Workshop Descriptions

Accelerating Fuel Cell Development – Attacking Cost and Size

The goal of this workshop is to identify key technological issues hindering the widespread usage of fuel cell devices. Three areas will be addressed:

1. Applying lower cost manufacturing methods to system components and near net shape parts,
2. Applying micro- and nano- technologies to alternative fuel cell configurations and designs, and
3. Developing inspection and measurement techniques for achieving high dimensional tolerance.

Building off common issues, collaborative projects will be further defined, including project participants and possible funding sources.

Specific Objectives

• Identify areas where cost savings are key in the manufacture of fuel cells,
• Define applicable low cost manufacturing methods for fuel cell components,
• Identify novel micro- and nano-technologies that could be used in new fuel cell designs,
• Define critical inspection and measurement requirements for components,
• Identify measurement techniques now in use, shortcomings and alternative inspection techniques,
• Define collaborative projects based upon the needs of the workshop participants,
• Form teams and roles, define project expectations and identify possible funding sources,
• Define next steps, e.g., development of a proposal.

Project Resources Required

A willingness to work collaboratively in the development of high volume applications of fuel cells, including furnishing resources, in-kind work and other active contributions to a project.

Who Should Attend

Companies and organizations involved in any aspect of the applications of fuel cells including designs, material supply, manufacture, and use.

Background

At the 13th Annual NCMS Technical Conference in Orlando, Florida, a fuel cell workshop identified 14 broad areas for collaboration. In subsequent discussions with the workshop participants, these opportunities were narrowed down to three areas, which are the subject of this two-day workshop.

Agenda

Contact: Chuck Ryan, 734-995-4905

Business Integration for Automating Manufacturing Value Chain Processes

The goal of this workshop is to bring together industry, DoD maintenance/logistics, and technology provider organizations to form one or more collaborative projects to extend, explore and validate the production readiness of the Computer Aided Business Integration (CABI) framework that has been defined and prototyped by NCMS Project Endeavor. The CABI framework is an information system architecture implemented with commercial technology that provides a platform for efficient, flexible integration and management of business processes, data, and legacy systems as well as new applications, within an enterprise or across a supply chain, and for Internet E-Commerce. The project will include one or more pilot implementations in the defense maintenance and logistics community and commercial industry.

Specific Objectives

• Assemble a group of companies and organizations interested in extending and gaining early advantage from a body of collaborative work within NCMS and external supporting technology development that may be deployable as a platform for greatly improved business processes and effective use of the Internet,
• Review the results of Project Endeavor and the state of the underlying technologies,
• Identify remaining needs and issues,
• Present a concept for project work under auspices of NCMS and the DoD Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program,
• Identify common needs of industry and the defense maintenance and logistics communities,
• Seek commitments and begin project formation.

Project Resources Required

Attendees from industry and the defense community should be ready to define a business problem with a realistic opportunity for a pilot implementation of a CABI-based solution that will generate conclusions and metrics reasonably representative of a production environment. This will require commitment by management of human and information technology resources. Attendees should be aware of cost share/in-kind requirements and their own company mechanisms for involvement.

Who Should Attend

Companies planning to attend this session should include a combination of business management as well as technical expertise. Emphasis will be placed on identifying significant opportunities for measurably improving business process performance in engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, and E-commerce/supply chain domains.

Background

NCMS and a consortium of industry and technology provider members have collaborated over two years in Project Endeavor and a Phase 1 pilot under the DoD CTMA program to define and prototype a cost effective, flexible information technology architecture that can be implemented with commercial (COTS) technology across manufacturing industries to get more value from the investment in existing systems and solve problems like:

• Lack of integration among key technologies,
• Too much coding/cost to implement new or improved business processes,
• No standard infrastructure to allow "plug and play",
• Lack of user and task specific views of information, especially related to the business process.

Achievements have been demonstrated. A follow-on phase is to be proposed.

Agenda

Contact: Bill Waddell, 231-264-9774

Elimination of Phoscoating in Metal Forming Processes

The goal of this workshop is to discuss practical ways in which phoscoating can be eliminated from critical metal forming processes; forgings and extrusions. Users and technology providers will jointly consider whether a collaborative project can be formed based on promising technologies, innovative metal forming applications, and the availability of process trials on the shop floor.

Specific Objectives

• Investigation of alternatives and/or replacements for metal phoscoatings,
• Determination of collaborative potential between metal working users and technology providers,
• Economic assessment of the costs of phoscoating and the potential costs of alternative processing,
• Determination of the performance based requirements for phoscoatings and their replacements.

Project Resources Required

NCMS will be seeking user facilities to validate and evaluate promising phoscoating replacements. A history of the phoscoating process and its requirements will enable a focused look at replacement candidates. At least 4 promising technologies will be presented for consideration as a collaborative project foundation.

Who Should Attend

Senior product and manufacturing engineering and procurement resources responsible for metal forming and metal forming support (procurement, quality, environmental) should consider attending this innovative workshop. Technology providers will rely on the technical assessment of the users to determine whether they should plan for a collaborative offering.

Background

Kinefac Corporation believes that phoscoatings can be replaced for many of the precise metal forming applications and processes currently utilized by U.S. companies. They have agreed to co-lead a workshop for the investigation of this topic with resources from GM Delphi Saginaw.

Agenda

Contact: Kerry Barnett, 734-995-4974

Environmentally Friendly Machining

The goal of this workshop is to identify participants and develop a scope of effort for a set of collaborative projects on the topic of environmentally friendly machining. The primary focus will be on the elimination or minimization of Metal Working Fluids which will have significant impacts on investment cost, variable cost, production system flexibility and environmental concerns. Additional focus areas may include airborne particulates, noise, energy consumption, etc.

Specific Objectives

This project seeks to identify and integrate available island solutions for environmentally friendly machining, identify technological gaps and pursue development for these needs. This work will form the basis for a complete concept for an environmentally friendly machining production system that will reduce both economic and environmental costs.

Some of the technical challenges to be addressed for such a system include:

• Tooling
• Cutting conditions
• Process planning for dry machining
• Chip evacuation and handling
• Machine durability and cleaning
• Part quality and cleaning
• Thermal stability of machine and workpiece
• Environmentally friendly coolants
• Energy consumption
• Noise

Project Resources Required

• Corporate mindset embracing leveraged, collaborative technology development,
• Financial, organizational and human resources with appropriate expertise for development projects,
• Sincere interest in pursuing manufacturing innovations to improve environmental concerns in machining processes,
• Ability and willingness to supply resources to collaborative projects.

Who Should Attend

Users

• OEMs-metal processing machine users (automotive, aerospace, medical, etc.)

Developers

• Tooling and coolant system suppliers, machine tool builders, universities, research institutes

Commercializers

• Tooling, coolant and machine tool suppliers
• Potential partners and/or funding agencies: NIST, NSF, Department of Energy, Department of Defense

Background

The use of MWF’s often comes at great financial and environmental costs. The use of MWFs leads to significant investment and variable costs for MWF system components such as:

• Coolant
• Tanks and plumbing systems
• Treatment systems: filters, additives, waste treatment
• Pumps, compressors, motors
• Dry floor guarding
• Machine guarding for mist containment
• Mist evacuation systems
• Energy consumption.

For many production systems, particularly high-volume transfer lines, central MWF systems greatly constrain equipment flexibility since machinery must be placed in proximity to the central swarf tunnel. Utilization of MWFs also has environmental consequences, both human and ecological. Oral and physical contact with MWFs for production workers is a concern, as is environment.

Agenda

Contact: Mike Gnam, 734-995-4971

Environmental Roadmapping Initiative (ERI)

The goal of this workshop is to initiate environmental roadmaps for sectors concerned with their future environmental action plan. NCMS, in partnership with the EPA, is starting a new opportunity for industry sectors to chart their own environmental course into the coming century. The workshop will explain the details of the program and seek input from participants regarding environmental needs. Currently, environmental roadmapping activities are underway for both the construction industry and municipalities.

Specific Objectives

• Understand the background of the ERI, including the balance between incentive-based and enforcement-based regulation and current efforts to reinvent the environmental regulatory framework,
• Understand what an environmental management system (EMS) is, and what it isn’t,
• Discuss the objectives of the ERI, and how it can serve the reinvention effort for the benefit of industry,
• Explore the roadmapping concept for specific sectors represented at the workshop (including sectors that have already prepared roadmaps, and those that have not),
• Explore the possibility for a new ERI activity in selected sectors.

Who Should Attend

• Anyone who would rather plot his own course in determining environmental responsibilities than have regulators do the job for them,
• Anyone in a manufacturing organization who currently has environmental responsibilities,
• If you work for a manufacturing organization and you think your job does not involve environmental responsibilities, this session is definitely for you.

Agenda

Contact: Paul Chalmer, 734-995-4911

First Part Correct – Aluminum Components from Forgings

The goal of this workshop is to understand and quantify the distortion of large forged aluminum components and develop a means to eliminate or mitigate its effects by design and manufacturing process techniques. The project deliverables will be the analytical models of the parts selected for this study and actual samples produced with both existing and new strategies. Design and manufacturing specifications will be provided for the entire process from concept drawings, best manufacturing practices, to final inspection. A forging knowledge base, consisting of knowledge of the product, tooling, process, shape-sequencing, and material properties will be generated.

Specific Objectives

• Determine the limitations (models and analyses, material feedstock, material characterization, manufacturing processes, machine tool equipment suppliers, tooling, inspection) to achieve first part correct, large aluminum components,
• Define technological gaps,
• Understand what research activities are addressing these issues,
• Scope out the effort needed to address the distortion problem (time, funds, personnel, level of effort),
• Define expectations of potential project participants and determine potential partners,
• Develop an action plan to generate a statement of work.

Project Resources Required

This workshop takes a system-level view of the forging process. It touches upon design and processing issues for net shape geometries, materials, dies/tooling, lubricants, and equipment. An emerging project will require resources with expertise in manufacturing processing (tooling, dies, lubricants, equipment, controls), materials science, modeling and analysis, intelligent software systems, and high performance computing.

Who Should Attend

This workshop will focus on large aluminum forgings, however, elements of the workshop should prove interesting to anyone connected with the manufacture of forgings, from conceptual design through final inspection. The workshop also should be of interest to users of forgings.

Background

The U.S. forging industry provides critical components to products that represent 20% of the gross national product while profits for this highly competitive industry are only on the order of 1 to 2%. The industry has seen a 25% reduction in commercial membership with the loss of over 100 forging plants since 1980. Much of this erosion is the result of manufacturing shifts to competitors in Pacific Rim countries that typically provide government subsidies to their critical-technology areas. To compete successfully, domestic forging companies need to produce quality forgings with shorter lead times and at better value.

Agenda

Contact: Daniel Maas, 734-995-4934

High-Performance Spindles and Tooling for Milling and Drilling High Nickel Steel Alloys, Titanium and Cast Iron

The goal of this workshop is to structure a project to provide the technology that will forecast the cutting capability of a machining spindle system before it is built and tested. Over the past two years, significant advancements have been made in key components of machining spindles. The same is true of cutting tools, tool coatings, and tool holders. These advancements make feasible a potentially significant increase in productivity, particularly for tough materials that require high cutting torques. However, a fundamental question remains unanswered: "Can a machining system that incorporates these advancements take the aggressive cuts of which they are capable without chattering?" Currently, no one can answer this question adequately, but unless this question is answered, process planning can only offer a starting point; the final process is still a matter of trial-and-error.

Specific Objectives

• To formulate a project team consisting of end users with suppliers that are also technology providers,
• To identify spindle builders and tool makers that will market and maintain the developed technologies,
• To identify machine tool companies that will integrate the advance spindles with their machine tools and market these products to end users,
• To identify end users of these machine tools that will test and evaluate the spindle and tooling technologies and establish a market for the final product,
• To define a work plan that leads to a system solution,
• To identify all the organizations that will participate in the project and provide the resources to form the project.

Project Resources Required

Machine tool builders; tool manufacturers; tool coating suppliers; spindle builders; toolholder suppliers; software developers skilled in the integration of mechanical dynamics, motor electromagnetics; and heat transfer.

Who Should Attend

Tool and tool coating suppliers; motor and motor drive suppliers; bearing suppliers; spindle designers, analyzers, and builders; and representatives from companies that are responsible for assimilating advanced equipment for milling and drilling components made from cast iron, steel, and similar materials.

Background

This project would draw heavily upon the lessons learned under the recent completed NCMS/NIST-ATP Spindles project. Tools, tool coating and tool holders will be in the project scope but fixtures and other items related to workpieces will be secondary considerations.

Agenda

Contact: Jack McCabe, 734-995-4919

Increasing Product Quality Through State-of-the-Art Nuclear Inspection Services

The goal of this workshop is to revolutionize the way parts and complex fluid-filled systems are inspected and tested using nuclear services. Specifically, the workshop will attempt to close the gap between those who need to validate their product and process models and designs and the available state-of-the-art nuclear inspection and testing capabilities. In addition, the session will provide attendees with information on nuclear services, access to industry experts, resources and contacts on collaborating with NCMS and the McClellan reactor facility.

Specific Objectives

Specific objectives of this workshop are to:

• Communicate information on the variety of nuclear analytical techniques available,
• Identify and close the "knowledge gaps",
• Discuss the benefits of nuclear services,
• Identify the techniques’ pros and cons of use,
• Highlight the ease of availability and cost competitiveness of services,
• Explore areas of interest for R&D and collaboration.

Project Resources Required

A willingness to work collaboratively in the area of nuclear services including furnishing specific project ideas, resources, in-kind work and other active contributions to defined projects.

Who Should Attend

Designers, system engineers, NDE inspection staff, QA/QC managers, sales managers, product managers, and line managers. This workshop is targeted to those who are responsible for delivering quality products to meet specific customer expectations, and who have a desire to have a competitive advantage by addressing potential problems before they surface.

Background

This workshop will focus on state of the art methods that will provide valuable knowledge and an approach to managers and staff responsible for designing, manufacturing products, and interfacing with the customer. The McClellan Nuclear Radiation Center will provide some case histories where some of the advanced inspection techniques have yielded cost effective dividends and improved product quality.

Agenda

Contact: Constance J.S. Philips, 734-995-7051

Large Panel Rapid Prototyping System

The goal for this workshop is to complete the formation for a project that will produce a prototype system for the production of large panels using rapid prototyping technology. Several companies have defined project objectives to meet their needs and have begun the process of organizing a collaborative project.

Specific Objectives

• Gather user needs and requirements,
• Review the elements of technology required for this project,
• Review proposed project organization,
• Review the proposed statement of work,
• Add new participants as appropriate,
• Complete the statement of work and work breakdown structure.

Project Resources Required

This proposed project is targeted to develop and validate a large panel rapid prototyping system designed by Stratasys, Inc. It is organized as a vertical pilot application team. Specific project resource requirements are not yet identified.

Who Should Attend

Designers, producers and/or users of large thin panels used in aerospace and automotive applications should attend this session. The technology should be of particular interest to designers for its potential to reduce the time needed to evaluate many styling, form, and fit iterations. Producers and/or users of large thin panels such as outer body panels, fenders, trunk lids, floor pans, and so forth will find this session interesting and rewarding.

Background

Large, thin section panels for automotive, aerospace and other applications are produced today by bending or stamping sheet metal. The stamping process in particular is very time consuming, requiring the development of an expensive die set before panels can be produced for validation. This project will develop the ability to rapidly and economically produce large, thin section panels.

Agenda

Contact: Tony Haynes, 734-995-4930

Manufacturing Technology Innovation & Development Through the Supply Chain

The objective of this workshop is to explore requirements for leveraged collaborations between technology end-users and suppliers to facilitate and accelerate technology development, implementation, and replication. Due to ever increasing business pressures, it is imperative to establish leveraged relationships and strive for breakthrough technological innovations. In the cycle of a technology development project, the steps to reach implementation and replication are often the most difficult. It is during these steps that the existence of a true leveraged development relationship is absolutely essential. While this is a general topic, this workshop will specifically address manufacturing innovation for machinery and tooling. The workshop will seek to identify participants and establish a collaborative working group/project to address organizational roles and responsibilities to facilitate manufacturing innovation between equipment suppliers and users.

Specific Objectives

• To identify organizational challenges and requirements for collaborative manufacturing technology development between suppliers and end-users of machinery and tooling,
• To explore methodologies to promote and accelerate process innovation within the tooling and machinery supplier network,
• To explore the development of new manufacturing technologies to facilitate cost avoidance, cost reduction, reduced time to market, reduction in part count, reduction in processing steps, etc.,
• To examine successful collaborative technology development projects which lead to implementation,
• To establish a working group to address identified organizational and technical challenges.

Project Resources Required

• Corporate mindset embracing leveraged, collaborative technology development,
• Financial, organizational, and human resources with appropriate expertise for development projects,
• Sincere interest in pursuing manufacturing innovations to improve competitiveness,
• Ability and willingness to supply resources to collaborative projects.

Who Should Attend

Persons responsible for or engaged in:

• manufacturing process innovation in support of new process or product development,
• product innovation,
• managing these issues through the supply chain,
• increasing innovation methodologies.

Background

This workshop is motivated by difficulties in the manufacturing technology project development cycle expressed by many NCMS constituencies. Specifically, challenges with initiating leveraged, collaborative projects, project execution speed, and the ability to successfully reach implementation readiness have often been voiced. Various NCMS steering committees and Colloquiums have raised these issues, as have some of our partnering organizations such as the Management Roundtable and various universities. Additionally, the NCMS CTMA (DoD) initiative has expressed interest as it confronts the problems of supply chain development and innovation. This topic has also been a major component of an existing complementary NCMS project, Management of Accelerated Technology Insertion.

Agenda

Contact: Mike Gnam, 734-995-4971

MEMS and Microtechnology

The goal of this workshop is to explore the area of MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) and microtechnology to determine a scope of activities for the formation of a significant effort to speed up the commercialization of MEMS devices. The focus of the workshop will be on identifying both the roadblocks to commercialization and the collaborative R&D efforts needed to overcome these roadblocks. Potential participants on the team that emerges from this workshop include companies interested in MEMs technology, universities, and national laboratories. This team will pursue funding opportunities to drive MEMS and microtechnology toward commercialization.

Specific Objectives

• Quick overview of MEMS and microtechnology,
• Discuss market sectors and business opportunities,
• Explore key roadblocks to commercialization of all microtechnology/MEMS areas: assembly, test, packaging, characterization, and others,
• Prioritize these roadblocks with a viewpoint of timelines to success and funding sources,
• Put together teams in these critical areas and identify project concepts and potential funding sources: NIST ATP, DARPA, NIH, and others,
• Develop the key ideas and ingredients for proposals in the two most important areas.

Project Resources Required

NCMS members have a strong interest in the MEMS area for future products. At least two critical target areas of MEMS will be identified. This will result in straw man proposal concepts and initial team formation.

Who Should Attend

Senior product and manufacturing engineering personnel with a basic knowledge of MEMS technology and the impact of this technology on market areas, products, or system design. Both manufacturers of MEMS and OEMs with strong MEMS technology needs are encouraged to attend.

Background

NCMS membership believes that MEMS will have a large impact on the future designs of their systems and products. NCMS will spearhead an effort to form teams in this important emerging area to identify commercialization roadblocks and to form initial proposal concepts.

Agenda

Interested Participants

The following companies and organizations have expressed interest in exploring collaborative opportunities in this workshop:

Contact: Wyck Seelig, 734-995-4915

Metals Processing Challenge: Best Practices and Beyond

The goal of this workshop is to understand current best practices in the steel production, forging and heat treating industries and how they impact each other. It is also the goal to understand how, by working together, these industries can improve these practices and reduce the negative impact. To illustrate these points, a specific family of components will be used during the workshop when discussing the applicability to the steel, forging and heat treating industries. The challenges in metals processing will be discussed and engineering functional requirements evaluated.

Specific Objectives

• Understand the mission of the Joint Industry Alliance: Steel, Forging and Heat Treating,
• Identify the current practices for each of the steel, forging and heat treating industries,
• Identify how current metals processing challenges are addressed by discussing case studies,
• Identify the ideal processing parameters,
• Identify a plan for how these industries can work together to achieve optimal metals processing.

Project Resources Required

Attendees should walk into this workshop with practical knowledge of the current state of the steel producing, forging or heat treating processes and then leave having learned of opportunities to work with other industries to improve the current state-of-the-art. Attendees should have processing expertise and be willing to discuss and share knowledge of where the industries should be and where they will need to go in order to make the desired leaps in technology development.

Who Should Attend

Managers and engineers responsible for steel producing, forging and heat treating processing with practical knowledge of these metals processes. Attendees should have the desire to improve their company’s competitive position in the marketplace by improving their processes.

Background

As a result of the August, 1998 Joint Vision Roadmap Workshop, a Joint Industry Alliance (JIA) has been formed for the steel, forging, and heat treating industries. The goal of the JIA is to identify and foster research for the required cross-cutting technologies required by all three industries. This workshop is a continuation of this effort to enhance the communication in this metals processing community.

Agenda

Contact: Tracy Pattok, 734-995-4926

Next Generation Inspection Systems

The goal of this workshop is to develop the technology to support the interchangeability between sensors, both contact and non contact, regardless of their unique technology, with minimum programming for both CMM’s and on-machine inspection applications in much the same manner that cutting tools are managed utilizing a tool changer.

Specific Objectives

To form a collaborative effort to identify requirements, evaluate results through pilots and drive the development and application of:

1. Open architecture controls,
2. Interchangeable sensors and manipulators,
3. Data acquisition and analysis,
4. CAD (math based) programming techniques,
5. Advanced metrology.

Project Resources Required

Manufacturing end users and CTMA Depot partners to provide support for pilot applications as well as technology providers in the area of advanced sensors and machine controls, hardware and software.

Who Should Attend

Anyone involved in manufacture and inspection of prismatic parts.

Background

The proposed work will leverage technology developed in recently completed NGIS I and II Projects.

Agenda

Contact: Bill Waddell, 231-264-9774

Solid Free Form Direct Metal Deposition Applications

The goal of this workshop is to introduce the approach known as Solid Free Form Direct Metal Deposition (SFF/DMD) to initiate discussion on how this technology can be applied to the following applications:

1. Plastic injection mold tooling
2. Repair and overhaul
3. Short run manufacturing
4. Functional prototyping for form, fit, and function

Laser Engineered Net Shaping^TM (LENS^TM), a new technology from Sandia National Laboratory, allows for the direct fabrication of metallic parts and features directly from a CAD file. It is anticipated that several common areas of SFF/DMD development related to the above fields will surface as a result of these discussions and the basis for a collaborative project will be formed.

Specific Objectives

• Introduce this rapidly evolving technology to people who are not familiar with SFF/DMD,
• Highlight the benefits of SFF/DMD technology vs. traditional methods
• Convey unique capabilities of SFF/DMD, such as gradient material applications,
• Identify critical technology challenges from one of the above 4 areas during the workshop where SFF/DMD could provide a solution,
• Establish a collaborative project team to validate the solution over the next 60 days,
• Solicit input from attendees on features that they would like to see in a SFF/DMD system,
• Discuss current status of using SFF/DMD for the DoD CTMA Program and solicit company participation.

Project Resources Required

Potential project participants must be willing to contribute cost share and/or cash resources to any resulting collaborative effort.

Who Should Attend

The SFF/DMD technology is applicable for any metal end product application; thus, it is expected that attendees will be from all segments of industry. Specific topics that will be discussed will be applicable to users of injection mold tooling, short run manufacturers, as well as a broad array of repair and overhaul applications.

Workshop Background

This project is proposed by NCMS-member Optomec and is based upon the Laser Engineered Net Shaping^TM (LENS^TM) technology out of Sandia National Laboratories.

Agenda

Contact: Ken Johnson, 734-995-4977

Volumetric Imaging Systems (VIS^4D) – Demonstration

The goal of this workshop is to expose attendees to this new class of technologies known as Volumetric Imaging Systems (VIS^4D). This will be done through hands-on participation by attendees via prototype equipment on-site.

Specific Objectives

• Educate participants on
  Volumetric Imaging technologies and applications,
• Demonstrate VIS^4D system to participants via on-site equipment, clearly showing the technology’s benefits over currently available Virtual Reality technology,
• Generate interest for a collaborative project within this field.

Who Should Attend

Any organization interested in visualization technologies or current users of virtual reality technologies. Participants may also include commercializers of virtual reality technologies that would like to become exposed to a new suite of VR approaches and tools.

Workshop Background

This workshop is a continuation of the VIS^4D project formation activities within NCMS. Following this morning session will be an afternoon session designed for organizations interested in pursuing further development and beta testing in this area.

Agenda

Contact: Jeff Ceo, 734-995-4936

Volumetric Imaging Systems (VIS^4D) – Program

A new wave of optically based visualization technologies are making their way from Europe to the United States. This family of technologies, championed by the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, and Ethereal Technologies of the U.S., represents a quantum leap over existing virtual reality, or visualization technologies. This workshop is designed to lay the foundation for a collaborative program in which these technologies will be taken forward to commercialization. Participants of this effort will not only have early access via currently existing beta systems, but will also drive the technology toward their specific needs and applications. For a full description of these new technologies as well as beta demonstrations, attendees are encouraged to participate in the morning demonstration session.

Specific Objectives

• Provide attendees with a draft statement of work clearly demonstrating critical technology requirements,
• Document user needs and overall program scope for further VIS^4D development,
• Clearly lay out beta program parameters and participants roles and responsibilities,
• Add at least four new members to the existing team for this collaborative effort.

Project Resources Required

Project participants will be required to provide cash and/or cost share to move the technology development forward. Project participants will receive beta VIS^4D units in return for their cash contributions. Certain companies may have valuable background technology that would be considered on a cost-share only basis.

Who Should Attend

Any organization interested in visualization technologies or current users of virtual reality technologies. Participants may also include commercializers of virtual reality technologies that would like to become exposed to a new suite of VR approaches and tools.

Background

This workshop is a continuation of the VIS^4D project formation activities within NCMS. This session is designed for organizations interested in pursuing further development and beta testing in this area.

Agenda

Contact: Jeff Ceo, 734-995-4936

TM LENS is a registered trademark of Sandia National Laboratories.