MetaVR creates 3D real-time environments that provide the fidelity of geospecific simulation with game quality graphics and performance.
In this issue: MetaVR and Business Partners at I/ITSEC
MetaVR and its business partners are exhibiting products and technology in booth #1249 at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference and Trade Show (I/ITSEC), November 26 - 30, 2018, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL, USA.
MetaVR will demonstrate its suite of terrain construction and visualization products that support applications ranging from unmanned air system (UAS) operator and Joint Terminal Attack Control (JTAC) training, to high-speed fixed-wing cockpit simulators, to littoral and marine-based operations, to individual/first-person ground-level urban operations.
MetaVR will showcase scenarios rendered in its real-time 3D visualization application, Virtual Reality Scene Generator™ (VRSG™), featuring 3D terrains, including new virtual terrain of Mischief Reef, VR demos with the HTC Vive Pro system that include character simulated tactical hand signals and augmented reality (AR), and dynamic object-on-object shadows.
With Battlespace Simulations (BSI) and Immersive Display Solutions (IDSI), MetaVR will demonstrate their Fallon Range Familiarization Solution with a spherical-display cockpit (flight) simulator, a VR headset, and geospecific 3D terrain of target ranges at the Fallon Range Training Complex (FRTC). In addition to VRSG and MetaVR's 3D content, the solution will feature IDSI's new VisionStation 3 spherical desktop display, which surrounds the pilot trainee in a 1.8 meter diameter, 220° horizontal x 55° vertical immersive environment, and BSI's Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE) for generating air and ground entities, threat planning, and 5-Line, 9-Line, and Call-for-Fire interfaces. In addition to providing the out-the-window views, sensor overlay and simulated thermal views, VRSG will supply correlated views in the HTC Vive Pro. The Fallon virtual target ranges were built with MetaVR's SUAS-captured 2 cm imagery. The terrain also contains a modeled Fallon Naval Air Station Van Voorhis Field. This collaborative COTS solution virtualizes the FRTC Inflight Guide for naval aviator range familiarization, providing a significant increase in flight readiness and savings to military aviation training programs.
VRSG will be running in other VR demos in the booth, as well. One such demo will be Rockwell Collins' Coalescence mixed-reality training system, which merges a trainee's real-world view with a synthetic environment to effectively train in a seamless, enhanced mixed reality. While wearing a VR HMD, such as the HTC Vive Pro during the demo, Coalescence enables a trainee to see one's own hands and interact with objects and other people in the actual physical environment while immersed in the synthetic environment. The synthetic environment VRSG will render in this joint demo is MetaVR's Yuma Proving Ground terrain. This prototype collaboration is part of both companies' participation in the Project RACER USAF's AFWERX innovation initiative. RACER's purpose is to replicate current combat scenarios in a networked training environment allowing US forces to "Train where we fight!"
Another VR demo will additionally demonstrate the ability in the forthcoming release of VRSG 6.4 to animate individual fingers using 16 bone hand models. These hand models are used with our character models to simulate the gestures of non-verbal commands and communication, such as tactical combat hand signals. Using animation software we are able to generate .bvh files that animate the skinned hand models.
MetaVR will demonstrate two new 3D terrain datasets, built in MetaVR's round-earth Metadesic™ format with the latest version of MetaVR Terrain Tools version 1.5 for Esri ArcGIS:
- High-resolution geospecific 3D terrain of virtual Monte Real Air Base in Monte Real, Portugal. This terrain was built using 50 cm per-pixel resolution source imagery covering the entire country of Portugal and SRTM1 (30m) elevation source data; also bathymetry data of Portuguese coastline and western Spain. The runway was constructed with the new Runway tool in Terrain Tools 1.5. Other 3D culture includes taxiways, tarmacs, runway lights, signage, antennas, instruments, grass/tree vegetation, and several geospecific models including the control tower and other air base buildings along the flight-line. The air base models were built from publicly available photos and then geolocated on the terrain in Scenario Editor. The surrounding culture models were generated in Esri CityEngine from OpenStreetMap building footprint data. Light points follow the road network and building models contain emissive light-map textures for nighttime lighting. This terrain has been added to MetaVR's Europe 3D terrain, which is available to MetaVR customers on active software maintenance.
- High-resolution model of Mischief Reef in the South China Sea, an occupied reef in the South China Sea, equipped with an HQ-9 missile defense system. This high-resolution terrain includes shoreline and bathymetry, which make the terrain ideal for sea-based and littoral training scenarios. The terrain model was compiled in MetaVR Terrain Tools version 1.5 in our round-earth Metadesic terrain format, taking advantage of the new Terrain Tools ability to integrate an external terrain model such that it is treated as native terrain for both rendering and mission functions. Geospecific culture includes 249 buildings, a runway, 20,377 vegetation elements, 2,632 miscellaneous shipping containers, turrets, airport instruments, fences, and stones are all from MetaVR's 3D model libraries, and placed with MetaVR Scenario Editor 1.6. Note that due to the sensitivity and availability of high resolution overhead imagery of the occupied reefs in the South China Sea, we are publicly showing terrain without geographically specific imagery. Our Terrain Tools workflow would readily show dramatically higher fidelity terrain suitable for mission rehearsal if sub-inch imagery were to be made available.
MetaVR will also demonstrate VRSG's 3D ocean simulation in scenarios featuring many naval models from our military model library of 159 naval vessels on geospecific terrain/ocean body of the Strait of Hormuz and the littoral area of the port city of Kismayo, Somalia. Many vessel models have deck details modeled to first-person level.
Other MetaVR demonstrations will include:
- High-resolution geospecific 3D terrain of the Somalia port city of Kismayo. A relevant geospecific terrain for coordinated UAS and JTAC close-air-support training, this 3D terrain is populated with hundreds of geolocated, photo-specific culture models built from ground-level photographs taken on the streets of Kismayo. Demo scenarios include amphibious and close-air-support missions. The amphibious scenario highlights VRSG's 3D ocean simulation and MetaVR's growing collection of U.S. naval models.
- High-resolution geospecific 3D terrain of a mountainous region in Kabul province, Afghanistan. The modeled village of Khairabad includes 650 custom-built 3D structures that match footprints on the source imagery. Many structures have multiple damage states, demonstrated in scenarios that feature close-air-support missions with UAS overwatch and strikes, and pattern of life activity. These scenarios contain many of MetaVR's newest military ground vehicles.
- High-resolution geospecific 3D terrain of Continental US plus Alaska and Hawaii (CONUS++) with modeled training sites and airfields. The CONUS++ demos include flythrough sequences on 27 modeled airports and airfields, with high-resolution imagery and geospecific and geotypical cultural content. Demos of modeled training sites include two sites at Camp Pendleton, Leschi Town at JBLM, and SOCTACC Village at Yuma Proving Ground.
All terrain was built in MetaVR's round-earth format with Terrain Tools. MetaVR's real-time demos were created with VRSG Scenario Editor, using substantial cultural feature, character, and land, sea, and air vehicle assets, and 3D character animations from MetaVR's 3D content and animation libraries of over 7,500 models and over 1,450 animations.
Also in booth #1249, BSI will demonstrate the latest version of their Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE), a holistic computer-generated/semi-automated forces (CGF/SAF) application used throughout the world for accredited Joint Fires training systems, electronic warfare training, and threat/entity generation. MACE is designed to work seamlessly with VRSG and the two products are used together in over 150 fielded training systems. In addition, BSI will demonstrate their new Augmented Reality Mission Observation and Rehearsal (ARMOR) tool, their low-cost, full-featured PC-based Viper DIS radio, and DIScord recorder for after action review and debrief.
SRPaero (SRP), the creators of MetaVR's SUAS for collecting sub-inch geospecific imagery for real-time 3D terrain, will demonstrate features of their latest SUAS built for autonomous aerial surveying, a VTOL hybrid. For imagery data collection, the SUAS captures 2 cm per-pixel resolution images that can be used with accurate elevation data to compile terrain at 2 cm resolution. The resulting synthetic environment can then be rendered in VRSG. SRP will show examples of terrain that MetaVR built from the 2 cm imagery the SUAS collected at two target ranges at NAS Fallon and at the Prospect Square area of Yuma Proving Ground. SRP operated the aircraft for imagery data collection at both sites.
Elsewhere, known at the time of this newsletter, VRSG will be included in the following demos at I/ITSEC:
- The 505 Command and Control Wing will demonstrate VRSG in their JTC Desktop trainer in booth #801 QuantaDyn's booth. (This system is based on QuantaDyn's DT-100 Desktop JTAC Training System.) Demonstrations will include Types 1, 2, and 3 control, terminal guidance operations using a ground based laser system, as well as coordination with a wide range of virtual and constructive assets.
- AFRL's Warfighter Readiness Division which uses VRSG in multiple training testbed programs, will demonstrate their Secure Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) Advanced Training Environment (SLATE) project in a public demo event at the conference in room 320 GH, on Thursday, November 29, 8:30 AM. VRSG is used in the virtual component of SLATE, although the demo will not be featuring this component.
- Air National Guard will demonstrate VRSG in booth #1780 in the C-130 Multi-Mission Crew Trainer and a Micro-BOSS KC-135 air refueling boom operator simulation system.
- Bugeye Technologies will demonstrate in booth #2261, by invitation, their prototype AH-64 Apache Reconfigurable Cockpit Virtual Trainer (RVCT), which in addition to VRSG, is integrated with ZedaSoft's CBA for Simulation framework.
- Immersive Display Solutions (IDSI) will demonstrate VRSG in booth #1273 on its VisionFlex bendable screen display featuring a 150-degree FOV and two Barco 4K FS 40 projectors. (As mentioned above, IDSI's new VisionStation 3 will be featured in the Fallon Familiarization Solution demo in MetaVR's booth.)
- PLEXSYS will demonstrate VRSG in booth #1473 with the launch of their new product, ASCOT 7, a dynamic and intuitive CGF platform in which VRSG will render the 3D environment.
- QuantaDyn will demonstrate VRSG in booth #801 in demonstrations of its QFires series of JTAC simulator training devices. Also, as mentioned above, the 505 Command and Control Wing will demonstrate in QuantaDyn's booth their JTC Desktop trainer.
- Sony Electronics will demonstrate in booth #2139 VRSG in two scenarios on Sony's 16 ft. x 9 ft. Crystal LED video wall, which utilizes ultrafine LEDs.
- TRU Simulation + Training will demonstrate VRSG in booth #1201 in multiple simulations that show aircrew joint close air support (JCAS) training solutions in a networked battlefield, integrating both a Bell V-280 and Textron Aviation Defense's AT-6B Light Attack Aircraft:
- V-280 Valor cockpit simulator, with a three 82" LCD screen display and a sensor channel.
- AT-6 Wolverine cockpit simulator, with Immersive Display Solutions' (IDSI's) new VisionStation 3, a compact partial dome display and projection system.
- VR demonstrations, with an HTC Vive Pro system.
- The TRU configurations use COTS products from BSI, IDSI, and MetaVR that are based upon fielded low-cost training solutions for the fixed-wing, rotary-wing, forward air controller airborne (FAC-A), and joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) communities, to increase aircrew combat readiness, effectiveness and safety in a controlled environment. Mission scenarios include ISR battlefield reconnaissance, mobile high-value-target (HVT) find-fix-finish missions as well as low-to-high threat CAS missions with sensor and weapons integration.
- U.S. Air Force Training Systems Product Group will demonstrate in booth #1533 a distributed mission operation (DMO) aerial refueling exercise featuring a C-17 receiver and a KC-135 tanker running in the MicroBOSS boom operator simulation system. A cockpit simulator running both VRSG and BSI MACE, and emulating various air platforms, will also be included in the distributed exercise.
- Zedasoft will demonstrate VRSG in booth #1573 in their new Eyebox AR solution, along with their F-16 high-fidelity cockpit simulator. VRSG will render the scene in the SA Photonics SA-92 helmet-mounted display worn by the pilot trainee, integrated with ZedaSoft's CBA for Simulation framework. This solution enables the trainee to fully interact with the physical cockpit.
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