CFD Visualization using Augmented Reality

We leverage the immersive and interactive nature of Visualization techniques such as Augmented Reality (AR)) have been around and are incorporated in various fields to utilize its interactive and immersive nature for optimization, design purposes, and understanding complex phenomena. With the field of to make visualization of fluid flows more intuitive and engaging for undergraduate studentsFluid Mechanics being no different, AR has gradually extended its roots and captivated the attention of several researchers who want to explore this idea further. For this research project, we perform a large-scale simulation of flow around a quadcopter. While the CFD simulation provides a wealth of data, visualization using traditional methods on two-dimensional displays does not provide a thorough understanding of the ongoing phenomenon as many intricate three-dimensional features may be hidden. To remedy this problem, we use Blender and Unity to transform vorticity and pressure iso-surfaces into AR objects that can be visualized using a consumer smartphone. We show how the AR visualization makes the task of inspecting flow features intuitive and straightforward. This engaging technique can be utilized in outreach programs to educate students about Fluid Mechanics.



Funding Acknowledgement:

This work is supported by the National Science Foundation under grants CBET-FD-2028617 and EEC-GOALI 2216969.