Game-Based Deployable Trainer with True 3D and High Acuity Display

ABSTRACT: To address Air Force"s need for high fidelity training and rehearsal environments in next-generation multirole aircraft, Third Dimension Technologies (TDT) proposes to develop a new low-cost Warfighter 3D Gaming Environment (W3DGE). The W3DGE is a game-based, networked, reconfigurable trainer that can travel anywhere and be assembled in hours. An innovation of W3DGE is a unique quick-change displaytrue 3D or high acuitydepending on training needs. The true 3D (unaided, naked eye) display is a new variant of TDT"s Angular Slice 3D Display (AS3D), a holographic stereogram-based display that recreates all human visual cues, including no-glasses-required stereopsis, head-motion parallax and matched vergence-accommodation (viewer"s eyes are focused where they are lookingcontrary to typical stereo 3D displays). TDT is partnering with Lockheed Martin to integrate W3DGE with Prepar3D, a professional training and simulation environment, and thereby directly addresses the Air Force"s requirements for training, evaluating and preparing personnel on fifth-generation aircraft. In Phase I, TDT will analyze relevant fifth-generation missions, then design the W3DGE for training these missions and demonstrate feasibility with a proof-of-concept testbed. In Phase II, TDT will optimize the design and fabricate a full low-cost prototype to evaluate and quantify training effectiveness and mission readiness. BENEFIT: An anticipated benefit of the W3DGE (Warfighter 3D Gaming Environment) platform is the ability to simulate all human visual cues, including stereopsis, head motion parallax and vergence-accommodation, for unaided, naked-eye (true 3D) visualization. The W3DGE uses the new Curved AS3D (Angular Slice 3D Display), which is a major technology innovation as it reduces system complexity (lower cost) and improves rendering budgets (better performance) without loss of fidelity. Thus, the W3DGE, as an affordable game-based platform, offers a major cost-savings opportunity for the Department of Defense (DoD) in simulation, modeling and training. The ability for no-glasses-required true 3D viewing opens new avenues of DoD research and development in supervisory control interfaces, battlespace visualizations, immersive and collaborative environments, human factors, human vision, etc. Additionally, commercial applications in medical imaging, 3D CAD engineering, scientific visualization and over the long term entertainment (gaming and movies) are highly probable offshoots of this technology.