Lecture for the ODU Electrical and Computer Engineering Seminar Series January 28 2000, 3:00pm, Kaufman 224 Distributed Simulation and Interoperability Abstract: Distributed simulation is a method of constructing simulation systems from sets of independent but interoperating simulations, collaboratively simulating a common simulated world. Typically, the individual simulations communicate at run-time using a data protocol via a network, exchanging data about the on-going simulation. This talk will begin with the basic definitions and ideas of distributed simulation and how it is used to construct large simulation systems, especially for military applications. The past and present communications protocols used to support military distributed simulation (SIMNET, DIS, ALSP, and HLA) will be explained at the conceptual level, with emphasis on HLA as it is the newest and subsumes the others. Finally, the Combat Trauma Patient Simulation system, a state-of-the-art distributed simulation, will be presented with special attention given to its distributed structure and how it depends on HLA. Biography Mikel D. Petty is Chief Scientist of the Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center of Old Dominion University. He worked previously at the University of Central Florida?s Institute for Simulation and Training. He has been performing and leading modeling and simulation research since 1990. He received a Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida (UCF) in 1997, an M.S. from UCF in 1988, and a B.S. from the California State University Sacramento in 1980, all in Computer Science. His research interests are in distributed simulation interoperability, computer generated forces, multi-resolution simulation, and applications of computational geometry in simulation. During 9 years in the research field he has published 70 research papers in thos= e areas and has been awarded over 30 research contracts. -------------------------------------------------------- Mikel D. Petty, Ph.D. Chief Scientist Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center College of Engineering and Technology Old Dominion University 7000 College Drive, Suffolk VA 23435 Office 757-686-6210 Fax 757-686-6214 Cell 757-286-7246 Email mpetty@vmasc.odu.edu --------------------------------------------------------