Year
2006
Abstract
The Virtual Facility idea is a new way for training IAEA inspectors and for laboratory workers to familiarize themselves with the buildings they will be working in or visiting without actually having to travel there. It can also be used to work through an experiment or procedure to make sure the worker will be able to do everything safely and correctly before actually doing the experiment. Using the latest in video game technology, a radiological facility was recreated. Real-time video and source tracking data were brought into the virtual world. This was used as a proof of concept to possibly implement future ideas such as real-time visual source tracking, person tracking, and the ability to know exactly what is going on at all times in a facility. The system also has real-time physics, and can be made to look as realistic as needed. Another use for this technology is force-on-force training. Using multiplayer gaming technology, scenarios can be setup, either preprogrammed or completely random, that allow the protective force to train at any time of the day rather than only during sanctioned training exercises. It is easier, cheaper, and faster to sit a guard down in front of a personal computer than it is to outfit dozens of guards and have them train in the real world.