QuantaDyn engineers in Herndon, Va., working with U.S. Air Force officials, sought advanced image-generation technology for its military training and simulation systems. They found their solution, Independence IDX 4000 Image Generators (IG), at Quantum3D in San Jose, Calif.
QuantaDyn won a KC-135 Visual Upgrade contract from officials at Randolph Air Force Base’s Trainer Development Branch to update the U.S. Air Force’s KC-135 Boom Operator Weapons System Trainer (BOWST).
The Air Force’s Air Mobility Command allows prospective boom operators to qualify for the job by completing virtual missions in high-fidelity boom-operator training devices in lieu of onboard a KC-135.
The primary purpose of the KC-135 Stratotanker is aerial aircraft refueling for Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied nations, says a representative. The KC-135’s boom operator and aircrew use motion, shadows, and other visual cues to ensure flight safety during refueling.
“The BOWST program pushes the state of the art for image generators in model polygon count and real-time shadows,” says Bill Dunn, president of QuantaDyn. “The Independence 4000 delivers the performance we require to provide the visual acuity needed to fulfill the mission requirements of the BOWST trainer.”
The upgrade, which will be deployed to Altus Air Force Base, will employ two Independence IDX 4000 IGs.
Each Independence IDX 4000 IG provides advanced weather effects, a 3D ocean with reflections, real-time lighting, and dynamic shadows to make the operators’ experiences more realistic and improve device fidelity for increased training effectiveness.
For more information, visit Quantum-3D online at www.quantum3d.com.
