Military Simulation & Serious Game Technology
Detailed Outline
- Human-Computer Interface
Explore the evolution of the connection between the human and the computer. From command-line to 3D graphics engines it has always been a challenge to create efficient, effective, and intuitive interfaces that allow the human to use computer hardware and software. The commercial game industry has developed a number of powerful paradigms which will be the standards for military systems of the future.
- System Architectures
Identify the fundamental components and structure within simulation and game systems. Identify the roles of the hardware, software infrastructure, management of dynamic activities, models, user interfaces, external interfaces, and translators. How can commercial applications help construct a simulation system?
- Networking & Interoperability
Networking, distributed modeling, and interoperability have completely changed military simulation. Understand the contributions of SIMNET, DIS, ALSP, HLA, Peer-to-Peer, and Client/Server networking including server farms that support multi-player games.
- Event Management
Managing thousands of events in large distributed simulation environments is challenging. Examine priority queuing, local and remote storage, and the roles of the model and the infrastructure in managing events. Differentiate the management of temporal interactions and persistent object updates.
- Time Management
Coordinating time in a distributed simulation or multi-player game is a very difficult task. We will describe the major techniques that are used for client/server and peer-to-peer systems as well as the techniques used in DIS, ALSP, and HLA. These include server-based time, conservative synchronization, optimistic synchronization, and variations that are used in different environments.
- Physical and Physics Modeling
Simulations and games incorporate a large number of models of physical activities like movement, line-of-sight, sensor detection, combat engagement, and communications. These vary from rough conceptual models to detailed physics representations of the activities. This session explores the variety of these types of models through practical examples and in-class model design sessions. We also introduce commercial physics modeling products that are available.
- Environmental Modeling & Level Building
Environment provides the setting within which military objects operate. Good environmental representations provide essential realism for limiting the capabilities of objects. Simulation databases contain many gigabytes of data that must be organized and accessed efficiently. We discuss the collection of environmental data and its transformation into standard formats to support simulations including the use of level-building tools for simulations and games.
- Artificial Intelligence & Behavioral Modeling
Software agents control the activities of individual vehicles, groups of vehicles, and leaders who manage these vehicles. We will discuss the key techniques that have been used to make these agents behave intelligently. Techniques include Mathematic and Statistical Decision-making, Markov Chains, Finite State Machines, Expert Systems, Constraint Satisfaction, Fuzzy Logic, Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, and Adaptive Behavior.
- VV&A
Models, simulations, serious games, and virtual worlds create synthetic and abstract representations of the real world that must be checked for validity and awarded a trusted level of accreditation. Examine the role that verification, validation, and accreditation plays in creating a new product and linking multiple products together.
- The Future of Simulation & Virtual Worlds
Simulation and gaming is becoming a larger and more important part of a number of different activities. We close the course by discussing the role that these technologies will play in the future and preparing the students to serve as leaders in moving the industry forward.