PRIME · Predictive Rendering In Manufacture and Engineering

Predictive Rendering In Manufacture and Engineering

The PRIME (Predictive Rendering in Industrial Manufacturing) project worked on image synthesis which delivers results that one can rely on to be visually accurate. Engineering researchers who participated in this Innovative Training Network (ITN) were trained in skills and protocols needed for industrial usage of Predictive Rendering (PR) technologies. A variety of industries, from manufacturing to entertainment, are moving towards predictive rendering. Application areas of such systems are in product design, architecture, sensor system calibration, training of autonomous vehicle systems, manufacturing control. But even established graphics application areas like movie visual effects (VFX) can benefit from such an approach. This is a cutting-edge area of applied computer science, in which European academia and industry are amongst the global technology leaders. Our ITN network helped with maintaining and increasing the competitive edge of Europe in this regard, and trained young researchers in a promising, future-oriented and research-driven application area. The current industry standard in Computer Graphics in most cases only aims to convince and immerse a viewer, but not to offer an actual prediction of the appearance of a 3D scene. Genuinely predictive rendering has the potential to be a game changer for several industries, way beyond Computer Graphics proper. A widespread industrial use of predictive rendering is starting to be technically feasible. An example is the emergence of so-called digital twins of products: CAD models which include 100% accurate appearance descriptions. These have already, within the limits of existing technology, been introduced in the car industry, and the concept is spreading to other manufacturing industries. Such digital twins become even more valuable if one can reliably visualise and manipulate them, and use them for authoritative appearance inspection. Not all such use cases have been explored yet, as the technology needed for them is still either lacking (as in the case of e.g. fluorescent materials), or not sufficiently standardised for widespread industrial use.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union