Serious Simulations, in partnership with Bohemia Interactive Simulations, demonstrated their untethered real time human motion dismounted training simulator at I/ITSEC 2018.
Click on link to see the video
ORLANDO, Fla. (USA) — Serious Simulations, an Orlando-based, Veteran-owned simulation company, will join Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), a global developer of advanced military simulation and training software, at BISim’s booth (#2235) during I/ITSEC 2018 to demonstrate new software that enables motion capture and other tracking technologies to utilize natural human motion to animate the avatars in a VBS experience, in real time.
Serious Simulations leveraged technology from IKINEMA Ltd, a world leader in Motion Capture data processing, to build the plug-in that integrates the IKINEMA solver to the various versions of VBS3 software. The new technology for VBS3 is called Serious ArtIKulations™, which uses human motion tracking data (via optically tracked rigid bodies) to control the motions of a trainee’s avatar in VBS3. The initial version uses 6 DOF, sub-millimeter accurate Motion Capture data tracked directly from the natural human motion of the trainee via lightweight passive reflective markers or active LED markers to animate the trainee’s avatar. Serious ArtIKulations accomplishes full avatar motion in real time by blending the optical tracking data seamlessly with some VBS3 avatar animation data of the lower body.
“In real-time, interactive tactical training such as a squad’s task of clearing a building, you need to be able to track a human trainees’ movements and immediately articulate the VBS3 avatar’s movement to reflect the actual movements of the human being trained,” said Chris Chambers, Serious Simulations’ CEO. “Infantry squads practicing tactical maneuvers use different communications methods including hand and arm signals that make motion tracking critical for effective training. We track selected points on the actual upper body and use an Inverse Kinematics Solver to calculate other body part positions which greatly improves simulation efficiency and reduces latency.”
Serious ArtIKulations™ is available for use with VBS3 v18.3 and has been tested with VBS STE, part of BISim’s new technology suite which combines an enhance VBS simulation engine with VBS Blue whole-earth rendering.
“Serious Simulations’ Serious ArtIKulations™ technology helps fill a critical training gap for dismounted infantry training,” said Pete Morrison, BISim’s Co-CEO. “With the growing emphasis on VR and AR for use in training within the mil-sim domain and the advent of more affordable consumer VR peripherals, the ability to accurately capture and reflect realistic human movement will help increase immersion and improve training.”
Individual and group real-time animation with weapons will be supported in Serious ArtIKulations™. Upcoming versions will expand the capabilities to other tracking systems and provide for user-driven customizations, such as the number, type, and location of markers.
About Bohemia Interactive Simulations
Founded in 2001, Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) is a global software company at the forefront of simulation and training solutions for defense and civilian organizations. Our mission is to harness the explosive potential of technology to revolutionize training and simulation. BISim utilizes the latest game-based technology and a large, experienced in-house team of engineers to develop high-fidelity, cost-effective training and simulation software products and components for defense applications.
About Serious Simulations
Serious Simulations LLC, an Orlando-based Veteran Owned simulation business, designs immersive training systems using custom made hardware and software components for specific skill training needs, combined with motion tracking systems, wireless communications devices, wireless display technologies and commercial game engines. It produces wireless video technology and wireless head/helmet mounted displays (HMDs) with very high resolutions and wide fields of view. The industry-leading wireless HMDs, and wireless VR add-ons, are available separately or as components of Serious Simulations’ professional grade VR training systems for military, police, emergency responders, and professional grade entertainment experiences. The company is a partner in the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) network. For more information, visit our web site at www.serioussimulations.com
Nearly 20 years ago, when Christopher Chambers was still an officer in the U.S. Army, he helped develop one of the world’s first “serious games” – video games that serve a purpose beyond entertainment.
Chambers at that time was the deputy director for the Army Game Project, leading product development, distribution, public relations and marketing. He took that experience and in 2014, founded Serious Simulations LLC, which designs and makes human motion-based, virtual-reality (VR) training
devices. The firm, which leads the world in individual and small group simulator technology, has clients that include military personnel, as well as law enforcement officials, emergency responders, commercial/industrial workers, athletes, and for individual/group professional training.
The realistic, wireless, easily moveable simulators enable full psychological immersion and unhindered human physical motion, which means individuals can train in their duty gear. The simulators and related components are designed to be wireless and light so the users can have the actual tools of the trade, such as weapons, fire nozzles, footballs and helmets. The firm also is developing ways to overcome simulation motion sickness, helping encourage wider public acceptance and long-term use of VR.
The firm’s systems also feature:
Additionally, the firm’s Zero-Fram Latency Wireless VR Processor can help process visual images more than a thousand times faster than the human brain.
“Our current technology is four years in the making, with seven patents awarded or pending, and numerous other innovations and intellectual property developed,” said Chambers, the firm’s CEO. “Accomplishing professional training in areas or tasks that are too dangerous, expensive or take place in currently denied access areas — for example enemy territory, buildings or places constantly in use or too far away — while enabling instant feedback, instant resets and the cost advantages of more effective training in less time.”
In fact, the firm in August debuted an industry first at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week: a wireless VR helmet mounted display for elite football quarterback training. The first unit was created for Colorado-based Sports Virtual Training Systems, which is bringing VR simulation to professional and collegiate football. The first system focuses on training pro quarterbacks, but can be altered for elite college and professional players in all positions.
Serious Simulations was chosen as one of Orlando Business Journal’s 2018 Innovations in Technology Awards honorees.
Here’s more from Chambers on the company’s tech:
How does your innovation help your customers? Current and target customers include military, first responders, elite athletes, heavy industry, and even location-based entertainment/theme park clients. These customers all demand more realistic and immersive experiences to achieve the best training outcomes possible.
What sparked that idea for you? At the Army Game Project, we produced in-house a video game for the purpose of Army strategic messaging and recruiting, and then expanded the franchise to Xbox, mobile and arcade games. I deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom, and returned to the America’s Army team with a new self-imposed mission to help in the war effort. We quickly dual-purposed our game code to support training and simulation. We built simulations to train soldiers on robots and weapons that were so new, they were introduced directly into the combat theaters with only limited paper-based training packages. Our game-based training was far superior and efficient. This experience sparked my belief that video game technology actually saves and improves lives, more so now, when it is coupled with virtual- and augmented-reality technology in immersive simulators.
How does it impact Central Florida’s economy? We are adding to the reputation of Orlando as “Simulation Valley,” the epicenter of simulation industry. We currently engage approximately a dozen individuals, and team with many small and large companies pursuing government and civilian programs that can bring in hundreds of millions of dollars.
What was your biggest misstep when trying to get that idea going? We tended to concentrate too much effort on one person’s or company’s shoulders, which created a situation ripe for delays and failures. We try now, wherever possible, to spread out our needs over several individuals and firms.
What was your proudest moment in bringing that idea to fruition? I get a feeling of pride whenever a person puts on our wireless VR headset that features human peripheral vision and crystal clear optics, and they say “I’ve never seen anything like this before.” I’m equally proud when a world-class defense prime contractor comes by for a presentation and says “Very impressive. You have accomplished an amazing amount in a short period of time.”
Your advice to other tech innovators: Stay confident and committed. Be mentally prepared for a long haul. Nothing worth doing happens fast or easy.
About Serious Simulations LLC …
Innovative idea: Completely realistic, wireless, easily moveable simulators enabling full psychological immersion and unhindered human physical motion
Time it took to execute the idea: Four years
Investment: $3 million-plus, mostly in internal technology development
Employees involved in getting it implemented: 30
Headquarters: OrlandoI
Industry: Modeling and simulation
Anjali Fluker
Associate Managing Editor
Orlando Business Journal
Canton, OH (July 30, 2018) – Orlando-based Serious Simulations has delivered another industry first – a unique wireless virtual reality helmet mounted display (VR HMD) for professional football training.
The first unit was created for Colorado based Sports Virtual Training Systems, an innovative company bringing VR simulation to professional and collegiate football.
The ground breaking VR system for training pro football quarterbacks, debuted at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Week on July 30, 2018.
The custom made, helmet mounted display (HMD) is based on Serious Simulations’ award winning design known as the PVID Pro, which is a wireless VR display with wide enough field of view to support human peripheral vision.
Chris Chambers, CEO of Serious Simulations (left) delivers the first football wireless HMD to Ted Sundquist, CEO of Sports Virtual Training Systems (right) at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Serious Simulations has two patents pending in its ground breaking techniques for wireless virtual reality displays, which deliver 3D imagery to the displays wirelessly in near real time using millimeter wave radio transmissions. The technology for the Helmet Mounted Display was originated for training US Army Infantrymen and Law Enforcement officers, so that they could be completely untethered and have a more realistic experience. The integration of wireless VR with a pro football helmet makes it the only such visual system available for simulation training for football quarterbacks.
Ted Sundquist, founder and CEO of QB Sim stated “Our quarterback VR simulator represents a brand new approach to Pro-level sports training. Key to our simulator’s success is the integration of the latest technology in the marketplace. Serious Simulations provides us the best and only wireless HMD with true human peripheral vision, custom fit to an actual professional football helmet. This technology gives us one more innovative feature that benefits our customers.”
Chris Chambers, CEO of Serious Simulations, wearing the Pro Football Wireless VR HMD at the Hall of Fame Enshrinement event, where it debuted
“Professional training for skills that require extensive human motion require an untethered approach, without sacrificing quality or putting up with unnatural latency”, said Chris Chambers, founder of Serious Simulations. “The technology we developed for our untethered Infantry and Police simulators has a parallel home in all types of active professional training. We have been honored to work with Sports VTS and will continue to provide them the cutting edge products they need.”
# # #
For more information media should contact –
Christopher Chambers, Serious Simulations, 407-538-1927, cchambers@serioussimulations.com
About Serious Simulations, LLC: Serious Simulations LLC, an Orlando based Veteran Owned simulation business, designs immersive training systems using custom made hardware and software components for specific skill training needs, combined with motion tracking systems, wireless communications devices, wireless display technologies and commercial game engines. It produces wireless video technology and wireless head/helmet mounted displays (HMDs) with very high resolutions and wide fields of view. The industry-leading wireless HMDs, and wireless VR add-ons, are available separately or as components of Serious Simulations’ professional grade VR training systems for military, police, emergency responders, and professional grade entertainment experiences. The company is a partner in the Open Source Virtual Reality (OSVR) network. For more information, visit our web site at www.serioussimulations.com . Inquiries: info@serioussimulations.com.
About Sports VTS: Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, Sports Virtual Training Systems, Inc. (Sports VTS) is revolutionizing the world of sports training with its proprietary technology that creates Simulated Reality training experiences, allowing athletes to combine real world repetitions within the immersive environment of VR. QBSIM, the first product from Sports VTS, is the only simulation solution that allows a quarterback to train by passing a real football into virtual reality. The platform leverages sports science, big data, and state of the art technologies to help players maximize performance by learning faster through a focus on neuro-recognition of patterns and minimization of injury risk.
U.S. Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) and Congressman Jack Bergman (R-MI), House Armed Services Committee, visiting Serious Simulations as part of their survey of modelling and simulation capabilities in Florida.
67 Years of GOOD DESIGN® – the oldest and the most prestigious Global Awards Program for Design Excellence and Design Innovation
For six decades since its inception, The Chicago Athenaeum continues the organisation of the program to create an awareness about contemporary design and to honor both products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace. Good Design® was founded in Chicago in 1950 by Edgar Kaufmann, Jr., Eero Saarinen, and Charles and Ray Eames. Mort Goldsholl also created the iconic Good Design logo in 1950.
The emphasis of the GOOD DESIGN® program is on quality design of the highest form, function, and aesthetics a standard beyond ordinary consumer products and graphics. The Chicago Athenaeum’s GOOD DESIGN® program forwards the ideals of a design process that embodies product excellence and endurance and strong public identity.
The Peripheral Vision Immersive Display (PVID Pro) is a Virtual Reality (VR) headset which is breaking new ground in design and performance, and arguably provides the most realistic VR experience to date.
The PVID Pro is a professional grade electronic display headset, and is designed primarily for military, industrial or other professional VR-based serious training, as well as world class VR entertainment experiences in theme parks and other venues.
The technology comprising the PVID Pro is unique, and is the world’s first and only wireless, extremely wide field of view, high resolution head mounted display in a rugged yet attractive package. Dual 1920×1080 displays with high grade optical lenses enable a 130 degree field of view, allowing true human peripheral vision in the virtual world, and stereoscopic overlap of lenses for true 3D virtual graphics.
Most importantly, the headset is completely wireless, thanks to Serious Simulations’ proprietary technology, which reduces latency to mere microseconds, for a very realistic experience including full and unencumbered human movement.
The headgear tightens quickly and snugly with just one adjustment knob, fitting virtually any person’s head. The headset has built-in LED light strips which serve a variety of functions in training or entertainment, including visual signals to inform the operators/instructors of the users’ place in the scenario so that they may assist or interact with the user.
The full headset flips up easily to allow the user to have eye to eye conversations in the real world, or just take a breaks. Another innovation is a very open bottom to the unit. This lack of a full enclosure allows individuals to subconsciously reference the actual ground which helps immensely in warding off disorientation or “simulator sickness”. It also enables users’ to see their actual hands and feet when needed.
The PVID Pro exhibits a space age look, while maintaining low weight by utilization of carbon fiber, which is unique in the industry to date.
The PVID Pro VR Headset is truly an unprecedented innovation in Virtual Reality. It was designed by Peter Solomon Design and Serious Simulations.
Our product’s design award link is: https://chi-athenaeum.org/electronics-2017/2017/12/12/pvid-pro-2016-2017/
Recent Comments