A synthetic environment for dynamic systems control and distributed simulation

Rapid prototyping and controlled motion evaluation of complex human-machine interfaces, from nuclear plant operation panels to deep submerged underwater vehicles to advanced airplane cockpits, require hardware-in-the-loop, man-in-the-loop, and software integration. What appears to be needed is specific software to give designers tools for analyzing and simulating complex and integrated projects. The research software described in this article promises to fill that need, providing a new synthetic environment for simulation and control synthesis of dynamic systems. The article addresses problems of high performance, realistic environments, and vehicle simulation, with particular attention to synthetic world creation and visualization. The new software is capable of handling most of the simulation and visualization requirements highlighted.