Microsoft Corp. Dec. 2 unveiled for the first time new capabilities of the next version of the Microsoft ESP visual simulation software development platform at I/ITSEC 2008. There are new ground-vehicle operations capabilities and multi-channel display support that will be available in ESP version 2.0.
A range of innovative simulation solutions designed to help government and military organizations improve operational functionality, enhance mission-critical skills and mitigate risks will be displayed.
Since the debut of Microsoft ESP earlier this year, significant progress has been made working with partners and the academic research community to bring the power of immersive simulation to the desktops of defense and civilian agencies for mission rehearsal, interactive training and decision support, the company said.
Growing interest in Microsoft ESP can be attributed to the cost advantages and productivity gains realized from creating mission-critical visual simulation solutions on a common software development platform that supports Windows-based commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software.
“Government and military organizations are looking to augment traditional readiness programs with affordable, powerful and portable simulation solutions,” David Boker, senior director of business development for ACES Studio at Microsoft, said in a statement. “Microsoft ESP transforms how people learn and organizations plan and prepare by enabling partners to rapidly add scenarios, change out variables and integrate different technologies into their synthetic environments.”
In the next version of Microsoft ESP new capability for ground-vehicle operations will extend the immersive experiences of mission rehearsal and skills training from warfighters in the air to warfighters on the ground. Support for multi-channel displays will expand the view from a single-cockpit screen view to a full panoramic visual environment, making simulations built on Microsoft ESP suited for first-responder training, ground transportation training, route familiarization, mission rehearsal, and rescue and recovery operations. Working closely with partners to define and prioritize feature sets, Microsoft will be disclosing additional capabilities over the course of the software development cycle of ESP version 2.0. Partners using ESP can augment existing capabilities, build and deploy new solutions, and integrate them with existing simulations.
“The combination of Northrop Grumman’s [NOC] mission-critical experience with Microsoft ESP’s innovation is enabling the next generation of simulation solutions to be the most advanced ever seen for planning, rehearsing, training and debriefing military missions,” Barry Rhine, sector vice president and general manager of the Command and Control Systems Division of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, said. “New simulation solutions that are emerging allow for better execution, which in turn helps create a more effective military and increases warfighter safety.”
Among the Microsoft ESP simulation solutions on display at I/ITSEC 2008 are: The Northrop Grumman simulator demonstrating virtual landing of an F-18 Hornet on the CVN-21 “carrier of the future” incorporating Microsoft ESP, Virtual Earth and Microsoft Surface with Northrop Grumman’s Command and Control Mission Rehearsal (C2MR); A Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle simulator showcasing Microsoft ESP version 2.0’s forthcoming ground-vehicle operations capability; and a helicopter flight simulator revealing Microsoft ESP’s version 2.0 multi-channel display capabilities across three large screens.