SecondLife
Motivation
We will be using a customizable massive online multiplayer environment SecondLife™ to host virtual table top exercises for the NIMS, ICS and HEICS courses. This is because of its relatively low access cost and its ability to handle dynamic content seamlessly (Figure 1). This environment is ideal for a large number of participants to role play disaster scenarios that are designed rapidly by non-programmers using menu driven tools. The SecondLife™ environment is poised to revolutionize the way virtual environments are created and used for training purposes.
Figure 1: Realistic looking and interactive content
The fidelity of a training environment often influences its effectiveness as a training tool. The SecondLife™ platform provides the necessary tools for content specialists to create realistic looking indoors and outdoors environments. It also provides tools for the creation of realistic looking avatars with realistic animations to represent the various professions involved in the training. All the stakeholders involved in a given scenario including victims and on-lookers can therefore be easily integrated (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Collaborative building of props to be used in virtual exercises
Object level scripting
Since the virtual environment allows object level scripting of behavior, it is possible not only to represent the look of devices (Figure 3) in the virtual environment, but also to simulate how they work. For example foldable beds, interactive Patient Controlled Analgesia pumps, ventilating machines, flyable helicopters and virtual operations room, can be developed so that they can used by the various professions involved in the training scenarios. The ability to program the behavior of virtual objects also facilitates the simulations of man made (accidental/intentional) or natural disasters. For example, the platform allows the building of virtual bombs (Figure 4) that can be set to explode and to lead to an unforeseen mass casualty event which will have to be dealt with by the personnel under training.
Figure 3: Hazmat and emergency response equipment
Figure 4: Potential for creating realistic engaging scenarios
It is well known that environmental conditions can play an important role in the success of rescue efforts. In that respect, SecondLife™ can allow simulations of realistic climatic conditions ranging from heavy rain, snow, high winds conditions to unstable terrain caused by earthquakes.
Two of the major underlying infrastructures that are required to enhance the degree of realism of the virtual environment are the physics engine and the particle engine. SecondLife™ is adequate on both counts. This environment also provides opportunities for streaming audio and video into and out of the virtual world. This functionality allows the setting up of video conferencing sessions within the virtual environment itself. Figure 5 depicts members of the IRH team testing the streaming of a talk by the Surgeon General rendered on a screen inside the virtual world.
Figure 5: Streaming of video into virtual environments
Avatar behavior custimizations
This environment supports avatar behavior customizations as well. This is important if the avatars need to have access to a palette of gestures necessary for increasing the believability of interactions or scenarios (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Effective role playing through controllable avatar gestures
Automated exercise data capture
The object level scripting environment of this platform enables data to be sent from local virtual world events to external applications. The communication facilities between events within the virtual environment and external applications can facilitate the integration of courses delivered inworld to an external Learning content management system. For example, data captured inside the virtual world can be sent automatically to an external database allowing such functionalities as automated student progress tracking.
Last Modified: 02/26/07 at 03:59:03 PM