Advanced Special Operations Planning and Rehearsal Parachute Simulation Database Generation

The purpose of this project is to develop user-friendly mission planning and rehearsal tools for a low-cost PC based parachute maneuvering simulator. The current version of this simulator has a head-mounted display (virtual reality) and high resolution, textured graphics. It is in use at several military installations for teaching and practicing flight control, navigation and equipment malfunctions procedures. To plan and rehearse specific missions, a swift, straight-forward, affordable procedure must be developed to incorporate digitized real-world data such as terrain, physical features, and coordinated wind fields influencing parachute aerodynamics into a simulation scenario. In Phase I we will develop a process and evaluate the relevant tools for data base generation that will allow average military users to quickly and conveniently prepare parachute simulator visual scenes and wind fields representing realistic situations for mission planning and rehearsal fidelity. The key design criteria are: a) 48hour data turnaround; b) worldwide coverage, c) geodetic and meteorological accuracy; d) real time simulation utility. In Phase II, we will integrate these tools into a working ensemble, including any necessary automation or software, create terrain-correlated empirical wind models, and develop a complete syllabus for training users in the database generation process.