The author proposes an architecture based on the Dynamic Actor Layer and the Game Manager in Delta3D to create a Networked Virtual Environment which could be used to train Navy Officers in tactics, allowing team training and doctrine rehearsal. The developed architecture is based on Object Oriented and Modular Design principles, while it explores the flexibility and strength of the Game Manager features in Delta3D game engine. The implementation of the proposed architecture is planned to be done in standard personal computers running's WindowsTM OS, but as Delta3D is a multiplatform tool, the generated code can be easily ported to Linux or even MacTM platforms. The designed architecture includes also a proposal for fast scenario creation and modification based on XML technology.

Human performance in spatial orientation tasks is mainly determined by spatial awareness and the skills to transition from the current spatial attitude into the desired spatial orientation and position. Erroneous spatial awareness may lead to degraded task performance, to the loss of equipment, to serious injuries, or fatal aviation mishaps. The use of UAVs is considered beneficial due to the reduction in risk to the human carrying out the "mission". However, the remote execution of such a mission is extremely demanding for the operator. If extensive use of UAVs is to become routine, a number of concerns that may influence their effective use needs to be addressed. When we consider the human-in-the-loop (HITL), then vehicle control and the use of autonomy are important issues for the end user. Therefore this thesis will investigate the use of a virtual avatar in the flight simulator software (Weber Box) and conduct experimental proof of concept (conduct of experiments and analysis, evaluation and validation of the data of the concept using actual flight simulation software). Results of a study (conducted by Weber, 2006) indicated that the proposed design (Weber Box) seemed to strongly support spatial awareness in 3D orientation tasks. Time to assess a spatial situation decreases significantly, whereas accuracy of this spatial judgment at least maintains its level. This study investigated human orientation performance in relation to display designs that support mental models of the user's spatial situation under varying workload conditions. The main goal is to support the pilot/operator with intuitive, 3D-based information which improves their spatial awareness and supports their mental model of spatial position, he/she is operating under, even with varying workload conditions. As a follow-up study has to be identified, determining whether varying workload affects performance between the two display designs, and if there is a significant difference to a set of properties which are essential for linking virtual avatars and spatial awareness.

This thesis explores the addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) capability to the Delta3D Gaming and Simulation engine developed at the Naval Postgraduate School. A look at what types of AI capabilities exist and their potential to add value to the project is presented. This look includes the use of specific AI technologies, such as State Machines and Pathfinding, as well as the potential use of existing open source packages. One growing trend in the commercial game industry is the use of AI Middleware packages, allowing developers to buy what technologies they need and reduce development time. This thesis covers the link between AI and animation, specifically comparing how animation is handled by Delta3D and UnrealEngine. One final area covered is the use of scripting to generate behaviors within a game or simulation. Again, UnrealEngine, specifically UnrealScript, is considered as a potential model for a scripting language based on the Python programming language. Python was chosen based on its integration with the underlying C++ base code. By following the game industry's lead, one has a pool of potential options and avoids attempting to reinvent the wheel.

With the aim of creating a skill trainer of conceptual knowledge, what is the development process for ensuring the correct set of objectives are determined, matched to appropriate technology, and implemented? Months and years prior to the first instance of trainer use, the initial steps of the developer determine the end product s success. Computer based trainers fielded for use by the military are rife with poorly matched tasks to technology, often the product of contracts that begin with a list of high-level objectives imitating a detailed requirements document. In those cases, software developers are forced to make best guesses about how to meet those objectives. Is there a better method? We embarked on a project to create a trainer for the military aviation mission of Forward Air Control (Airborne) using a development process that first identified critical tasks, then matched technology to facilitate training those tasks, and finally allowed expert evaluation of positive transfer. We do not assume that our methodology which foregoes a comprehensive transfer study is the preferred approach; rather, in cases where such a study is not feasible, we assert that a good development process, reinforced with subsequent expert evaluation, is a comparable alternative.

Agent technology is widely deployed in numerous commercial areas such as networking, modeling, and software; however, this technology remains under-utilized by operational organizations within the United States Navy. This thesis will investigate the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) for military training simulations, particularly in the training of intelligence personnel in the Navy. The Computer Generated Forces (CGF) of the current Intelligence Team Trainer's (ITT) system initiate actions as a result of rigid scripted programming. Forces will execute the same actions regardless of what the user decides to do, resulting in highly unrealistic scenarios. For instance, in a scenario where an ARG (Amphibious Ready Group) transits the Strait of Hormuz, the response of Iranian P3 or an incoming dhow would be the same whether the battle group utilized frigate escorts or not. This thesis will produce very simple, but less rigid AI, which can easily be made more complex and intelligent in later phases. Demonstrations and assessments will validate the importance of AI integration for the ITT. Furthermore, this analysis of the requirements for the AI will assist training commands and combat information centers fleet wide with the range of realistic combat-related possibilities needed in order to ensure a fully capable 'combat ready' watch team.

Fleet maneuvers, or division tactics (DIVTACS), are achieved by a series of precision shipboard movements directed by an Officer in Tactical Control. Much like a precision drill team, DIVTACS training requires multiple ships underway in close proximity, often a rare commodity. Costs to conduct live training range from several Thousand (per evolution) to several Million dollars (to repair ships after a collision at-sea). Computer simulation opens the door to maximizing DIVTACS training, while mitigating risk. The Navy spends in excess of 60 Million dollars per year on simulation-based training. Currently available simulators provide a DIVTACS capability by connecting several simulators together via a LAN. These simulators are cost prohibitive ranging from 1,00,000 dollars to Millions of dollars per unit. They are manpower and maintenance intensive requiring dedicated infrastructures, drastically limiting deploy-ability and reliability. Open source applications are gaining considerable leverage in the commercial market and offer significant cost-reductions. This thesis explored the possibilities of open source development by providing a proof of concept division tactics simulator. Additional considerations were given to the extension of the simulator for use in surface tactics in general and areas of future research.

Visualizing operations environments in three dimensions (3D) supports the warfighters' ability to make rapid, well-informed decisions by presenting complex systems in a naturalistic, integrated display format. Unfortunately, constructing these environments is a time-consuming task requiring specific expertise not typically available in the command center. The future use of 3D visualization in military operations depends on the ability of personnel with minimal graphics experience to create virtual environments quickly and accurately by leveraging data-driven customization of content from model archives with the data available in the command center. Practical 3D visualization depends on standardized scene autogeneration. The Extensible 3D (X3D) Graphics family of specifications is approved by the International Standards Organization (ISO) as the Web-based format for the interchange and rendering of 3D scenes. Previous work has demonstrated that an archive of X3D scenes, such as the Scenario Authoring and Visualization for Advanced Graphical Environments (SAVAGE) library, can be used to autogenerate sophisticated 3D tactical environments. Assembling and making sense of the data necessary to autogenerate a 3D environment requires context and good documentation, best accomplished through metadata. Metadata also supports data-centric, component-based design; key philosophies in promoting interoperability of networked applications. Coupled with recent developments in X3D, enhanced features of the Savage X3D Model archives are now sufficiently mature to support rapid generation of tactical environments. This thesis proposes an XML metadata standard to collect and organize the information necessary to create and populate a tactical 3D virtual environment: the Savage Modeling and Analysis Language (SMAL). The logical extension of a well designed standard is the ability to cross the boundaries of usage, allowing simulators to share data with command and control (C2) suites and mission planning tools based on the construction of a virtual scene. SMAL provides the informational "glue" necessary to perform tactical modeling, simulation, and analysis using networked, physics-based X3D virtual environments.

In this dissertation, a new method of interaction with virtual reality (VR) has been presented. The VR environment, developed in this work provides a realistic and immersive environment that is developed for studying human’s spatial cognition abilities. Different technical aspects of the implementation are described. To improve the accuracy of the experiments, a new method for comparing and analyzing trajectories has been presented. A set of human subject experiments have been conducted using the developed platform. The first experiment was based on an ordinary computer, a joystick and 40 cognitively healthy participants within the age range of 19 to 82 years. Participants were asked to perform the VR spatial cognition test by navigating in the VR environment. It was found that computer usage skills had an effect on the overall performance of the participants as well as motion sickness; such an effect was undesirable. To resolve both problems, a novel input device made from the combination of a wheelchair and a motion capture unit, called VRNChair was developed. The VRNChair allows the participant to move physically in the real world in order to navigate in the VR environment. This allows participants to have a more intuitive interaction with the VR environment. Since the participant physically experiences the motion seen in the VR, motion sickness is minimized. A test based on two age groups, 34 young (< 40 years) and 20 older (60+ years) participants was performed. The results showed no difference between using the VRNChair or the joystick for the young participants while it showed considerable improvement among the older participants. Furthermore, it was noted that participants became distracted while using the VRNChair, Hence, a head mounted display (HMD) was added to the platform. A test with 14 males showed less distraction to the participant by using the HMD. Overall, the VR environment designed in this work passed all the validation experiments successfully. It offers a novel solution to overcome induced motion sickness experienced as a side effect of VR environments. / October 2016

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited / The goal of much work in Virtual Environments (VEs) to date has been to produce innovative technology but until recently, there has been very little user-centered, usability-focused research in VEs that will turn interesting applications into usable ones. There is beginning to be at least some awareness of the need for usability engineering within the VE community. A handful of articles address usability concerns for particular parts of the VE usability space. From this point Gabbard and Hix [1997] has proposed a taxonomy about usability characteristics in VEs to help VE usability engineers and designers. This taxonomy can be used to learn characteristics of VEs or to develop usability engineering methodologies specifically for VEs. In this study, we built hypermedia representation of the taxonomy and evaluated the effectiveness of the user interface by using scenario based formative usability engineering method that developed by Hix and Hartson [1993]. First, we discussed the need for usability engineering for VEs and took a look at a proposed usability engineering methodology [Gabbard and others, 1999] for VEs. Second we implemented hypermedia based web-site taxonomy and then evaluated it iteratively. Last, we added a new study to show the dynamic nature of web-site application. / Lieutenant Junior Grade, Turkish Navy

胡一峰. / "2002年7月" / 論文 (哲學碩士)--香港中文大學, 2002. / 參考文獻 (p. 78-83) / 附中英文摘要. / "2002 nian 7 yue" / Hu Yifeng. / Lun wen (zhe xue shuo shi)--Xianggang Zhong wen da xue, 2002. / Can kao wen xian (p. 78-83) / Fu Zhong Ying wen zhai yao. / 摘要 --- p.i-ii / 感謝 --- p.iii / Chapter 第一章 --- 引言 --- p.1-3 / Chapter 第二章 --- 主要文獻及研究問題 --- p.4-20 / Chapter 第一部 --- 分ICQ的使用 --- p.4-7 / Chapter 第二部 --- 分虛擬現實中的人際傳播 --- p.8-17 / Chapter 第三部 --- 分硏究問題 --- p.18-20 / Chapter 第三章 --- 硏究設計 --- p.21-27 / Chapter 第一部 --- 分硏究方法 --- p.21-22 / Chapter 第二部 --- 分硏究樣本 --- p.23-25 / Chapter 第三部 --- 分硏究對象簡貌 --- p.26-27 / Chapter 第四章 --- 硏究發現 --- p.28-73 / Chapter 第一部 --- 分情誼關係之産生 --- p.28-40 / Chapter 第二部 --- 分情誼關係之發展 --- p.41-49 / Chapter 第三部 --- 分情誼關係之解體 --- p.50-54 / Chapter 第四部 --- 分情誼關係之虛幻與真實 --- p.55-73 / Chapter 第五章 --- 結論與討論 --- p.74-77 / 參考文獻 --- p.78-83