EADS I-Room Demonstration Scenario

EADS I-Room EADS I-Room EADS I-Room EADS I-Room EADS I-Room
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Location SLurl Launch SL
EADS Virtual Operations Centre I-Room (EVOC) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vue/144/168/25/
Intelligent Virtual Operations Centre (I-VOC) http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vue/144/168/25/

Area of Operations: Celtic Manor Resort, near Newport [www.celtic-manor.com]

EADS I-Room Equipment

The VOC has a briefing/meeting corner with various displays: The screens can be controlled by a member of the "Vue Associates" group so long as that group is set "active".

8-Cell I-Room Layout

8-Cell I-Room

The Virtual Operations Centre has a central area, and rooms off at each corner on two floors.

This gives 8 immediately visible work spaces into which equipment, screens and furniture can be added. The roof provides further areas for use if needed. The central area and corridor spaces can be accessed from a front door space, a balcony on the first floor, or through an open roof space (which allows easy access from virtual world maps).

The Virtual Operations Centre is situated on a plot of land which itself is divided into 5 separate areas, which therefore can have their own separate video and audio feeds. The central area has one plot, and there are 4 areas for the 4 corners. It is not currently possible to have separate audio and video feeds for the upstairs and downstairs rooms on these plots.

Organisations and Roles

Script

  1. Gold Commander requests meeting with Home Office Minister and Security Service Advisor about ongoing event at Celtic Manor Resort and asks to meet in Virtual Operations Centre
  2. Gold Commander joins in when both participants are present and briefs on situation and recommend course of action
  3. Home Office Minister asks questions
  4. Security Service Advisor inputs
  5. Gold Commander responds with additional information (nominally from live information feed)
  6. Approval given and decision is minuted by I-Room
UK Threat Level System: Information Here

Scenario Resources

Maps and other resources available here.

The I-X Helper communicates with I-X Services during the scenario, and at the end of the meeting, the minutes can be produced automatically, as well as a structured <I-N-C-A> file in a format that can loaded by I-X Services as the agenda for the next meeting (in the form of a plan).

The actual files generated on a demonstation on 13th January 2009 (the date on which the EADS Innovation Works UK facilities in Newport were formally opened) are:

Suggested Equipment

For voice open-to-the-room you need to use a good sound cancelling mike and speaker setup. One possibility is a Polycom Soundstation suitable for the room size, with the "Polycom Interconnect Box" (fitted in-line where the Cat 5 cable enters the power module) [Example UK Supplier]

Use a Logitech 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator, which connects via USB, to control avatar and camera movements smoothly during demonstrations. [Amazon.co.uk]

Use a good Animation Overrider (AO) to replace the default set of "duck waddle" walks. Suggest a set from Abranimations. Male Set 4 or Female Set 3 seems suitable. Approx L$800 (about US$3). Note it should always be turned off when using sitting poses in furniture though, or they can be overridden too. [Abranimations SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Isere/32/176/134] To prevent your avatar being logged off after a period of inactivity, wear an "ant-idle" device - such as the free Starlabs [Example Supplier: Onrez.com - Starlabs Anti-Idler

Checklist Before Demo

  1. Assuming Second Life, Quicktime media streaming, (possibly voice if it is to be used) and the relevant avatars are all set up. Otherwise see this advice.
  2. Check media streaming is set to automatically play media streams as the avatar walks between plots. Use Edit -> Preferences -> Audio & Video and check audio, media and automatic play options are on.
  3. Set the graphics settings appropriately. Edit -> Preferences -> Graphics. Try relatively High (or Ultra) settings for good looks of the environment and the avatars. Tick the custom box, and adjust the Draw Distance to say 192m - which is enough to show Calton Hill monuments though the windows. [Tip: If your system allows for it, try to use a draw distance of 512m if you take screen shots separate to the demo]
  4. Select a suitable light for the demonstration and fix it, rather than allowing Second Life day/night cycle. Use World -> Environment Settings and try Sunset for example, rather than the rather harsh Midday.
  5. If using a 3DConnexion SpaceNavigator device, ensure it is enabled and working via Edit -> Preferences -> Input and Camera -> Joystick Setup. Tick the enable joystick box if it is not alreday on. You can select SpaceNavigator default sensitivity settings with the button provided.

Demo Flow

  1. Home Office Minister and Security Service Advisor are in place sat in Briefing Room considering the situation.
  2. Gold Commander enters at doorway to VOC (via prebuilt Landmark), camera looking from standard behind the avatar head position.
  3. Walk to central table left front corner.
  4. Swing camera to show maps and UAVs/helis on map table (by left click on 3Dconnexion if in use to select camera movement controls).
  5. Swing camera to show demo descriptive posters on wall.
  6. Return camera to behind head (by left button click on 3Dconnexion to return to avatar movement controls).
  7. Walk to briefing seat position and right click to select sit. If an animation overrider is in use turn it off to get the proper pose.
  8. Control right hand screen for presentation. Suggested order: