ST. Louis 17 June 2008. QuantaDyn in Herndon, Va., selected Independence IDX 4000 Image Generators (IG) from Quantum3D, in San Jose, Calif., to update the U.S. Air Force's KC-135 Boom Operator Weapons System Trainer (BOWST).
The announcement was made at the IMAGE 2008 Conference in St. Louis.
The primary purpose of the KC-135 Stratotanker is aerial aircraft refueling for Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied nations. The KC-135's boom operator and aircrew use motion, shadows, and other visual cues to maintain flight safety during refueling. Within minutes of extending the boom arm and connecting to a receiver aircraft, the KC-135 quickly transfers the fuel. The Air Force's Air Mobility Command allows a prospective boom operator to qualify by completing virtual missions in high-fidelity boom-operator training devices in lieu of onboard a KC-135.
When Randolph Air Force Base's Trainer Development Branch needed upgrades for the BOWST, it awarded the KC-135 Visual Upgrade contract to QuantaDyn. The upgrades, which will be deployed to Altus Air Force Base, will use two Independence IDX 4000 IGs.
"The BOWST program really pushes the state of the art for image generators in model polygon count and real-time shadows," says Bill Dunn, president of QuantaDyn. "The Independence 4000 delivers the performance we require to provide the visual acuity needed to fulfill the mission requirements of the BOWST trainer."
Each Independence IDX 4000 IG provides advanced weather effects, a 3D ocean with reflections, real-time lighting, and dynamic shadows. All these make the operators' experiences more realistic and improve device fidelity for increased training effectiveness. The BOWST's high-fidelity receiver models will also be supported by Quantum3D's specialized imagery attributes, which are critical for refueling. These include Quantum3D's resolution standard of 8,192-pixel by 8,192-pixel shadow masks, the elimination of aliasing and more.
