Year
2011
Abstract
This paper will present a Safeguards Design (SD) software utility developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory. The SD utility was developed for purposes of examining the actual possibilities of employing 3-D immersive analysis tools to address existing challenges in planning and deploying nuclear safeguards systems. The SD utility was developed using methods and tools from the video gaming development industry. It was architected with unique scripts and user interfaces that focused functional capabilities toward realistic planning, testing, and challenging of designed safeguards systems. The paper will also describe a broader concept and method of developing virtual reality utilities that provide support for the life span of a nuclear facility under safeguards. When properly implemented and constructed, a safeguards design utility seamlessly transitions into a training tool for inspectors, an inspection planning and rehearsal tool, a collaborative safeguards assessment environment, and a central repository for capturing legacy safeguards knowledge.