of the requirements of each discipline. The collaborative efforts in the development of parametric assembly models used by multidisciplinary design teams are vastly improved through the method and application developed herein. This research will also show both the enhancements that could be made to existing CAD software, as well as the benefits of custom design tool development within the CAD environment.

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O trabalho na arquitetura sempre se baseou em processos e raciocínios lógicos, seguindo um fluxo de informações para solucionar questões referentes ao habitat humano. A partir da década de 1960 iniciou-se o desenvolvimento de métodos de incorporação da computação no trabalho do arquiteto, buscando tornar o processo de projeto mais eficiente. Entretanto, a influência do uso de ferramentas computacionais nas fases iniciais de projeto ainda é pouco explorada. A grande maioria dos arquitetos continua utilizando métodos tradicionais para a geração da forma, utilizando o computador simplesmente como suporte, sem aproveitar seu grande potencial para a realização de tarefas repetitivas na geração de alternativas. Os novos sistemas de modelagem paramétrica têm revolucionado essa fase do trabalho, mas ainda obrigam o arquiteto a se adaptar aos métodos e metáforas escolhidos por seus programadores, reduzindo sua liberdade de criação. Somado a esse fator, o surgimento de certificações ambientais e etiquetas de eficiência energética tem envolvido esforços para o desenvolvimento de métodos quantitativos para análise de projetos de edificações. Desse modo, projetar um edifício sustentável é sinônimo de quantificar seu impacto. A simulação computacional permite avaliar a quantidade desses impactos nas edificações, tornando possível analisar esses danos ainda em fase de projeto. Em atenção à necessidade do uso de simuladores nas etapas iniciais de projeto e à integração destes aos programas de modelagem paramétrica, desenvolvedores vêm realizando esforços para suprir essa lacuna. O progresso nesse campo de estudo tem sido realizado em integrar os motores de simulação termoenergética computacional existentes aos programas BIM (Building Information Modeling). Portanto, o objetivo deste trabalho é desenvolver um fluxo de trabalho para geração de um modelo paramétrico a partir de design algorítmico em estudos de viabilidade de edificações para análise termoenergética. O trabalho utiliza o Dynamo do Revit como ferramenta de design algorítmico para gerar a volumetria 3D automatizada para edifícios de escritórios e compara esse modelo à interoperabilidade BIM-CAD-BEM e BIM-BEM. O primeiro processo testa arquivos STL e DWG do sistema CAD exportados ao SketchUp e convertidos no Euclid para simulação computacional, sendo verificados posteriormente no EnergyPlus. O segundo processo exporta o modelo BIM gerado por massa conceitual e por elementos construtivos gerados no Dynamo e Revit diretamente para o Insight 360 e depois os exporta para o EnergyPlus. É realizada então uma análise comparativa aos modelos gerados em CAD e BIM. Os resultados validam para uma interoperabildiade mais confiável na proposta entre os modelos BIM e BEM, pois os arquivos CAD não suportam configurações de energia. A proposta de automatização de design algorítmico para geração de volumes 3D para o BIM e simulação se mostra viável, mas ainda é limitada pela integração entre os softwares. / The work in architecture has always been based on processes and logical thinking, following a flow of information to solve questions concerning human habitat. From the 1960s onwards, the development of methods of incorporating computing into the architect\'s work began, making the design process more efficient. However, the influence of the use of computational tools in the early design stages is still little explored. The vast majority of architects continue to use traditional methods for form generation, using the computer only as support, without taking advantage of their great potential for performing repetitive tasks in the generation of alternatives. The new parametric modeling systems have revolutionized this stage of the work, but still compel the architect to adapt to the methods and metaphors chosen by their programmers, reducing their freedom of design. Added to this factor, the emergence of environmental certifications and energy efficiency labels has involved efforts to develop quantitative methods for analysis of building projects. In this way, designing a sustainable building is synonymous of quantifying its impact. The computational simulation allows to evaluate the amount of these impacts in the buildings, making it possible to analyze these damages still in the design stage. Due to the need to use simulators in the early design stages and to the integration of these to parametric modeling programs, developers have been making efforts to fill this gap. The progress in this field of study has been realized in integrating the existent computational thermos-energetic simulation engines to the BIM (Building Information Modeling) programs. Therefore, the objective of this work is to develop a workflow for generating a parametric model from algorithmic design in feasibility studies for thermoenergetic analysis of buildings. The work uses Revit Dynamo as an algorithmic design tool to generate automated 3D volumetry for office buildings and compares this model between BIM-CAD-BEM and BIM-BEM interoperability. The first process tests CAD system with STL and DWG files exported to SketchUp and converted to Euclid for energy computer simulation and later verified in EnergyPlus. The second process exports the BIM model generated by conceptual mass and building elements generated in Dynamo and Revit directly to Insight 360 and then exports them to EnergyPlus. A comparative analysis is then made to the models generated in CAD and BIM. The results validate for a more accurate interoperability in the proposal between the BIM and BEM models, because CAD files do not support energy settings. The proposed algorithm design automation for 3D volume generation for BIM and simulation is feasible, but it is still limited by the integration between the programs.

This paper proposes for the purposes of freight generation a spatial autoregressive model framework, combined with non-linear semi-parametric techniques. We demonstrate the capabilities of the model in a series of Monte Carlo studies. Moreover, evidence is provided for non-linearities in freight generation, through an applied analysis of European NUTS-2 regions. We provide evidence for significant spatial dependence and for significant non-linearities related to employment rates in manufacturing and infrastructure capabilities in regions. The non-linear impacts are the most significant in the agricultural freight generation sector.