INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: AVT Simulation

 

Q: Tell us something about AVT Simulation’s product and services portfolio.

A: AVT was founded as “Applied Visual Technology Inc.” to specifically address the visual simulation and training marketplace. We expanded our capabilities to address a broader range of simulation products and engineering services and are now doing business as AVT Simulation. This allowed us to closely align our product and services offerings with our current customer base. Our current product and services portfolio includes the following:

• 3-D content development [visual databases];

• serious gaming applications;

• simulation software design and development;

• visual and display system studies, design, development and integration;

• part-task training systems;

• training system upgrades and modifications; and

• engineering advisory services.

Q: MT2 congratulates AVT Simulation on the recent expansion of its corporate facilities. How does this milestone support your company’s business plan?

A: We developed a strategic business plan to reach our growth objectives. To implement this plan effectively we needed to expand our physical space to address our customers’— both government and industry—requirements. This includes large areas to conduct technology demonstrations; additional lab environments to produce expanding training systems product offerings, conduct IR&D, and a production facility to perform trainer modifications. We now have an impressive facility that will allow us to meet our customers’ expectations/requirements and provide for future growth to meet our planned objectives.

Q: All branches of the U.S. military services are encouraging industry to find ways to use or adapt commercial video gaming technology into their training and simulation products. How has this initiative affected your company?

A: AVT provides advisers to the Army’s PEO STRI in the area of determining how to effectively integrate gaming technology to meet warfighter training requirements. AVT is at the forefront of the effort to integrate and capitalize on the use of game engine technology into the military simulation and training environment. We have numerous contacts within the gaming industry, and we are also very experienced with the technology involved both in the gaming industry and the simulation/training applications within DoD. This combined expertise allows us to identify innovative ways to merge these two industries to address the unique training requirements demanded by DoD end-users.

Q: A follow-up. What are the shortfalls and gaps in terms of DoD issued standards, instructional designs and other underpinnings to allow the smooth migration of gaming technology into learning programs?

A: The gaming industry tries to produce a product for “entertainment” [i.e., no instructional design] and expects to sell millions of copies based on their proprietary intellectual property. DoD has the requirement to obtain “training” that is realistic in terms of features like weapons effects, target identification and recognition, weapon and tactical behaviors, terrain features, etc.—not “just looks realistic.” DoD’s training requirements must address specific training objectives that produce specific results. DoD traditionally wants to purchase the products for exclusive use by the military and own the rights to the product, or that the software is not “proprietary.” These “business models” are obviously at odds with one another. We have explored various ways to change these models that would make it attractive to both parties in order to make it attractive to these most innovative gaming companies to see a reason to address the DoD training requirements.

Q: AVT Simulation has an interesting mix of government and industry customers. Please comment on your plans to increase and diversify your customer base.

A: AVT supports all branches of the U.S. military and has customers overseas. Due to our strength in visual systems technologies, we established strategic alliances with DoD contractors to support them in programs that involve a significant visual component, such as contractor logistic support contracts, major training systems, etc. These contracts require a mandatory small business and/ or SBA 8(a) participation. Our government and industry customers are able to benefit by the uniqueness that AVT offers as a highly qualified simulation company that possesses the SBA 8(a) certification. Many companies who do not have adequate visual or software engineering resources call upon AVT to augment their engineering resources to satisfy customer requirements.

Q: Please explain any technology cross-over and other efficiencies gained between your military and commercial aviation product teams.

A: AVT currently has a very large library of visual databases that support both the commercial and military aviation communities and are designed to operate on a variety of image generators. This library saves the customers the initial development costs because they can be quickly adapted to their specific training needs. In addition, our desktop aviation part-task and collective training systems are designed to be “reconfigurable” to represent a variety of different air platforms. ♦

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