The X‑Eptance Explore (XEE) project, approved on 1 September 2019, builds on the earlier X‑Eptance Impulse (XEI) initiative that began on 1 April 2017. Both projects are part of the X‑Energy partnership, a strategic effort by the Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW Hamburg) to position the city as a leading innovation hub for future‑proof energy systems. The partnership concentrates on wind energy, storage, and system integration, with a particular emphasis on improving the sustainability and public acceptance of wind turbines. XEE’s scientific and technical objectives are to harness mobile, visually‑acoustic exploration in virtual‑ and augmented‑reality environments to unlock new application potentials for wind turbines during their early design stages. The project leverages MEMS sensor technology, actuator concepts, and signal‑processing methods developed in XEI, enabling a close interface between measurement data and virtual‑reality simulations.
Key technical achievements of XEE include the creation of a detailed 3‑D model of a wind‑energy‑plant (WEA) that simulates the plant’s physical behaviour under operating conditions. A parametric synthesis model for the main noise sources of a WEA was developed, allowing dynamic modulation of acoustic emissions by environmental variables such as wind speed and turbulence. The acoustic‑field simulation pipeline incorporates a spatial sound‑field representation and a Doppler‑shift model; the latter was derived from measured distances between a turbine blade tip and a listener in the virtual environment, explaining the slight forward tilt observed in waterfall diagrams of recorded turbine operation. These diagrams, generated from XEI measurements, show the Doppler‑induced frequency shift of tonal components and validate the simulation model.
The project also produced a virtual wind‑turbine overlay that can be superimposed on a live camera feed, facilitating an augmented‑reality (AR) experience. Interaction and navigation concepts were designed for a mobile augmented‑virtual‑reality (MAVR) WEA system, and a gesture‑based interaction concept was developed for a mobile augmented‑augmented‑reality (MAAR) WEA system. Prototypes for both MAVR‑ and MAAR‑WEA were built, demonstrating real‑time navigation, interactive control, and immersive visualization on quasi‑mobile VR and mobile VR platforms. Hardware and software specifications for VR and AR were defined, ensuring compatibility with industry‑standard headsets and mobile devices.
Collaboration within XEE is led by HAW Hamburg, with Iwer Petersen as scientific staff, Mike Blicker as partnership spokesperson, and Dr. Oliver Arendt as innovation manager. The project partners include industry stakeholders, though their identities are not listed in the excerpt. The funding originates from the X‑Energy partnership, a German innovation alliance that supports research and development in renewable energy technologies. The project’s timeline spans from 2019 through the reporting period, with milestones and results documented in the final report. The outcomes of XEE provide a foundation for integrating acoustic‑simulation data into early design workflows, enhancing the environmental performance and societal acceptance of future wind‑energy installations.