SDS International has been awarded a contract by Geneva Aerospace, Inc. to support an Office of Naval Research (ONR) funded Broad Area Announcement (BAA) focusing on advanced “See and Avoid” techniques for UAV applications. Work for this effort (which will be performed by SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division, Orlando, Florida) will focus on providing improved situational awareness for UAV operators through enhanced visualization that will be demonstrated through an actual flight test program. Under a previous effort, SDS provided synthetic vision capabilities for use on successful flight test demonstrations of Geneva’s UAV. Under this effort, SDS will augment that synthetic visualization system with UAV sensor information to provide realistic overlays of detected airborne objects along with additional target information provided through off-board sensors. Specific tasks include creating a high-resolution visual database of the flight test area, providing advanced symbology to improve “See and Avoid” techniques, and creating 3D models to augment UAV control functions. SDS’ visualization will be an integral part of the scheduled flight tests under this BAA effort.

SDS International has been awarded a Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant by the Air Force Research Laboratory to investigate symbologies and optimum pilot/vehicle interfaces for Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD) for use on non-Head-Up-Display (HUD) aircraft. The research will build upon Phase I efforts to design symbology, evaluate operational utility of human/machine interface, and display the symbology on a HMD. Work will be performed by SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division, Orlando, Florida.

 

SDS’s LiteFlite™ Reconfigurable Simulation Testbed will continue to be used during Phase II.

 

In Phase I, the Testbed was used to help define human performance requirements associated with aircraft HUDs; determine feasibility of replacing HUDs with HMD technology; optimize symbology for use with off-boresight weapons; and develop preliminary HMD pilot interface designs. Phase II efforts will concentrate on refining Phase I designs, producing a prototype based upon those designs, and performing a comparative demonstration and evaluation of the HMD-based no-HUD aircraft interface for air-to-air, air-to-ground, and navigation flight phases using current HUD-equipped aircraft performance as the baseline performance measure. The end product will include a detailed requirements definition document and refined design code.

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, September 30, 2002—Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation (NASDAQ: ESCC) and SDS International, Inc. today announced that SDS's AAcuity™ PC-IG Software now includes direct support for simFUSION® products, including the new 5000 series. Combining the capabilities of simFUSION and AAcuity software delivers performance previously found only in more expensive, proprietary workstations because AAcuity enables users to combine multiple simFUSION IGs to drive one channel. The result is unprecedented power and performance in a PC visual system.

 

With AAcuity running on simFUSION products, developers and end users will have the ability to utilize state-of-the-art graphics features, including a full range of solutions from single GPU board products to multi-GPU, multi-board configurations of their applications, greatly increasing overall performance per channel for single/multi-channel configurations. AAcuity, which uses Sync-Wire technology to synchronize the host with the IG, provides increased GigaPixel fill rates while providing realistic visual training environments. The combination of E&S simFUSION hardware with SDS AAcuity provides a premiere low-cost, PC-based system for real-time application development, simulation, visualization, and sensor applications.

 

"Offering the power of simFUSION with the advanced capabilities of AAcuity provides our customers with a comprehensive PC simulation solution," said David Fluegeman, E&S Sales and New Business Development vice president. "We are excited about AAcuity's direct support for our simFUSION products and GigaPixel technology."

 

"We are very excited to combine the capabilities of our software with the Evans & Sutherland simFUSION hardware. The unique hardware capabilities of simFUSION and the flexibility and power of AAcuity offer superior combinations not previously available in the vis/sim market," said Ed Bryan, General Manager of SDS's Advanced Technologies Division.

 

About Evans & Sutherland

Evans & Sutherland produces professional hardware and software to create highly realistic visual images for simulation, training, engineering, and other applications throughout the world. E&S visual systems are used in both military and commercial systems, as well as planetariums and interactive theaters. Visit the E&S Web site at www.es.com.

 

About SDS International, Inc.

Founded in April 1991, SDS International, Inc. (Arlington, VA) is a leading supplier of affordable, high-performance software products and services for real-time 3D graphics visualization, real-time 3D model development, real-time image generation, and simulation development. S DS develops and sells its innovative software products for computer generated graphics to government agencies such as military (USN, USMC, USA, USAF), aerospace (NASA, Commercial Primes), other defense, and commercial industries.

 

The AAcuity software product portfolio includes:

 

AAcuity PC-IG Software with Load Management and Dynamic Database Paging

 

Myriad-Multi-Channel-Sync, Visual/Sensor Interface Protocol, Particle Special-Effects, and Physics-Based Sensor Special Effects

 

ShAAdow-Buffer™ Soft-Edge Blending and Digital Warping

 

Real-World 3D Entity Models and Photo-Realistic, Geo-Specific Terrains

 

3D Stealth; and LiteFliteTM Reconfigurable Flight Simulator

 

SDS software supports Windows2000, WinXP, operating systems-based platforms and provides the highest-performance and most realistic visualizations/sensors required by the visual simulation markets. For more information about AAcuity products, visit www.sdslink.com, or call 407-282-4432 ext 101.

 

E&S and simFUSION are trademarks or registered trademarks of Evans & Sutherland Computer Corporation, Salt Lake City, Utah. AAcuity, ShAAdow Buffer, and LiteFlite are trademarks of SDS International, Inc. All other trade names or marks are the properties of their respective owners.

SDS International has been awarded a Phase I small business innovative research (SBIR) grant by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide a limited proof of concept regarding the feasibility of externally measuring the mass properties and Attitude Control System functional state for Resident Space Objects (RSO). Work for this Phase I SBIR (performed by SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division, Orlando, Florida) will focus on the design and development of the capability to remotely diagnose satellite subsystem operations and provide satellite analysts with a platform for modeling both cooperative and non-cooperative RSO. Throughout this effort, SDS will build upon its work under a separate AFRL contract to develop a prototype ground control training simulation station for a Space Maneuver Vehicle (SMV) which incorporates functionalities from SDS’s LiteFlite™ reconfigurable simulator and the emerging Space Operations Simulator (SOpsSim). The results of this SBIR will support technology development for on-orbit satellite maintenance and servicing, and will provide increased space situational awareness.

SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division, Orlando, Florida, announced the availability of the new AAcuity-Digital-Video-Combiner (AAcuity-DVCTM) Product Line for Digital Fusion of Multiple PC Image Generators (IG) into Single Display Devices.

 

AAcuity-DVCTM digitally fuses tiles, stripes, or columns for a seamless presentation on a single display device (e.g., monitors, flat panels, projectors [CRT, LCD, DLP, LCOS]). This divide-and-conquer methodology translates to each PC-IG doing Full-Screen-Anti-Aliasing (FSAA) of only a fraction of the final display area. DVC technology also overcomes pixel fill limitations of COTS graphics boards. For example, in a quad arrangement with an overall 1600x1200 FSAA single channel display, each COTS graphics board does 800x600 FSAA with all the polygon and pixel fill power applied to one-fourth the Field-Of-View (FOV).

 

AAcuity-DVCTM presents an entirely new business model for the visual simulation community. Low cost COTS PCs can now be digitally fused to achieve unprecedented performance levels and provide previously unavailable features, all at a fraction of the cost of traditional big-box IG’s and custom PC-IG’s.

AAcuityTM was originally developed to allow military and commercial customers to replace the IG portion of their simulations and operational displays without altering their hosts, displays or projectors. AAcuity-DVCTM continues this successful strategy for protecting customers' existing investments, while providing a revolutionary leap to the highest fidelity, highest density visual and sensor databases ever developed for visual simulations.

 

The base AAcuity-DVCTM product is a Quad arrangement of state-of-the-art Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) dual processor PCs capable of supporting real-time application of Ultra-High-Resolution Visual Databases. SDS is now taking orders for 3rd quarter delivery of the AAcuity-DVCTM product line.

Additional versions of the AAcuity-DVCTM product line, which are already in test, will drive next generation 5,000x4,000 pixel displays and enhanced target identification features. AAcuity-DVCTM technologies are patent pending and trademarked under the SDS AAcuityTM product line.

SDS International has been awarded a Phase I small business innovative research (SBIR) grant by the Air Force Research Laboratory to develop, implement, and evaluate a scenario-based, distributed training system to enhance decision-skills training for geographically distributed teams. Work for this Phase I SBIR (performed by SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division, Orlando, Florida) will focus on the design and development of a prototype “Decision Skills Web Module” aimed at exploring the feasibility of -- and exploiting team participation in -- scenario-based distance training to enhance problem-solving and decision-making skills. The resulting decision skills training system will have applications for any endeavor that requires rapid set-up and coordination of multiple teams performing a common mission. As such, SDS will focus Phase I activities on community-level Emergency Response Teams (including fire, police, hazardous materials, and medical) during emergency response situations. SDS will perform cognitive analyses to identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences required for competent mission performance, followed by providing a feasibility design of an appropriate distance/decision training system.

SDS International has been awarded a Phase I small business innovative research (SBIR) grant by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Warfighter Training Research Division to focus on Cognitive Demands of Warfighter Readiness. This Phase I SBIR (performed by SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division, Orlando, Florida) will focus on developing a set of targeted planning skills that contribute most heavily to effective combat mission planning for aviators, developing training interventions designed to develop those cognitive skills, and evaluating the impacts of those interventions on subsequent mission planning performance. Tasks will include reviewing existing Distributed Mission Training (DMT) and mission planning/replanning reports, interviewing DMT participants, and conducting cognitive analyses. The Phase I will conclude with the development of a feasibility concept design for training interventions designed to take advantage of DMT capabilities to develop critical mission preparation and replanning skills.

SDS International (SDS) has been awarded a contract to provide scientific and technical support services to the USMC Deployable Virtual Training Environment (DVTE) program. Under this contract, SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division in Orlando, Florida will assist the USMC Training and Education Command (TECOM) in the technical development and proof of concept for DVTE. The DVTE will provide enhanced shipboard operational training simulators on amphibious ships for embarked Marines. The DVTE will be capable of simulating operations across the full spectrum of conflict – Operations Other Than War (OOTW), amphibious operations, and maritime special operations including reconnaissance and surveillance; specialized demolitions; tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP); seizure and recovery of off-shore oil facilities; seizure and recovery of personnel and material; and boarding, searching, and seizure of vessels. The DVTE strategy is to adapt evolving training systems, using DoD high level architecture (HLA), into a federated system of training systems, to be deployed aboard amphibious ships. The DVTE will also integrate other key models to generate the operational environment in which the marines will train and operate. The goal of this program is to significantly improve the warfighting readiness of deployed Marines through sustainment training of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF).

SDS International (SDS), teamed with the DCS Corporation, has been awarded a contract to accomplish full-immersion night vision goggle (NVG) simulation for the US Army Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation Command (STRICOM). Under this contract, SDS International’s Advanced Technologies Division in Orlando, Florida will perform the software and hardware development necessary to integrate upgraded physics-based night vision goggle (NVG) simulated visuals with STRICOM Nvidia hardware providing realistic night vision scenes necessary for effective NVG training. To assure full-immersion and realistic NVG training, SDS will add noise to the simulation scenes, modify McKenna and Fort Polk terrain databases by adding blooming properties to light sources, and insure NVG focusing and auto gain adjustments are included in NVG simulations. The results of this effort will provide the US Army with simulated NVG scenes closely replicating actual NVG operations allowing realistic training of forces worldwide.