NVIS, Inc.

BSC is the pioneer in providing training for non-rated helicopter aircrew members. BSC delivered the first device of this class in 1997, the Aerial Gunner and Scanner Simulator (AGSS), to the Air Force Special Operations squadron at Kirtland AFB. This simulator, still in service, provides training for up to three crewmembers simultaneously in a device that is reconfigurable to either an MH-60 or MH-53 aircraft. This trainer can also be reconfigured to provide either a .50 cal weapon or 7.62mm minigun at any station in the aircraft. Not only was this the first simulator of its class, but it was the first virtual-reality (VR) flight simulator application purchased by a military customer.

The VR technology, as implemented by BSC, provides several benefits for this type of training. First, it allows for the ability to change the type of aircraft and equipment configuration with minimal change to the physical environment. Second, it allows multiple crewmembers to train in the same device with stereoscopic depth cues, where each person views the environment from the correct perspective, a feature that would be expensive and challenging if not impossible to accomplish with traditional simulator display systems. Finally, the field of regard when utilizing an HMD coupled with 6-DOF head tracking is unparalleled in external displays, allowing the student to look over the top or under the belly of the aircraft as well as 360 degrees horizontally without restriction. Introduced at the Quad-A convention in 2005, BSC?s AGSS II product line (also called the Aircrew Virtual Environment Trainer (AVET) by the US Navy) utilizes modern technology including the nVisor SX HMD to improve upon the early AGSS concept. This provides the highest fidelity training available for helicopter aircrews. Through SBIR Phase I, II, and III projects, BSC is developing additional training opportunities for helicopter crew tasks such as search and rescue, vertical replenishment/external loads, confined area landing, and more. BSC also continues to advance the development of gunnery simulation by providing options to utilize actual weapons modified for simulation, allowing for more complete training of weapon operation and malfunction resolution.

In addition to the US Navy and Air Force purchases of the BSC aircrew training devices, other services have begun training their personnel in Binghamton, NY at BSC?s facility. The success of the BSC AGSS II products is because they deliver the unmatched capability to ?Train as you fight?.

Click here for more information about the nVisor SX60.
Click here for more information about the Headphone/Microphone Upgrade.

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