Reaching its Potential: How to Make Government-Developed
OSS a Major Player
Military Open Source Software Conference
August 3, 2010
Perry McDowell
Perry McDowell
• Navy Nuke-SWO• MSCS from NPS
– Virtual environment for damage control training• At NPS/MOVES since 2000• Executive Director at Delta3D since 2003
– Delta3D is an open source game engine
Our history
– MOdeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation– MOVES began in March 1996 with the MS degree
program– The PhD program was approved in 1999– Originally intended to be mix of Computer Science
and Operations Analysis– MOVES has since evolved to contain significantly
more areas and has become its own field
“If I asked my customers what they wanted, they would have
said a faster horse.”- Henry Ford
President Obama now requires all government employees to push the US auto industry as
part of the bail out?
5“…and tomorrow I shall be sober!”
“A hiatus exists between inventors who know what they could invent, if they only knew what was wanted, and the soldiers who know, or ought to know, what they want, and would ask for it if they only knew how much science could do for them.
You have never really bridged that gap yet.”
-- Winston Churchill, The Great War
NPS is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between Modeling and Simulation’s potential and military needs.
We combine military operational expertise with technical expertise towards relevant, cost effective, sustainable solutions.
Philosophy
MOVES brings together the
technical and tactical
MissionTo enhance the operational effectiveness
of our joint forces and our allies by providing superior training and analysis
products, education, and exemplary research in the field of modeling and
simulation.
8
DOD-focused Education and Research addressing the Science and Technology that drives creation and application of Modeling and
Simulation tools.
Contribute to the evolution of the M&S discipline
Core Competencies• Human Systems and Training
– Training system design and human factors– Human performance evaluation
• Cognitive Agents and Adaptive Systems– Learning agents in rich environments– Predictive agents
• Computer Gaming, Visual Simulation, Augmented Reality– Methods for game-based training design– Highly cost efficient software and simulation development– Mixed-mode, real and virtual, simulation environments
• Standards and Interoperability– Web-Based Simulation
• Simulation Modeling for Analysis– Composable models, large-scale reusability– Experimental designs for large studies
NPS is independent and objective – answers to end users, not stockholders. Uniquely positioned to identify and address the areas
that best contribute to advancing S&T behind M&S.9
NPS is independent and objective – answers to end users, not stockholders. Uniquely positioned to
identify and address the areas that best contribute to
advancing S&T behind M&S
ITEC and I/ITSEC
“You can’t swing a dead cat on the show floor without hitting an unsubstantiated claim.”
CDR Joseph CohenAt I/ITSEC 200X10
MOVES is an honest broker where you can get unbiased
advice based upon science
“Typical” Current Projects
• Evaluation of E2 NFO station as training platform• Novel requirements generation process for deployed F-18
training• Visualization system for NSWC damage visualization• Behavior Analysis Synthesis and Evaluation for Improved
Training– Transition live exercise MOUT AAR tools from 2D video streams to 3D
annotated reconstruction– Computer vision, agent technology, training design and evaluation
• Port security game for FLETC training• Perceptual modeling for improved agents in games.• Evaluation of Combat Models for IW training
– III Corps emergent requirement – invaluable reach-back for MOVES
Challenges• Enrollment of Civilians• Continued evolution of the Research Agenda and Education Program (BoK)
– How do we discover the ‘unknown, unknowns’• Improving interoperability
– Open source, standards and architectures• Immersive distance learning• Leveraging medical simulation advances• Human behavior representation• Joint, Coalition, Interagency, military-civil operations
– ITAR restrictions
• Linking academia, military and industry
Did you see anything about managing and
directing OSS programs?
Detailed Breakdown
Delta3D Overview
• Delta3D is an open source game and simulation engine
• Specifically designed for training apps and interacting with tools those apps use
• Built atop other open source projects• Licensed under Gnu’s Lesser General Public
License (LGPL) – not viral
Delta3D Overview
• Delta3D was designed to be the “commodity” solution – it provides what is freely available and puts it in an easy to use API
• It is not intended to replace any of the AAAA game engines (Half Life™ 2, UNREAL™ 3, Cry Engine™ 3)
• However, now it has some specific features for its intended usage well beyond what is available in most other engines
Michael Skok, on OS adaption
If we have a better product, and it happens to be open source, we're going to win. But it has to be in that order.1
From Matt Asay’s Open Road Blog, http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-10204910-16.html, dwnld 3/30/9
1 – Delivered at the OS Business Conference, SF, March 2009
VBS2
• VBS2 is beginning to corner the market that Delta3D was built to fill
• VBS2 is a good piece of software– Delivers good value– Very responsive to DoD needs– Run by former officer in the Aussie army
VBS2
≠
Delta3D Cannot Compete w/ VBS2
As the major game-based sim for land-based training
WITHthe inherent restrictions imposed
upon us as a DoD “research” project
VBS2
• Chosen for the Army by PEO-STRI because no other option met requirement of being ready then
• Bohemia Interactive used IRAD to create awesome tools for non-technical users, i.e., Soldiers
• Constantly working with customers to figure out what they need and give it to them
Hey, that’s open source’s gig
Problems w/ Delta3D Competing
• Work on reimbursable research funding– All work must be directed in support of the final
deliverable• Can’t take funds from companies without an
Act of Congress– Okay, an act of ONR
AGILITY
OSS is about agility, and VBS2
is more agile than Delta3D
right now
So, What’s the Problem w/ VBS2?
• VBS2 sounds great – what is the problem with keeping using it?
• Isn’t it more important to have the best tool, which certainly seems to be VBS2 today, than satisfying a philosophy?
Possible Problems
• Peter Morrison might leave and be replaced by someone not so customer-centric
• Peter himself said at 2009 NATO Gaming Conference that they’re not making enough money on military sales/contracts– Compared to the high risk/high reward payoffs of
the gaming industry• BI might die, be acquired, etc. causing a
change in business strategy
What’s Needed?
A simple, well-documented method with considerable top
cover to give control of software developed within
the government to an outside agency
A simple, well-documented method with considerable top
cover to give control of software developed within
the government to an outside agency
Problem: Who Makes Decision?
• At a conference, someone from a government lab asked me how I got permission to release my code as open source
Problem: Who Makes Decision?
• At a conference, someone from a government lab asked me how I got permission to release my code as open source
• We never even thought about it, we just released it
• This lab had to go to their PAO to get permission to release the code as OSS
PAO
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts)
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts) – WHO?
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts) – WHAT?
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
Remember me?
“DoD Always Liked You Better”
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts) – WHAT?
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts) – HOW?
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts) – WHY?
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
What Needs to Happen (My Thoughts)
DoD CIO needs to disseminate a memo
describing how to transition OSS from
government organizations to outside organizations
What Do YOU Think Should be
Done?