Virtual Reality for Nondestructive Evaluation Applications

Abstract

Gas transmission pipelines are often inspected and monitored using the magnetic flux leakage method [1]. An inspection vehicle known as a “pig” is launched into the pipeline and conveyed along the pipe by the pressure of natural gas. The pig contains a magnetizer, an array of sensors and a microprocessor-based data acquisition system for logging data. The data is subsequently retrieved and analyzed offline. The pipeline inspection results in the generation of a vast amount of data — in excess of 4 GB, even in compressed form. It is important that these data are presented in a suitable manner for evaluation by trained operator. Virtual reality (VR) display techniques represent an attractive mechanism for presenting this huge amount of data effectively. The application of VR techniques enables the operator to explore the virtual environment generated by the computer. This technique can serve as an important bridge between human operator and the computer. In this paper, we present some preliminary efforts in achieving this interface.

Original document

The different versions of the original document can be found in:

• https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3161&context=qnde

• http://www.springerlink.com/index/pdf/10.1007/978-1-4613-0383-1_117,

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-0383-1_117

• https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3161&context=qnde,

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4613-0383-1_117,

https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/qnde/1996/allcontent/117,

https://core.ac.uk/display/38894505,

https://rd.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4613-0383-1_117,

https://academic.microsoft.com/#/detail/194922420