Sandia National Laboratories has developed a state of the art AR training system for close-quarters combat (CQB). This system uses a wearable augmented reality system to place the user in a real environment while engaging enemy combatants in virtual space (Boston Dynamics DI-Guy). Umbra modeling and simulation environment is used to integrate and control the AR system.
Users experience intelligent automatic behaviors of the simulated virtual humans (such as crawling on the real floor with good apparent registration) leading to a real sense of their presence. Enemy characters can come at you from behind walls, doors, or any other fixed occluding obstacles as you engage and interact with them. This system also enables other non CQB activities including training with real and virtual equipment as well as walking through environments, terrains, and buildings.
An enabling technology that makes this possible is the Impulse tracking system from PhaseSpace Inc. which uses a set of linear optical sensors to track LEDs that are mounted to the helmet and weapon to achieve excellent accuracy and update rates. Users see the room in which they currently exist, but with other elements augmented into their reality. This system is an example of Live VIrtual Constructive (LVC) efforts with Umbra. SAND 2011-1515C.
