VolksSim 2000 Modular Simulators

Systran Federal Carp., (SFC), and our subcontractor, Simpkins Design Group, (SOC) will integrate a series of primarily COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) hardware and software products and deliver and demonstrate a working helicopter simulator at the end of Phase I. The formulation of this simulator represents a single instantiation of a modular simulator concept that we conceived in 1995. We denote the helicopter simulator, the VolksSim 2000, thus stressing its economical aspects and planned widespread appeal. The~VolksSim 2000 will be driven by a dual-processor SMP (Symmetric MultiProcessor), Windows NT platform. Hosted on this will be a helicopter aero-model, soft CRT displays, a headtracking application, and hooks for expansion in Phase II. A single-seat cockpit shell (reconfigurable for Phase II expansion) with appropriate helicopter controls will be the working-end of the simulator. A top-end terrain modeling system will provide the user with unlimited scenario creativity. All operator actions, both continuous and discrete control and mode selections, will be monitored and sensed to support human performance experiments, and they will also be for time-tagged for post-test data analysis. Specific Phase II expansion concepts are proposed herein; a formal Phase II plan will be developed during Phase I using customer inputs. When delivered at the 6-month point, the VolksSim 2000 helicopter simulator will provide immediate research value to the user at Ft. Rucker, AL. Human performance data will be able to be collected and analyzed by the sponsor during the Phase I to Phase II transition.