NPSNET and the Naval Postgraduate School Graphics and Video Laboratory

Abstract

The Naval Postgraduate School Networked Vehicle Simulator IV (NPSNET-IV) is a low-cost, student-written, real-time networked vehicle simulator that runs on commercial, off-the-shelf workstations (the Silicon Graphics IRIS family of computers). NPSNET-IV has been developed at the Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Department of Computer Science in the Graphics and Video Laboratory. It utilizes Simulation Network (SIMNET) databases and SIMNET and Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) networking formats. The DIS networking format is flexible enough to allow multiple players to game over the Internet. The availability of NPSNET-IV lowers the entry costs of researchers wanting to work with SIMNET, DIS, and follow-on systems. Without the contributions of the department's M.S. and Ph.D. candidates, the NPSNET project would be impossible to maintain and continue. The diversity of their interests accounts for the broad range of research areas within the project.