Anyone want to get paid for developing a 3D game engine for the US Army?
See the new SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) solicitations (requests for proposals):
https://www.dodsbir.net/solicitation/default.htm
Proposals are due August 14, 2003.
Phase I : $70,000 for 6 months
Phase I option: $50,000 for 4 months
Phase II : $730,000 for 2 years
Phase III : transition to private sector
Matching funds: $250,000 if available
A03-083 TITLE: Military 3-D Visualization Utilizing Gaming Technology
TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Human Systems
ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Future Combat Systems
OBJECTIVE: Develop a standardized application programming interface (API) for a military 3-D gaming simulation tool that will facilitate the integration of a gaming environment with planned military C2 applications (such as the Commanders Support Environment, Combined Arms Planning and Execution System, DaVinci Toolkit).
DESCRIPTION: This 3-D visualization interface will be required to work with a standard C2 Data Model and associated XML Schema and DTD to render 3-D visualizations of military units, as well as have the desired capability to render 3-D terrains and environments from standard NIMA maps and imagery. The simulation tool should be capable of taking live feeds from the associated military planning tools in a networked environment (multiple feeds desired) and rendering a 3-D virtual environment in near real-time for war-gaming scenarios. The API developed as part of this effort should be robust and extensible to allow for integration of live sensor feeds at a later date. Currently, no standard gaming API exists in the industry, which hampers the rapid development and application of gaming technology to large-scale simulation systems and trainers. (Each system becomes a custom environment.) The system should leverage commercial standards to the maximum extent and leverage existing gaming engine technology. It is desired that the system be capable of running on a current Windows 2000 environment, but Unix/Linux based systems will be considered. Development of such a system will directly support all Future Combat System experiments, which currently employ the Commanders Support Environment. Commercial applications include the use of such a system for Homeland Security, both in stand-alone exercises of non-military emergency personnel, as well as joint operations between civilian authorities and NORTHCOM. Commercial applications also allow gaming manufacturers to develop an industry-standard interface to allow for gaming applications to be used as simulation trainers for various commercial environments.
PHASE I: Research current 3-D visualization techniques that are generated in real-time on desktop computing platforms utilizing commercial gaming engines and develop a systems architecture to incorporate these systems into Future Combat Systems C2 operational software. The systems should have the capability of interoperating with a command and control object model based on the DaVinci architecture, along with the ability to read XML data streams as input drivers to the system to effect movement of the objects during an operation.
PHASE II: Develop a prototype 3-D visualization system and API that can be integrated into the Future Combat System C2 application based on the DaVinci architecture and its associated object model, XML Schema and DTD. As part of this effort, verify the validity of the API by demonstrating a working prototype where the existing the C2 application input/output effects are displayed in 3-D form using the visualization engine in a laboratory environment over a wired network.
PHASE III: Future Combat System applications. This 3-D visualization system can also be used in commercial simulation scenarios for Homeland Security and Disaster Relief and Recovery systems for both civil defense and corporate applications.
REFERENCES:
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Future Combat System - See http://www.darpa.mil/fcs/index.html
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DaVinci Architecture - See
http://call-ditt.leavenworth.army.mil/docs/CECOMBAA001.htm; -
DaVinci Architecture - Also see
diicoe.disa.mil/coe/aog_twg/twg/mstwg/agile_brief.ppt
KEYWORDS: 3-D visualization, game engines, gaming technology, XML, DaVinci, C2, command and control, Future Combat Systems
TPOC: M. Zieniewicz, P. E.
Phone: (732) 427-3143
Fax: (732) 427-3645
Email: matthew.zieniewicz@us.army.mil
2nd TPOC: R. Szymanski
Phone: (732) 427-3698
Fax: (732) 427-3645
Email: ron.szymanski@us.army.mil
