Executives at Alion Science and Technology in McLean, Va., wanted to infuse training and simulation for defense applications with the same high level of fidelity, realism, and dynamic interaction as today’s computer games.
Alion has partnered with AGEIA Technologies of Mountain View, Calif., to develop real-time modeling and simulation applications for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). Applications built on the Delta3D open-source game engine can take advantage of the AGEIA PhysX processor, accelerating the creation of simulations that feature complex physics-based environments.
With AGEIA PhysX technology, simulations better mimic the real world. Simulated explosions, for example, scatter dust and debris. Weapons damage or destroy targets as they would in reality, and human and vehicle movements and reactions are more lifelike than they have been before.
Alion can build powerful training and simulation applications for the U.S. Marine Corps that will be deployed on the Deployable Virtual Training Environment (DVTE) system, a program that will provide deployable simulations on laptops to train warfighters for combat.
When Marines use DVTE to train for convoy operations against improvised explosive devices, for example, they will encounter a driving experience that mirrors the movement of their armored vehicle.
“Through Alion’s partnership with AGEIA, the DOD will have access to one of the best physics engines available, and it can be used free of charge,” says retired Rear Adm. Dick Brooks, Alion National Security Group manager. “This further promotes the value of the Delta3D open-source environment throughout the Defense Department, providing programs with superior technology without the cost and vendor lock in that usually accompanies technology adoption. Now defense programs can use the same physics engine used in major games. The result will be more powerful and effective training and simulation applications.”
The partnership with AGEIA enables Alion to distribute the PhysX runtimes, software development kit, and application programming interface as part of the Delta3D project. Developers can add physics capabilities to their Delta3D open-source applications without additional royalties or separate licensing agreements.
For more information, visit Delta3D online at www.Delta3D.org, Alion Science and Technology at www.alionscience.com, and AGEIA Technologies Inc. at www.ageia.com.
