Design and Implementation of a Software Communication Architecture for the JANUS-3D Visualizer

摘要

During the National Guard's mobilization for Desert Shield/Desert Storm,deficiencies were noted in the command and control skills of battalion and brigade level units. The major problem addressed by this research was to improve these skills by developing a software communication architecture that would allow events occurring in two dimensions in the Janus Combat Modeler to be seen in three dimensions on a visualization tool called the Janus-3D Visualizer over both local ethernet and wide area telephonic networks. The challenge was to minimize network latency along with providing accurate data in order to maintain the time and space coherence of the simulation. The approach taken was to first determine where the needed information resided in the Janus modeler. Next, a protocol was developed to extract the information and send it to the Janus-3D Visualizer over the local network for viewing. Finally, a protocol was developed to transmit this information over a telephonic network upon request in order for it to be viewed through a remote Janus-3D Visualizer. As a result of this work, Janus battles can be viewed in three dimensions and in real time by brigade and battalion commanders and their staffs without them having to spend valuable funds to move everyone to a single location. National Guard units can now use the Janus modeler more often and more realistically in order to improve command, control and communication skills.