NAWCAD to use VT MÄK’s Link, Simulation and Visualization Products for UAS and Autonomy Research

The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has selected VT MÄK’s link, simulation, and visualization products for the HCIL’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Human-Computer Interaction RDT&E Environment for Autonomy Integration. The VT MÄK (MÄK) suite of tools includes VR-Forces, B-HAVE, VR-Vantage, VR-Link, the MÄK RTI, and the MÄK Data Logger.

MÄK products provide the robust M&S environment and scenario-creation capability required for the lab’s UAS mission simulations. VR-Forces is the engine for flexible scenario generation and implements semi-automated forces, such as soldiers, vehicles, and aircraft; B-HAVE, a module for VR-Forces, enables users to create complex “Patterns of Life,” that allow the semi-automated forces to follow context-sensitive patterns, providing more complex and realistic behaviors. VR-Vantage, MÄK’s visualization solution, drives the tactical displays and simulates electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) sensor feeds. VR-Link and the MÄK RTI distribute mission simulations across networks and the MÄK Data Logger captures measures of performance (MOPs) and measures of effectiveness (MOEs) for analysis and design evaluation. The MÄK tools are open architecture, come with a perpetual license, and allow for a high-degree of extensibility.

The goal of the UAS HCI RDT&E Environment for Autonomy Integration is to assess and compare man-machine performance for developmental, autonomy-enhanced UAS HMIs in various mission scenarios, including surveillance, maritime patrol, battle management, and penetrating strike profiles. The project aims to establish a flexible partnership between the operator and the intelligent system that leverages the strengths of each to enhance the total system capability. This will ultimately expand the role of automation to reduce operator workload and minimize crew complement, to control unmanned vehicles, to broaden mission capabilities for future requirements, and to improve decision-making in the initial stages of the system development life cycle.

Jim Kogler, Director of COTS Products at VT MÄK commented “MÄK is pleased to add NAWCAD to the list of companies that have found our flexible simulation and interoperability tools to be enablers for their RDT&E projects.”