Collaborative Computer-Based Training - Dynamic Simulations

JANUS is currently researching and developing the next generation of computer-based training systems. These will add considerable dynamic and collaborative capabilities to the VENT system, allowing students to interact and train with the equipment in simulated scenarios in real-time, with or without the observation and input of an instructor.

The collaborative training capabilities are added through two new components and some additional capabilities to the existing student VENT. The VENT engine gains a network interface that allows high-level training events to be sent over the network. For example, when a particular piece of equipment has been configured and brought on-line, a collaborative training scenario could be configured to send out a notification that the status of that piece of equipment has gone from red to yellow to green. If at a later time, the battery on the equipment fails, either due to elapsed time or due to an instructor-injected failure for training purposes, the status of the equipment in the student VENT would move to red.

The first additional component to the system is an Instructor Console and Server (ICS). The ICS maintains a logical model of the system-level interactions in the scenario, an equipment and system status matrix to track the progress of each student in the collaborative scenario, a logical view of the scenario, a virtual classroom manager/scenario builder to help the instructor fill the spots for each scenario with students who need or want to complete the scenario, and a simple interactive display to allow the instructor some control over the student's virtual training environment.

The second additional component is the Envision™ Scenario Display (ESD). The ESD takes advantage of JANUS' scenario-based military visualization system, Envision™, and connects to the ICS to retrieve geospatial information on the scenario, such as geographic location of the nodes in the scenario and status of any student and simulated network nodes in the scenario. The scenario data is then displayed in the normal Envision™ three-dimensional battlespace view.

The system adds a behavioral modeling engine that provides full IMI level 4 interactivity

This solution provides collaborative, interactive training and is well suited to multiple learning environments including,

•    Classroom instruction
•    Sustainment Training
•    Net Capstone Exercises
•    Wargaming Simulations
•    Embedded Training