SAIC Adds Interactive Virtual Collaboration Capabilities to Simulation Repertoire

Avatars aren’t just in the movies lately — they’re also part of Science Applications International Corporation’s (SAIC) newest capability called OLIVE™, or On-line Interactive Virtual Environment, a software product that lets users create secure virtual 3D worlds where they can collaborate in real time over networks for business, training, and learning purposes.

SAIC purchased OLIVE from Forterra Systems Inc. in early 2010.

“We see this as a cutting-edge, immersive technology that will enhance our already strong modeling and simulation line of products and services,” said Dave Pratt, an SAIC business unit chief technology officer.

“OLIVE unfolds a new market for us, enabling us to offer secure 3D interactive solutions for our customers’ needs, from communications and training to research, presentations, and conferences. By opening up the interpersonal collaboration aspects of simulation, the possibilities are endless,” said Dave Pratt.

Human Avatars Interface in Virtual Worlds

The product comes with hundreds of lifelike digital avatars with facial features, height, weight, hair and eye color, clothing, and gestures that can be customized to match users.

“It’s what we call a ‘natural interface,’ ” said Robert Franceschini, the SAIC division manager who will manage sales and services of the product.

“You control how your avatar looks and moves around in the 3D world and interacts with other people. The avatar talks when you’re talking, and what you hear and see is similar to real life. As other avatars enter the environment, you can hear their voices growing louder as they near you, and you can see things close to you well, but items in the distance are not as focused.”

Clients connect to the virtual world via the Internet, using a fully integrated simulation platform that enables the environment to be tailored to meet customers’ specific requirements.

“We see this as a cutting-edge, immersive technology that will enhance our already strong modeling and simulation line of products and services.”

Franceschini, who has a Ph.D. in computer science, said that the environment can be made to look like anything — an office, a place where a fireside chat may occur, a military checkpoint, an oil refinery, or a conference room, complete with white boards that can be used in real time and screens that showcase presentations that can be uploaded before a virtual session begins.

Data can also be uploaded to a sharing site for use during sessions, and a playback feature allows for after-meeting reviews. OLIVE can even be integrated into blogs, wikis, and social networks for real-time teamwork and relationship building.

According to Franceschini, plans are in place to replicate the various conference rooms at SAIC’s McLean Towers in Virginia, including the ability for avatars to move around from room to room in the virtual environment, “made possible by the use of real-terrain databases.”

SAIC Expands Market Space

Bev Seay, SAIC business unit general manager, said, “We see OLIVE as the direction of the future in modeling and simulation — emphasis on interpersonal interaction and collaboration enables us to take our products in new directions and to new markets.”

Franceschini added that what makes OLIVE interesting and valuable to SAIC is that it provides a mature, simulation-based platform for both modeling and simulation and collaboration development.

“This virtual environment can support any kind of collaboration,” he said, adding that OLIVE already connects with the Army’s One Semi-Automated Forces (OneSAF® [Department of the Army]) system, an SAIC-developed composable simulation that models a wide range of military training scenarios. This connection allows the modeling of day-to-day interactions of troops with the local populace for instant instruction purposes.

Plans are also in play to take OLIVE in a new direction, fully integrating it with SAIC’s Synthetic Environment (SE) Core and Common Driver Trainer (CDT) programs to provide real-time collaborative network training. SE Core is a set of virtual components common to multiple military training simulation systems, and the CDT is a virtual trainer developed to help warfighters learn to operate military vehicles.

One of the big payoffs for customers, according to Franceschini, is the reduced travel and event production costs. “Why travel to a location to take training or attend a meeting if you can do it just as effectively with avatars in a digital environment? That’s green in terms of budget and the environment.”

“Why travel to a location to take training or attend a meeting if you can do it just as effectively with avatars in a digital environment? That’s green in terms of budget and the environment.”

In addition to using OLIVE to support SAIC’s existing customers within the federal intelligence and defense communities, the combatant commands, and the military services, OLIVE can also add value in commercial areas, such as healthcare, financial services, energy, transportation, and higher education.

Franceschini noted that SAIC’s capabilities will enable the continued development of the OLIVE platform. They will also "help shape the future market of virtual world products and services," he said.

Pratt explained that before Forterra entered the picture last December, SAIC was looking into developing a similar collaborative platform to marry to its current modeling and simulation offerings. He said, “It would have taken years and millions in independent research and development funds to develop what OLIVE already offers.”

Solid Relationships Stand, Expansion Planned Companywide

A number of other companies have agreements with Forterra on OLIVE sales, and those relationships will continue, along with support for existing license holders.

“We look forward to working with current and future government and commercial OLIVE license holders, resellers, and clients to support and extend the platform,” said Seay.

Plans are already in the works to integrate OLIVE into the SAIC workplace. In addition to being used as a business interaction tool, it can be set up to serve as a virtual office for distributed teams to stay connected to colleagues and customers. This increased collaborative ability will allow employees working from home, remote locations, and main sites to interact in an effective, natural manner.

“We want to share this technology,” said Franceschini. “We’ll take it slow, but the intent is to work across the entire company to make this an everyday capability not only for employees, but for their customers as well.”