The Discovery Machine® AI Behavior Modeling Console for VBS2™ enables instructors (non-programmers) to create intelligent adversaries and indigenous populations that communicate with the trainee and each other, follow patterns of life, and dynamically react to their situation.

Discovery Machine AI Behavior Modeling Console for VBS2™

Immersive training has become more prevalent with each passing year.  It offers cost savings while maintaining the fighter’s level of readiness.  The leading virtual training environment is Virtual Battlespace 2(VBS2™) by Bohemia Interactive Simulations.  There are a variety of reasons why VBS2™ is so popular including that VBS2™ offers realistic renderings of the world, an extensive library of avatars and devices, and the ability to script the behaviors of all characters to customize training to every unique need.  Discovery Machine expands on these capabilities with the addition of a detailed behavior modeling capability and can be incorporated with existing VBS2™ installations to enhance the end user experience.

Discovery Machine’s Approach

As part of Discovery Machine’s continued efforts to facilitate intelligent behavior construction by non-computer experts, Discovery Machine has created the Behavior Modeling Console VBS2™.  This powerful software offering facilitates the creation of behavior models to control characters in VBS2™ with powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI).  Discovery Machine has created a set of pre-built behavior templates that are used to create customized intelligent behavior models.   Resulting models can then be used to control characters in a scenario with artificial intelligence.

Intelligent Behavior Construction using Behavior Templates Instead of Scripting

The Scenario Advisor System allows users to quickly create and use multiple characters in the VBS2™ simulation.  The simple to use interface allows users to create a scenario with realistic entities complete with customized parameters for their individual mood, an individual social network, and a complex interaction capability.  The advisor also allows users to define goals and events which allows a logical flow through the scenario.  

Each character is defined using a behavior template and by specifying a few inputs.  Details about the character like education level, gender, religion, occupation, and more are defined.  Adjusting the inputs allows behaviors to be customized.

With the advisor system it is also possible to define a character’s social network.  Family members, business associates, and social acquaintances can be represented.

Highlights

• Enables objective and event driven behavior models
• Includes a social network model and communication mechanism to facilitate intelligent interaction between various characters in the simulation.
• Allows character definitions to be modified and customized rapidly to meet the needs of the current situation

Understandable Intelligent Behavior Models

Discovery Machine prides itself on creating knowledge representations that are understandable to the user.  This is evident throughout the entire development process.  All models created in the Behavior Modeling Behavior Modeling Console for VBS2™ are represented visually and each component is named with a statement of what is being done.  This allows anyone, programmer or non-programmer, to quickly look at a model and understand what a model is doing.  This paradigm is translated to viewing models during a training event as well.  Gone are the days where what the AI is doing is hidden from the user.  Discovery Machine allows the user to open the behavior model of ANY character in the simulation and monitor it while it executes.  This reduces the reliance on unpredictable AI and allows the user to open and adjust confusing behaviors as necessary.

Highlights

• Understandable artificial intelligence
• Visual representations of behaviors during construction
• Visual monitoring of behavior execution at run-time

Fully Functional Situation Awareness Processor

In order to be truly intelligent a character must be able to monitor its surroundings.  For that reason, Discovery Machine has incorporated a situation awareness processor into every behavior model created.  The situation awareness processor monitors various factors at the same time the mission is being executed.  This essentially creates a simulated memory so that characters can leverage things they have already observed throughout the simulation.  Equipped with that information, Discovery Machine’s behavior models can perceive their environment and comprehend what is going on around them.  If a dangerous situation arises, the behaviors can react to avoid or eliminate it before returning to their mission.

Highlights

• Process the situational awareness of the training event and react accordingly
• Interrupt the main mission if more important information arises
• Alter current missions to address new concerns

Intelligent Communication

In order to be effective, training efforts must incorporate communication.  Discovery Machine’s VBS2™ behavior models allow trainees to communicate with characters in the simulation via a chat window.  Characters are also capable of communicating with each other, enabling new information to be disseminated between any simulated entities forming a social network for those entities.  If new information is learned by one character in a simulation, they can relay that information to a teammate causing their missions to adjust themselves based on the new information at hand.

Highlights

• Intelligent communication between characters in VBS2™
• Ability to respond to human communication
• Adaptation of the main mission based on new information

Integration

The Discovery Machine Behavior Modeling Console was initially developed for full integration with VBS2™ version 1.4.  All later versions of VBS2 will also be supported based on customer needs. The integration supports publishing Discovery Machine Behavior Models to control any character in the simulation intelligently.  When VBS2™ is launched, a behavior view manager will be created to manage all Discovery Machine Behavior Models currently deployed in the VBS2™ simulation.

Highlights

• Full integration with VBS2™ version 1.4 and later versions based on need.
• Published behavior models can control any character in the simulation
• Behavior view manager allows monitoring of all behavior models at run-time

View Demonstrations of the Behavior Modeling Console for VBS2™

VBS2™ is a trademark of Bohemia Interactive Australia (BIA)