Geospecific Displacement Maps for Real Time, Stereoscopic Training Simulation

JRM proposes a new 3D material-classified displacement-map (MCDM) approach with associated automated algorithms for rapid terrain database generation directly from geo-specific source data. The MCDMs will exploit the latest nVidia GPU displacement map shader technology for highly-realistic real-time physics-based visible/sensor simulation of high-resolution terrain insets. At the conclusion of a successful Phase II, JRM anticipates a prototype DBGS and real-time rendering system capable of supporting rapid mission planning and rehearsal requirements -- from raw satellite/GIS data sources into high-fidelity visible/sensor simulation -- in one day or less. In the phase I, JRM proposes four tasks: (1) Investigation and design of a GPU-compatible 3D MCDM data model and format; (2) Design studies of 2D/3D image/data-processing algorithms for automated production of MCDMs, and assessment/incorporation of already-available off-the-shelf tools for handling some of these tasks; (3) Design studies of stereoscopic GPU shader techniques for physics-based rendering of databases based on 3D MCDM, and (4) a Proof-of-concept Demonstration, involving automated MCDM generation of a high-res inset from 2D and 3D satellite source data, and real-time simulation of notional SAR, visible CCD, near-IR, MWIR and LWIR from that MCDM.