IMTC used an
Ascension Technologies SpacePad (tm) low-cost motion-tracking system
and custom software to gather body posture and gesture data for
a firearms training simulation. The SpacePad is a magnetic transmitter-receiver
based motion-tracking system providing four small wired receivers
which can report their position and orientation in three-space,
though some what inaccurately, up to 30 times a second. SpacePad
motion-trackers are commonly used in virtual reality arcade games.
IMTC
developed gesture recognition software using the telemetry from
the four SpacePad receivers placed upon the trainee's head, gun,
torso and right or left foot. Gestures such as holding the gun
barrel down or up, standing, kneeling or laying prone can be determined
accurately and in real-time. Dynamic gestures such as walking,
running
or crawling can also be determined. With IMTC's gesture-recognition
system, the trainee can now guide herself interactively through
a scenario and much more data can be collected about her performance
during the training session.
Fire Arms Training Systems, FATS, produces
an array of video based firearms training simulators for domestic
and foreign law enforcement
and militaries. FATS simulators train personnel on a wide range
of weaponry from police handguns to military fully automatic
weapons to grenade and rocket launchers.
FATS simulators utilize
filmed scenarios presented to the trainees on video projection
screens. Trainees fire modified weapons at
video targets and various data such as hit accuracy and time
of discharge
are collected. Until recently, FATS simulation scenarios were
presented in a linear, movie-like fashion. Trainees were unable
to guide
themselves through a training exercise or interact with the
simulation, they
could only react to the scenes presented to them. Desiring
these kinds of enhancements to their simulations, FATS asked the
Interactive
Media Technology Center, IMTC, to bring its expertise in motion-tracking
technology to bear on this problem.
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