Total Immersion Gets $12M for RealWorld Simulation Prototype
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Total Immersion Software (TIS) in Alameda, CA received a $12 million modification to a previously awarded contract for development of the RealWorld Transition program, which enables soldiers to carry out mission-specific simulations using a laptop computer.
Sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the RealWorld Program uses technology innovation to provide soldiers with the ability to open a laptop computer and create a mission-specific simulation in a relevant geo-specific 3-D world. The program is intended to overcome problems with current simulation programs – they are time consuming to set up, expensive to buy, and require graduate-level expertise in computer programming. RealWorld is intended to remove these barriers and, for the first time, put the tactical advantage of real-time simulation into the hands of frontline troops.
DID has more on the RealWorld system, including a link to a sample RealWorld scenario…
In May, DARPA Acting Director Robert Leheny told a U.S. House Armed Services Committee panel that the Real World program is benefitting U.S. troops in the following way:
“DARPA’s RealWorld program will let U.S. troops rehearse missions using a laptop on which they can build their own mission simulations quickly and easily. They will be able to build simulations, without programmers, saving a tremendous amount of time, money, and manpower while getting better tailored simulations. Hundreds of beta copies of RealWorld have been distributed within DoD and to other Federal agencies. It is being widely evaluated, including in theater, and is being used to train all U.S. Air Force electronic warfare officers and A-10C pilots. RealWorld is used in the Marine Corps’ Infantry Immersion Trainer, by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency for chem-bio dispersion simulation, and by the Air Force for UAV simulations. RealWorld technology is being used in a SEAL Delivery Vehicle trainer and an AC-130 sensor operator station trainer.”
For a sample RealWorld scenario, check out TIS’ RealWorld site.
TIS will perform the work on the RealWorld system in Alameda, CA (36%); Austin, TX (36%); Hampton, VA (25%); and San Antonio, TX (3%), and expects to complete the work in June 2011. DARPA issued a solicitation in FedBizOpps on Feb 8/05, and over 100 proposals were received for the original contract (HR0011-06-9-0004).
