User Interaction Tools Supporting Collaborative Applications in Immersive Virtual Environments

The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of a hierarchical component based motion driving simulator inside of TACOM's CAVE environment. Realtime Technologies, Inc. real-time vehicle dynamics software will be integrated with a smallcommercial motion base and TACOM's CAVE visual display system and audio components to create a complete driving simulator. Introducing a motion base into a CAVE environment presents several technical challenges which has not been addressed previously.These include 1) head tracking with the motion base operational 2) latency issues in the visual display due to high rate head motion generated by the motion base 3) motion washout issues with a fixed screen display.The use of Realtime TechnologiesSimCreator product for development and integration will speed the integration process and maximize real-time performance.Easy to develop, accurate, real-time, simulation systems can increase the world-wide competitiveness of US automotive and aerospacecompanies. CAVE style visualization environments are used extensively for vehicle design. Extending these systems to support full vehicle simulation with motion will enhance their effectiveness.The integrated vehicle simulator can be marketed for bothmilitary and commercial research customers. Since the simulator can be rapidly reconfigured using SimCreator to address a variety of research questions the potential market is very broad. In addition the individual cueing systems such as the controlloading and motion systems can be marketed for use is a wide range of commercial simulators. The motion base's small size lends itself to use with systems such as the CAVE.