TESTING A BIOLOGICAL WEAPON DETECTION SYSTEM IN A DISTRIBUTED VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT

 

Dr. Paul Beckman

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California, USA

 

ABSTRACT

A study called Bio-Sim was sponsored by the U.S. Army to examine the LR-BSDS (Long-Range Biological Standoff Detection System), a laser-based biological cloud detector.  Testing of the device was performed in a distributed virtual reality environment (DVRE).  The three primary objectives of the study were to: 1) determine appropriate tactics, techniques, and procedures for use of the LR-BSDS, 2) gain a better understanding of those battlefield situations and characteristics that limit the effective use of the LR-BSDS, and 3) demonstrate the potential to use a DVRE simulation for training using the LR-BSDS.  This paper will focus on the third of those objectives.

The study consisted of three phases.  The first phase involved calculating theoretical concentration limits of a dispersed biohazard as a function of time, dispersion concentration, and distance to sensor.  The second phase resulted in a set of abbreviated bio-cloud detection missions run in a DVRE.  The third phase was a set of full-length human-in-the-loop trial missions run by trained LR-BSDS operators and helicopter flight crews, using a DVRE and computer-based simulators for the LR-BSDS, helicopter, bio-cloud dispersion, and bio-cloud transport.