Multimedia Interactive Drilling Assistant Systems (MIDAS)

50218-98-I Multimedia Interactive Drilling Assistant Systems (MIDAS)--Knowledge Based Systems, Inc., P.O. Box 9930, College Station, TX 77842-7930; (409) 260-5274 Dr. Arthur Keen, Principal Investigator Mrs. G. Renee Hisaw, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-98ER82605 Amount: $74,952 Oil field drilling operations used today are extremely complex, hazardous, expensive and risky. As a result, quality training tools are needed for drilling engineers and technicians, as are decision support tools that will help mitigate potential problems encountered during drilling operations. To develop these tools, this project will leverage state-of-the-art technology available in the areas of modeling and simulation, emulation, Internet, Virtual Reality (VR)-based human-computer interface, immersive displays, and the powerful hardware and software available to deliver multimedia, immersive training material to drilling personnel. The primary goal of Phase I is to develop a prototype Multimedia Interactive Drilling Assistant System (MIDAS) and demonstrate its applicability as a multimedia training tool for oil-field personnel. Phase I will result in the initial design and prototype and will also address the issues related to a Phase II implementation. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The well drilling industry spent nearly $11 Billion in 1997 in drilling-related costs. This industry can realize big cost savings by significantly reducing training costs, improving productivity, and increasing the safety of the human operators and oil wells by using MIDAS technology._