MetaVR at I/ITSEC 2005

MetaVR exhibited its products at the annual I/ITSEC trade show in Booth #1058. The Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference and Trade Show was held from November 28 to December 1, 2005, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL, USA.

Illustration of MetaVR's 50' x 30' booth #1058 at I/ITSEC 2005. Click on the image above to view an animated display of the booth.

NBC affiliate WESH Channel 2 in Orlando, FL, interviewing MetaVR at I/ITSEC 2005.

About our demonstrations

MetaVR announced its Greater Baghdad database, a 270 km x 200 km 3D terrain developed from colorized 1 meter black and white imagery and 30 meter elevation data, and built with MetaVR’s commercial and internal terrain-creation software. Each area consists of built-up microterrain with geospecific cultural content and colorized imagery. The latest release of the database contains the Green Zone area, which includes new custom 3D content of that area that MetaVR’s model designers created in Blender, an open source 3D modeling application. The model designers used MetaVR’s new Blender plugin to export models from Blender to MetaVR’s HPX model format.

MetaVR also announced development and delivery of its new Ft. Wainwright urban training database which uses .5 mpp fused-color imagery, 100 meter elevation data, micro-terrain, and substantial custom-built 3D feature content. This 3D simulated urban warfare training database is used in the DBST program. Ft. Wainwright supports simulation training of dismounted infantry and UAV ground control, as well as training on BCST Stryker vehicle simulators.

As shown below, MetaVR demonstrated VRSG in a forward observer role by using a simulated LLDR which is used for Close Air Support and Call for Fire applications. Fidelity Technologies has fielded MetaVR software with their Call for Fire Trainer jointly developed with the U.S. Army PEO STRI.

MetaVR's North America 3D terrain database was displayed on a synchronized three-channel 61" plasma monitor configuration, with two geocells of .5 m natural color imagery of the Los Angeles area. The entire terrain database was built using the Metadesic Compiler and spans coast-to-coast with several high-resolution (.3, 1, and 5 meter) insets, including 5 m insets of 59 cities, on base natural color imagery of 15 meters.

Other virtual terrain demonstrated with updated content included the Ft. Lewis terrain database with its updated virtual Leschi Town MOUT site, updated content in the Ft. Campbell Cassidy and Ft. Benning McKenna virtual MOUT sites, and virtual National Training Center (NTC) at Ft. Irwin with the Tiefort City urban village. The databases contained substantial new cultural feature assets from MetaVR’s 3D model libraries, such as photo-realistic models of several types of buildings and other features such as bridges, volumetric trees, public monuments, and urban street elements. Many features were built with photo-realistic textures based on site-specific photographs of MOUT sites, and public domain photographs of the Greater Baghdad area. MetaVR’s model designers used MetaVR’s new Blender plugin to export the models they created in the Blender 3D modeling application to MetaVR’s HPX model format.

About media coverage

During the trade show, MetaVR was interviewed by Orlando, FL, affiliates of four major television networks: FOX (WOFL Fox 35), ABC (WFTV Channel 9), NBC (WESH Channel 2), and NPR. Shown below are members of NBC affiliate WESH Channel 2, who visited the MetaVR booth to discuss our technology and shoot footage of our urban simulations. The footage was used as one of the highlights of news coverage of IITSEC 2005.

About our booth

In the MetaVR booth at I/ITSEC 2005 MetaVR hosted BostonTech Partners Inc. BostonTech Partners provided iSCSI Storage Area Network devices (SANs) in support of MetaVR's software demonstrations. The company also demonstrated the advantages of its solutions in conjunction with MetaVR simulation software.

The MetaVR booth at I/ITSEC 2005 was designed by Shepard Exposition Services, who also designed MetaVR's booth at I/ITSEC 2003 and I/ITSEC 2004. The Barco projection screen and plasma monitors were provided by Hi-Tech, which specializes in presentation equipment, audio, video, computer, and lighting rentals.