MetaVR at I/ITSEC 2010

MetaVR exhibited its products and technology in Booth #1345 at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference and Trade Show (I/ITSEC), held November 29 – December 2, 2010, at the Orange County Convention Center, South Building, Orlando, FL, USA.

  
On the left: View of MetaVR's booth. On the right: MetaVR's Terrain Tools for ArcGIS display in MetaVR's booth.

  
On the left: Simthetiq's display in MetaVR's booth. On the right: Battlespace Simulations' display in MetaVR's booth.

MetaVR's booth showcased new 3D terrain and features and enhancements in the forthcoming release of Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG). Demonstrations included:

• New high-fidelity geospecific 3D terrain of Luke Air Force Base, to include the full airfield and the Barry M. Goldwater Range with target models, that extends as far as the Nellis Air Force Base. The terrain was built in MetaVR's round-earth Metadesic format from natural color imagery. The imagery resolution over the entire 40+ geocell area is at least 1 meter per pixel, and finer in some regions. The terrain consists of approximately 2 geocells of 50 centimeter resolution insets covering the Luke AFB, Barry Goldwater Range, and the greater Phoenix metro area. A city light model of the greater Phoenix area road networks is also included for night reference flying. The high-resolution Luke airfield area of the terrain contains approximately 120 geospecific photo-textured structures, and an assortment of trees, power lines, and poles. All site-specific building models on the terrain were created with textures derived from high-resolution ground-level photographs taken at the site.
  
  
• MetaVR's Afghanistan 3D terrain, which now covers the entire country at 647,500 sq. km with 2.5 meter resolution satellite imagery in MetaVR's Metadesic format; demonstrations include several real-time scenarios with several hundred characters. The scenarios are centered on the high-resolution virtual area of the Afghan province of Kabul, and include a high-speed fixed-wing flight and UAV reconnaissance. Other scenarios depicted ground combat simulations such as snipers, IED detection, insurgent activity in a tunnel network, and forward air controller or JTAC missions. These scenarios featured a high-resolution (60 centimeter imagery) modeled Afghan village based on Khairabad located in the southern part of the Kabul province.
  
  
• VRSG's enhanced IR support demonstrated in a 24 hour physics-based diurnal cycle on the company's Afghanistan 3D terrain.

  
On the left: VRSG real-time aerial refueling scenario in MetaVR's booth. On the right: VRSG rendering of a city light model of the greater Phoenix area road networks.

• Various weather conditions to include storms cells during F-16 takeoff, flight, and landing sequences on MetaVR's virtual terrain of Vermont at night. This terrain features a highly detailed inset area of the Vermont Air National Guard (ANG) base facilities and airfield at the Burlington International Airport. Night scenes featured geospecific lighting of buildings and runway lights, and a real-time aerial refueling scenario. All site-specific building models on the terrain were created with textures derived from high-resolution ground-level photographs taken at the site. This terrain database is used for simulation training at the Vermont ANG’s newly operational F-16 four-ship Mission Training Center at the Burlington airfield.
  
  
• Preview of version 1.2 of MetaVR Terrain Tools for ESRI ArcGIS. Version 1.2 introduces support for cut-and-fill linear and areal features, as well as a browser-based distributed build management system.

NTSA videotaped an interview with W.G. Smith at MetaVR's booth. KMI photographed W.G. Smith accepting MetaVR's Innovation award from Military Training Technology as part of the publication's 2010 Top Simulation and Training Companies Awards.

In its booth, MetaVR hosted two of its business partners. Simthetiq, MetaVR's preferred provider of military models and high-resolution modeled databases, demonstrated its automated toolset developed specifically for creating high-resolution 3D environments such as Middle Eastern virtual cities and rural villages. Battlespace Simulations demonstrated its Modern Air Combat Environment (MACE) software, which uses MetaVR visuals. MACE, a physics-based many-on-many simulation, generated aircraft, integrated air defense sites, cultural features, and weapons over a Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) network.

MetaVR's partner, Immersive Display Solutions hosted two demonstrations featuring MetaVR technology in Booth #1245, immediately adjacent to MetaVR's booth: AFRL demonstrated its X-DTT F-16 cockpit simulator with a 3-meter dome display, and MetaVR and Immersive Display Solutions demonstrated their JTAC MiniDome, a joint effort of both companies.

  
Immersive Display Solutions' booth, demonstrating MetaVR visuals in two dome systems. On the right is a closeup of AFRL's F-16 X-DTT simulator (also shown leftmost in the image on the left).

The JTAC MiniDome on display provides a 220-degree horizontal FOV and 90-degree vertical FOV in a small form factor, transportable, hemispherical display of simulated geospecific real-time 3D terrain. This flexible 6-channel VRSG training system combines the ability to train in an immersive transportable dome with functionality analogous to that currently used in desktop JTAC simulation configurations using VRSG. Battlespace Simulations participated in collaborative demos with MetaVR and Immersive Display Solutions featuring interactive JTAC scenarios on one or more of MetaVR's featured 3D terrain sets.

MetaVR technology was also demonstrated by other exhibitors at I/ITSEC.

AAI demonstrated its Shadow Crew Trainer in Booths #1837 and 1845 and its trailerized SCT in Oshkosh’s Booth #895.

  
AAI's Shadow Crew Trainer housed in a trailer in Oshkosh's booth.

The Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) used MetaVR visuals in three demonstrations: its F-16 Deployable Tactical Trainer (X-DTT) with a motion platform and 3-LCD panel display in ACME Worldwide Enterprises’ Booth #2746, another F-16 X-DTT simulator in Immersive Display's Booth #1245 with a 3-meter dome, and a 5-meter JTAC dome in the US Air Force Booth #2244. The latter demonstration featured the Swedish Defense Lab participating with a JAS-39 Gripen simulator in a coalition humanitarian operation scenario. The two X-DTT simulators and the JTAC dome simulation were networked for the demonstration.

  
On the left: AFRL's F-16 X-DTT simulator with a motion platform at Acme's booth. On the right: AFRL's F-16 X-DTT simulator with a 3-meter dome display in Immersive Display Solutions' booth. Both systems used MetaVR visuals.

SRI showed in Booth #2919 excerpts from the After Action Reviews (AARs) of this year's eight major field deployments for Army National Guard's XCTC program, and U.S. Army Reserve Command Combat Support Training Exercise (CSTX). These programs use MetaVR visuals to monitor the movements of soldiers in tactical exercises in its portable pre-deployment battlefield training system, and in the system's AAR capability.

Air Education and Training Command (Booth #723) and Northrop Grumman (Booth #1655) also used MetaVR visuals in their simulation demonstrations.

  
MetaVR visuals used in the Air National Guard's Air Education and Training Command's Multi-Mission Crew Trainer.

Zedasoft demonstrated in Booth #1237 its new Reconfigurable Cockpit System and other simulators using MetaVR visuals.

Cubic Defense Applications in Booth #1255 conducted off-site demonstrations using MetaVR visuals.

Illustration of MetaVR's 30' x 60' Booth #1345 at I/ITSEC 2010.

Below is the I/ITSEC 2010 trade show floor plan with MetaVR's 30' x 60' booth location marked. Click the image to see a larger version of the floor plan.