From: zyda@.LOCAL.cs.nps.navy.mil Subject: LAB REPORT: Summary of NPSNET Research Group Efforts Date: 10 Aug 92 21:24:15 GMT Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey CA Dear sci.virtual-worlds readers, Here is a brief summary of the largest virtual worlds research effort in Monterey County. Also attached is a brief publications list for those of you who would like more. Please go to your library for copies as I cannot run paper copies off for you (no staff support for copying). Michael Zyda August 10, 1992 The NPSNET Research Group Michael J. Zyda & David R. Pratt The NPSNET Research Group in the Department of Computer Science at the Naval Postgraduate School has the focus of producing a low-cost, visual simulator family called NPSNET. NPSNET allows the user of the system to explore a 3D virtual world of terrain databases in a wide scale networked environment. NPSNET runs on commercially available Silicon Graphics, Inc. workstations of all incarnations. NPSNET reads SIMNET terrain databases and can read/write SIMNET and DIS networking formats (current and future networking standards for DoD visual simulators). NPSNET is a development platform, i.e. the goal is to not only produce a SIMNET-compatible visual simulator but to put that system and the techniques used to build it into the public domain. Research work currently underway includes the integration of NPSNET with traditional Army combat models (Janus, and Eagle), the connection of NPSNET to the Defense Simulation Internet, the addition of dynamic terrain, the addition of aural cues to the NPSNET virtual world, the integration of a hypermedia capability (compressed video, audio, ...) into a system called HYPER-NPSNET, the addition of vehicle dynamics (air and ground), the integration of autonomous forces with NPSNET, and other tasks as requested by our reimbursable sponsors. Labor for the project is provided by MS students of the Computer Graphics and Visual Simulation Track of the Department of Computer Science. Current sponsors of the NPSNET Research Group include DARPA/ASTO, the Defense Modeling and Simulation Office (DMSO), HQDA AI Center in the Pentagon, USA Topological Engineering Center, USA Test and Experimentation Command, STRICOM, USA TRADOC Analysis Command, and the Naval Postgraduate School Direct Funding Program. NPSNET and Simulation Related Publications List Refereed Journals: Accepted Papers/Published Papers/Book Chapters [1] Zyda, Michael J., Osborne, William D., Monahan, James G. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: Real-Time Collision Detection and Response," The Journal of Visualization and Computer Animation, special issue on Simulation and Motion Control, Vol. 4, No. 1, August 1992, pp.. [2] Zyda, Michael J., Monahan, James G. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: Physically-Based Modeling Enhancements to an Object File Format," chapter in Creating and Animating the Virtual World, Editors: Nadia Magnenat Thalmann and Daniel Thalmann, Publisher: Springer-Verlag Tokyo, 1992, pp. 35-52. Appearances/Participation in/on Videotape & Live Demonstrations [3] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: LHD-1 Landing Script," on ACM SIGGRAPH Video Review, Vol. 70, July 1992, entitled "Visualization Software: The State of the Art,". The video segment shows a brief clip of NPSNET animating the landing of an LHD-1. [4] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: A 3D Visual Simulator for Virtual World Exploration and Experience," demonstrated in the Tomorrow's Realities Gallery, SIGGRAPH '91, Las Vegas, 28 Jul - 2 Aug 1991. The presentation at SIGGRAPH was a live demonstration showing the NPSNET system running networked over three IRIS workstations. This was a juried/reviewed gallery. An abstract and short paper were published on this exhibit (see below). [5] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David "Zydaville," on ACM SIGGRAPH Video Review, Vol. 60, August 1990, entitled "HDTV & The Quest for Virtual Reality". The video segment shows our NPSNET system and a brief interview of Professor Zyda. Conferences: Accepted Papers/Published Papers [6] Pratt, David R., Zyda, Michael J., Mackey, Randy L., and Falby, John S. "NPSNET: A Networked Vehicle Simulator with Hierarchical Data Structures," in the Proceedings of the IMAGE VI Conference, Scottsdale, Arizona, 14 - 17 July 1992. [7] Zyda, Michael J., Pratt, David R., Monahan, James G. and Wilson, Kalin P. "NPSNET: Constructing a 3D Virtual World," in Computer Graphics, Special Issue on the 1992 Symposium on Interactive 3D Graphics, MIT Media Laboratory, 29 March - 1 April 1992, pp. 147-156. [8] Brutzman, Donald P., Kanayama, Yutaka and Zyda, Michael J. "Integrated Simulation for Rapid Development of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles," Proceedings of the 1992 Symposium on Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Technology, Washington, DC, June 2-3, 1992, pp 3-10. [9] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: A 3D Visual Simulator for Virtual World Exploration and Experience," short paper in Tomorrow's Realities, July 1991, pp. 30 (Note: This is a short paper contained in the gallery catalog. This paper is different than the abstract below of the same title.) [10] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: A 3D Visual Simulator for Virtual World Exploration and Experience," abstract in Computer Graphics, Vol. 25, No. 4, July 1991, pp. 383. Invited Papers [11] Zyda, Michael J., and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET Digest: A Look at A 3D Visual Simulator for Virtual World Exploration and Experimentation," in the Proceedings of the 1992 EFDPMA Conference on Virtual Reality, Washington, DC, June 1-2, 1992. [12] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David R. "NPSNET: A 3D Visual Simulator for Virtual World Exploration and Experimentation," 1991 SID International Symposium Digest of Technical Papers, Volume XXII, 8 May 1991, pp. 361-364. [13] Zyda, Michael J. and Pratt, David "3D Visual Simulation as Workstation Exhaustion," Proceedings of Ausgraph 90, Melbourne, Australia, 10 - 14 September 1990, pp. 313-328. Currently Submitted Papers: Journals & Conferences [14] Wilson, Kalin P., Zyda, Michael J., and Pratt, David R. "NPSGDL: An Object Oriented Graphics Description Language for Virtual World Application Support," submitted to the Third Eurographics Workshop on Object-Oriented Graphics, Champery, Switzerland, 28 - 30 October 1992 (paper submitted 14 May 1992). [15] Cooke, Joseph M., Zyda, Michael J., Pratt, David R. and McGhee, Robert B. "NPSNET: Flight Simulation Dynamic Modeling Using Quaternions," submitted to Presence, 30 April 92. [16] Zyda, Michael J., Pratt, David R., Monahan, James G. and Cecil, Carl P. "NPSNET-MES: Semi-Automated Forces Integration," submitted to Computers & Graphics, March 1992. [17] Zyda, Michael J., West, Phillip D., Monahan, James G. and Pratt, David R., "NPSNET: Object Animation Script Interpretation System," submitted to Computers & Graphics, 28 February 1992, undergoing revision 7 August 1992. [18] Zyda, Michael J., Pratt, David R., Falby, John S. and Mackey, Randy L. "NPSNET: Hierarchical Data Structures for Real-Time Three-Dimensional Visual Simulation," submitted to Computers & Graphics, 28 Feb 1992, undergoing revision 7 August 1992. [19] Zyda, Michael J., Wilson, Kalin P., Pratt, David R. and Monahan, James G. "NPSOFF: An Object Description Language for Supporting Virtual World Construction," submitted to Computers & Graphics, 30 October 1991, undergoing revision 7 August 1992. Significant Mentions of Our Research [20] Kelleher, Kristen "In the Belly of the Entertainment Beast," Mondo 2000, Issue 8, sometime in 1992. [21] Marsan, Carolyn Duffy "Navy School Makes Virtual Reality Fly," Federal Computer Week, Vol. 5, No. 24, August 12, 1991, pp. 3, 8, 11. [22] Belleville, Laureen and LoPiccolo, Phil "Tomorrow's Realities Are Here Today," SIGGRAPH Show Daily, Wednesday, 31 July 1991, pp. 4-5, Publisher - Computer Graphics World. Technical Memoranda and Working Papers [23] Locke, John, Pratt, David R., and Zyda, Michael J. "Integrating SIMNET with NPSNET Using a Mix of Silicon Graphics and Sun Workstations," working paper to conference on the Interoperability of Defense Simulators, Orlando, Florida, 17 - 19 March 1992. [24] Pratt, D.R. and Zyda, M.J. "Some Comments on SDIS Version 3.0," working paper for sponsor, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, August 1990. [25] Pratt, D.R. and Zyda, M.J. "Report on the Use of SIMNET Encoded Data for the Storage of On Ground Features," working paper for sponsor, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, June 1990. [26] Pratt, D.R., Dulle, J.D. and Zyda, M.J. "Report on the Development of a Simple 3D Simulator Using SIMNET Encoded Data," working paper for sponsor, Department of Computer Science, Naval Postgraduate School, April 1990.