Advanced Deployable Day/Night Simulation Technology Demonstration Project

DRDC Toronto Fact Sheet

Objective: To enhance Canadian Forces operational readiness by advancing the visual simulation capabilities of training simulators for deployment in mission rehearsal.

Background

The Canadian Air Force fighter community has identified a requirement to deploy a simulation capability for mission training and rehearsal. The CF’s Advanced Distributed Combat Training System (ADCTS) project goes some way to redress this deficiency. However, the state of technology for databases and visual systems to date has precluded some types of training and deployment. Current simulator visual systems are unable to provide sufficient resolution for pilots to perform the full range of fighter manoeuvres, and fail to provide the ability to train and rehearse for night operations. Moreover, the information available in geographic databases can be limited in currency. Advances in projection, image generation, and photogrammetric technologies have made it possible to address these deficiencies.

A prototype high-resolution laser projector, developed at INO (Québec, Québec).

The Advanced Deployable Day/Night Simulation (ADDNS) Technology Demonstration Project (TDP) aims to enhance operational readiness by advancing the visual simulation capabilities of training simulators so that they can be deployed for mission rehearsal. This objective will be achieved by developing high-resolution, extended spectrum visual simulation capabilities that integrate advancements in laser projection technology, head-mounted night vision displays and physics-based modelling of night vision devices with terrain representations that could incorporate reconnaissance data.

The focus of the ADDNS TDP will be on an extension of the capabilities of the ADCTS simulator, and on the development of concepts of Army operations for advanced displays. The results should benefit all services that require simulated night imagery and/or effective deployable simulations for training, mission planning, or mission rehearsal.

Technology approach

ADDNS will enhance mission planning and rehearsal in a distributed, deployable coalition environment by providing superior visual imagery, reducing display costs, and minimizing data manipulation time. ADDNS supports faster and better visual simulations by:

• Developing high resolution, multi-spectral, deployable visual simulation that
  • integrates advancements in laser projection technology in visual displays, and
  • bases night (I² - Image Intensification) simulation on physics-based modelling principles
• Accelerating the melding of reconnaissance imagery with terrain representations

International relationships

A simulated view of night vision imagery, derived from physical principles.

ADDNS has a link to the CF ADCTS project and to the USAF Warfighter Readiness Research Division (HEA) of the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) through SAF/IA (Secretary of the AF/International Affairs). The project will leverage knowledge and technologies demonstrated in Advanced Distributed Mission Training (ADMT) and Soldier Integrated Headware Systems (SIHS) TDPs respectively.

The CF Directorate of Air Requirements (DAR) and ADCTS are prime supporters of this effort. In addition, the Director of Land Strategic Concepts (DLSC) has expressed interest in comparing the effectiveness of simulation against live operations. Since Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) will be conducting studies applicable to the Tactical Helicopter community, the intent will be to integrate such results with Army experimental interests.

ADDNS aims to provide simulation systems/display enhancements for the ADCTS simulators.

CA/US collaborations

• Bilateral scientific exchange with AFRL (began 1993)
• Canadian investment in laser projector effort in US (1995)
• US investment in INO light valve development (2001)
• Ongoing joint development of ultra high resolution databases (2003)
• Canadian evaluation of US high resolution projector by Evans & Sutherland (2004)
• US evaluation of DRDC Toronto displays, offer of photometry expertise for NRC trials

For more information

Scientific Authority:
416-635-2002

Project Director:
613-995-4795

Defence R&D Canada – Toronto
1133 Sheppard Avenue W., P.O. Box 2000, Toronto, Ontario
M3M 3B9
Phone: 416-635-2000
Fax: 416-635-2104
www.toronto.drdc-rddc.gc.ca

Fact Sheet No. T-30 © DRDC Toronto November 2007