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MetaVR Provides Visual Systems for MUSE UAV
Simulation Program
MetaVR provides the visualization software for the largest unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) simulation program in the United States. The
Multiple Unified Simulation Environment (MUSE)/Air Force Synthetic Environment
For Reconnaissance And Surveillance (AFSERS) program provides the largest
number of fielded simulation systems for training command and staff
level training for UAVs. The MetaVR VRSG provides realistic
simulation capability for UAV training packaged in a ruggedized
deployable container for the MUSE and AFSERS programs.
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UAV view of MetaVR's 3D terrain of Baghdad, rendered in VRSG. Click
Zoom to see a high-resolution version of the image. Click the image
itself to see a detail of the scene at street level. |
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MetaVR visual systems are used in multiple UAV programs, including
Shadow, Pioneer, Global Hawk,
and ducted fan
micro-UAVs. UAV and Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) simulations based
on MetaVR VRSG use Metadesic™
(patent pending) terrain database technology. Metadesic terrain
is a true geocentric, round-earth representation that is free of error-prone
projections used by most commercial image generators. Geocentric terrain
is necessary to capture earth curvature and for accurate measurement
of target positions. Metadesic
terrain scales well to even global coverage datasets. With MetaVR's
Metadesic geometry and compressed texture paging technologies, the terrain
database extent is limited only by disk storage capacity.
The MUSE/AFSERS simulation has evolved into a general intelligence
collection platform simulation for airborne collection systems with
electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), and synthetic aperture radar (SAR)
payloads. The MetaVR MUSE VRSG
system provides
the visualization system component for MUSE that generates synthetic
payload scene video and/or imagery of the 3D battlefield with simulated
target entities. This video and imagery is subsequently fed to a tactical
or generic UAV/intelligence platform control station where operators
perform air vehicle and payload control functions, and an air vehicle
and datalink simulation.
 A
screenshot of GV3.0 output of decoded VRSG's MPEG stream and embedded
UAV metadata.
MetaVR recently expanded its real-time
MPEG recording feature to include UAV KLV metadata multiplexed into
an MPEG2 transport stream. Tactical exploitation systems can use this
streaming MPEG feed to visualize sensor payload imagery in real time
and extract the UAV metadata. The metadata editor GV
3.0 is an example of a system that can decode VRSG's MPEG stream
and embedded UAV metadata. A screenshot of GV output with metadata is
shown above. The MPEG stream can be transmitted live over UDP, or streamed
to a file for later playback. The MPEG encoding and metadata multiplexing
runs as a plugin for VRSG on the same computer. The plugin requires
no extra hardware, software, or cost beyond a
VRSG 5.4 license. MetaVR is currently using MISB EG 0104 as a reference
for the UAV KLV data.
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The image below shows a ruggedized
container-based system that is designed such that it can be
palletized and airlifted to training exercises in the field on
short notice and can survive the journey and the training scenario
under harsh environmental conditions. MUSE unmanned training systems
are deployed for overseas training exercises.
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