Data-Driven Virtual Environment Assembly and Operation Virtual Iron Bird Workshop – Naval Postgraduate School(04/02/2004)

I. BackgroundII. BrahmsVE PlatformIII. BrahmsVE/SimStation Online

I. Background1998 – Database “Lego” experimental

assembly of an online event (Avatars98, Inside Cybespace)

I. BackgroundDatabase assembly of space, but also

database/agent operation:“booth bot”, “slide-changing bot”

I. BackgroundNASA Needs: STS-61, Hubble Repair

training(JSC 1993)

II. BrahmsVE PlatformA virtual environment platform for discrete

agent work practice simulation

Begun in 1999, models of activities aboard Mars Analog Habitats FMARS and MDRS (SimHab)Humans and robotics in future mission concepts, modeled from captured habitat crew activitiesBacked by database/multi-agent system (Brahms)

II. BrahmsVE PlatformBuilding “real-world” interfaces for a multi-

agent work-practice simulator

AgentViewer 2D interface

Virtual Environment 3D interface

II. BrahmsVE ArchitectureHigh level components

Web-based 3D player (Adobe Atmosphere) with AX componentsJavascript/SOAP, PHP and MySQL-based lightweight protocolsBrahms, Java-based agent system3D Content: XML schemas, Atmosphere/VP models, Havok physicsSynchronized, multi-user collaboration, chat, voice

II. Architecture of BrahmsVEInternal engine fundamental building blocks

II. BrahmsVE/SimHabModeling process

Video and other activity capture

Geographic model: waypoints

Brahms agent model

Object, gesture and agent 3D models

II. BrahmsVE/SimHabExample: planning meeting

II. BrahmsVE/SimHabExample: EVA prep

II. BrahmsVE/Personal Satellite AssistantExample: PSA aboard ISS with astronaut-agents

NASA ISS PSA Design SimulationA robot assistant aboard the Space StationHuman Centered Computing (HCC) project

II. BrahmsVE/PSA – web interface

II. BrahmsVE/PSAPSA in simulated US lab on ISS

II. BrahmsVE/PSAPSA in simulated US lab on ISS

II. BrahmsVE/PSAPSA instructed to search for tool, avoid obstacles

III. BrahmsVE/SimStation Online

Online Instance of SimStationA rendition of SimStation project of Shirley, Cochrane et al,

goals for online collaboration and document linking,early development phase

III. BrahmsVE/SimStation Online

Web-based plugin (Adobe Atmosphere) with PHP/MySQL and Constructor parses XML component connection model to assemble station, components link to:

•online documents•close-out photography•video•Notations•multi user collaboration•voice loops•Future: construction/EVA viz

III. BrahmsVE/SimStation Online View of first prototype interfaces

III. BrahmsVE/SimStation Online Web architecture

Conclusions

Work is in an early stage development but based on a decade of prior workUse of lightweight web-distributed environments a significant development in collaborative modeling and simulationDevelopment is much more rapid (10% compiled binary components, rest script and database) and agent and 3D models can be developed in a fraction of the time.BrahmsVE is funded to product introduction in the Fall of 2005Seeking proof of concept projects (contact damer@digitalspace.com, 831 338 9400)

Acknowledgements

VDR: Stuart Gold et al, Contact ConsortiumBrahmsVE/SimHab: Maarten Sierhuis, William Clancey, et al, RIACS and Digital Space teamsBrahmsVE/PSA: Charles Neveau, Maarten Sierhuis, William ClanceyBrahmsVE/SimStation: Mark Shirley, Tom Cochrane et al.Find all project materials at: www.digitalspace.com

III. BrahmsVE/SimStation Online demonstration