A -- Augmented Reality Technology Roadmap Request For Information

The Simulation & Training Technology Center (STTC), supporting the Research, Development & Engineering Command (RDECOM), has formed a Technology Working Group for the purpose of developing a Augmented Reality Technology Roadmap. The Roadmap's overall objective is to support the Army's endeavor to develop and mature augmented reality capabilities for military training and the creation of - Augmented Live Environment Concepts, covering man-worn, vehicle-mounted and fixed site (e.g. training and test ranges, individual and crew-served gunnery, etc.) applications. To this end, a Request for Information (RFI) is being issued to survey Other Government Agencies, Private Industry and Academia, to collect information and data that would be useful for the accelerated development of a comprehensive - Augmented Reality Technology Roadmap. This notice is not a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Solicitation for an offer but a REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. The Roadmap will address the research, development, production, technology insertion, fielding, and effective use of augmented reality (or mixed reality) systems for military training. Upon completion, the Roadmap will be a living document that will support: 1.The Army's understanding of R&D trends within other government agencies, private industry and academia, in the field of augmented reality or related technologies. 2.TRADOC requirements writers in the assessment of current and future army training requirements and identification of technology shortfalls. 3.RDECOM Science & Technology (S&T) managers in developing appropriate augmented reality solutions that address identified technology shortfalls. 4.The Army's planning, funding and future implementation of Army Technology Objectives (ATOs), Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) efforts, Technology Demonstrations (TDs), etc. in this area of technology. 5.Maintaining a dialogue mechanism to help focus the R&D efforts of other government agencies, industry and academia participants toward Army Force Operating Capabilities and Technology Shortfalls. This survey covers the seven year planning, programming, budgeting, and execution period beginning in FY - 07 through FY - 13. Augmented Reality - Army Research Vision:Augmented reality (AR) is a concept and method of presenting data/information, graphics and 2D/3D virtual objects (generated by virtual and constructive simulations) to a subject or trainee, while operating in a live field environment. Rather than viewing and operating fully immersed in a synthetic virtual environment, a subject or trainee operates in the live field environment while receiving real-time data or information into his field of view that is relevant to the mission. Additionally, the operator would interact with virtual targets, personnel or vehicles (that are controlled by virtual and constructive simulations) as though they were real. In the future, these same concepts and technologies would potentially allow for situational awareness, communications, map data, etc. to be provided to Warfighters in complex operational environments without impeding their live view. At present, the U.S. Army does not have a definitive requirement for the use of augmented reality. (The Roadmap will be used to address this issue.) However, recent Army funded research suggests that augmented reality may be used in a broad variety of army training applications; especially as an enabling technology that supports the live player in the Live Virtual Constructive Integration Architecture (LVC-IA). Currently, there is no two-way flow and presentation of training data between the live training domain and the virtual-constructive training domains. The existing LVC-IA focuses mainly on transmitting live participants position data into the virtual domain for viewing and interaction; however, live participants cannot "see" the real-time rendering of personnel, vehicles, fire and effects, etc. that originate from the virtual domain. In order to effectively - Train the Force, How and As It Fights!, there must be a complete replication of the complex operating environment, through the full integration of live, virtual, and constructive simulations. The concept of Live Augmented Environments have the potential to create interactive, multi-sensory, non-linear environments that provides the Warfighter with unparalleled and realistic live training and experiential learning. Such a capability would potentially provide commanders and trainers with creative and flexible solutions sets for the ever-changing and fluctuating missions and training requirements of the modern Warfighter. Augmented Reality Pacing Technology Categories & Human Performance Concerns:Augmented reality is a highly inter-disciplinary concept and approach to merging the real and virtual worlds; which can be implemented using a wide variety of configurations and approaches. However, there are several broad categories of technology that must be effectively integrated together to implement an effective, real-time augmented reality system. Based on past research efforts and for the purpose of this survey, these AR pacing technologies are divided into the following categories: 1.Position, Orientation & Movement Tracking within Live Environments. Robust man-worn and vehicle mounted tracking systems based on multiple/hybrid sensor packages with sophisticated filtering algorithms that would more accurately sense, track and relate real and virtual objects that are operating in the live environment; whether indoors or outdoors. Systems supporting dismounted and mounted applications should be mobile and operate free (tether-less) from any fixed infrastructure. Fixed site and range applications may make use of appropriate tracking infrastructure; including markers and marker-less tracking techniques. 2.High-Speed Stereo and Machine Vision Video Analysis Techniques. Facilitate the capture and analysis of live video streams to be used as supplemental tracking data. This data would aid in distance measurement, depth perception and further tracking of prominent man-made and natural objects in the real environment. 3.Head/Vehicle Mounted, Hand-Held, etc. Displays. Low-cost head mounted/vehicle mounted and hand-held displays. Focus on rugged, flexible materials and techniques that can mold, infuse or embed a wide field-of-view heads up display capability, into existing and planned helmet and vehicle designs. 4.High-Speed Computing and Real-Time Graphics and Image Rendering. Dual and multi-processing techniques that render virtual objects in a believable (continuous, accurate placement and manipulation of occlusion models) manner that is compelling and realistic to the observer operating in an augmented live environment. 5.Real-Time, Distributed Collaboration. Networking and communications capability, necessary to interface augmented reality systems with and across other distributed training domains. 6.Human Performance and Training Effectiveness. Programs of experimentation on human perception in AR including the following topics: research on design of the human system interface; prevalence of simulator sickness or other side effects, especially as a function of system characteristics or conditions of use; strategies for using AR in training, and their effectiveness in both skill acquisition and transfer; fidelity requirements for effective training and transfer. Program Objective: The resulting technology roadmap will support RDECOM's overall program objective for this technology area, which is to develop and mature augmented reality capabilities for military training and the creation of - Augmented Live Environments Concepts, covering man-worn, vehicle-mounted and fixed site (e.g. training and test ranges, individual and crew-served gunnery, etc.) applications. Success would require obtaining technology readiness levels (TRL) 6, for discrete applications, while endeavoring to transition system and subsystem components to other military technology and acquisition programs. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITAION and a contract will not be awarded; however, other government agencies, academia and private industry are encouraged to participate in this survey and to provide any type and amount of information as deemed appropriate. The following are suggested guidelines for the type of information that would be most useful in the development of the U.S. Army's Augmented Reality Technology Roadmap* (Augmented reality is the real-time rendering and presentation of virtual objects to personnel operating in a live complex environment): 1.Provide information that describes your company or organization's background, capabilities, and areas of expertise. 2.Cover currently available and/or emerging technologies; as well as planned and futuristic concepts that would be necessary to employ real-time augmented reality in a live field training environment. 3.Describe your company or organization's recent research, developments, existing prototypes and systems fielded to the military or sold in the commercial market. What specific military training application would be best supported by your R&D, prototypes and systems? Provide brochures, spec sheets, pictures and video clips of the system in use. 4.Describe your view of the current state-of-the-art for each of the AR pacing technology categories; and where these technologies are heading over the next 7 years (FY - 07 - FY - 13). Identify the level of research by its level of maturity (technology readiness level) and/or research category, e.g. Basic Research (6.1), Applied Research (6.2) or Advanced Research (6.3). 5.Identify potential military training applications for AR. Provide a timeline for when each AR application may be ready for demonstration in a relevant military training environment (TRL 6). 6.Describe any newly emerging technologies or the latest advancements that may accelerate the development of AR capabilities and training systems for military use. 7.Describe the major obstacles to embedding or inserting AR capabilities into existing and planned military training and weapons systems. Discuss how these obstacles may be overcome. 8.Reference and/or provide recently published papers that address aspects of AR research that would be important for the Army to review. Please provide all or as much information as possible on compact disks, DVDs, memory sticks and/or other appropriate digital media no later than 25 May 2006 to the Science and Technology Manager, Frank Dean, RDECOM-STTC, 12423 Research Parkway, Orlando, FL 32826. *It is anticipated that the results of the RFI will identify other government agencies, private industry and academia that have an interest in providing information on their recent developments and future plans for use of augmented reality systems and techniques. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION for a contract; however, those entities interested in providing information should submit their response no later than 25 May 2006 to the attention of Mr. Frank Dean, Science and Technology Manager, Phone +1 (555) 000-0000, Fax (407) 384)-5454, email address contact@example.gov Development and publication of a technology roadmap does not constitute Army/ RDECOM/STTC direction to start any contractual efforts. All participation from interested technology providers/vendors is on a purely voluntary basis. This RFI is for planning purposes only, and should not be construed as a Request for Proposal (RFP) or solicitation of an offer. RDECOM-STTC does not intend to award a contract on the basis of the information provided or otherwise pay for this information. RDECOM-STTC will not provide reimbursement for any cost associated with responding to this RFI. 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