Here is brief glance of projects VEnOM Labs is currently engaged in.
FiRSTE
First Responder Simulation and Training Environment
- Chemical Diffusion
Trying not to use the Novier Stokes equations to simulate a gas spreading in a controlled environment.
- Structures
Running behind the scenes with the chemical model is the representation of the complex structure that contains the gas. Employing an OOP (object orientied programming) design paradigm, the gas model has been seperated from the structural environment, allowing for a generic case model. The structures model tries to represent the graphical environment shown by the virtual environment into a data structure that can communicate with the chemical model.
- Detecting Chemicals
Alex J. Berry & Dr. Michael G. Hilgers
ajberry@mst.edu & hilgers@mst.edu
Missouri University of Science and Technology Computer Science
Chemical Sensor Simulator
The chemical sensor simulator is a C++ suite being developed for the First Responder Simulation and Training Environment. The first developed sensors was the MultiRAE Plus photo-ionization detector, or PID. This simple sensor is used by first responders when they enter the building to check explosivity. If the oxygen, volatile organic compound, or explosivity level is too high, the first responders must leave the building so that they do not risk there own lives. The PID uses queues to simulate the delay between taking the sample and returning the results. Another sensor has been developed using the SensorBase class called the VirtualSampler. To use the class, the first responder will click on a table or some other surface and the VirtualSampler will record the concentrations at the location. This sensor will eventually be used for swabbing in FiRSTE. There are several other sensors we plan on including in the future such as the HAPSITE that will also use the SensorBase interface for backwards compatibility.
The system is based around two generic classes: SensorBase and BaseDataAccess. SensorBase is a pure abstract class that is inherited by all other classes in the system. It is overloaded with several functions that all sensors will need for normal operation: doSample, SendResult, and failRand. Given these fuctions any class can operate with a given pointer to the SensorBase class. BaseDataAccess is used by the sensors to get access to the data. It contains two members, a callback class and a takesample function. For instance, the StaticData class has been written so that it will give results based on a static chemical field. The chemical sensor is constructed with a pointer to the base class and operates on the base classes functions.
A container class has also been written that hold objects of SensorBase type. This class is used for easy access to the collection of sensors for a person. One can call doSample and SendResult individually and for the entire collection at once. The idea being that each first responder will have a sensor collection containing all of his or her sensors.
The PID is currently being used in a virtual reality environment. This VR environment is being driven by a mod running on the Half-Life engine. The PID resides in the heads up display and allows the user to look at the reading, turn the audible alarm on and off, and change the mode of the PID.
- Modeling Environments
Currently developing on two SDK platforms, Eon Realities Eon Studio and Half-life gameing engine.
Eon
Eon Studio is a windows based SDK (Software Development Kit) that allows for the incorporation of 3D object models into a virtual simulation.
Half-life
Using the game Half-life, we have created a MOD that uses the original game engine to create a simulation.
- Dr. Hall's Experiment
Measuring the affective intensity of a virtual simulation on a subject is the basis of this experiment. Using the another half-life based modification, subjects are monitored via video camera and GSR detection (galvonic skin response) as they explore a building with or without, depending on the simulation version, "random" explosions while trying to put out fires that come across in the building. Subjects are graded on their repsonses as well as how well they performed under a stressful environment.
-FBI