Long-range Laser Scanning Model Simulation the Hit of 2009 Mock Prison Riot Event

Company
Valador designs and builds information architectures for strategic planning, engineering, analysis, and management of highly complex systems.  Valador’s services include visual and model simulations utilizing game engine technology.

Challenge

Each year in May the Mock Prison Riot Training Event is held at the West Virginia Penitentiary, a decommissioned prison built in 1876, in Moundsville.  The rest of the year the prison serves as a museum with a small custodial staff.  But as the springtime event rolls around the staff is inundated with questions from the corrections professionals who plan the training activities about the dimensions and locations of various areas in the facility.  Unfortunately, no detailed drawings, blueprints, or CAD models exist of the prison, only a few rudimentary floor plans. So the staff members have had to “arm” themselves with tape measures and manually measure the rooms, equipment, and other landmark locations.  This was very time-consuming, incomplete, and in the end, not very accurate. 

The Moundsville staff decided that there must be a better way to provide this 3D information to the teams and enable them to acquire the dimensions they needed themselves.  Valador program director for public sector projects explained, “This idea was late in coming, just 60 days before the Mock Prison Riot event deadline.  Moundsville Penitentiary staff did an Internet search, looking for a company that did simulations, and found us, Valador. We proposed using game engine technology to make the whole thing interactive for the teams requesting measurements.”  The idea was to use 3D scan data to create a model of each area involved and use it for developing an interactive environment for new recruits and repeat attendees alike.  The professionals brush up on skills in how to handle any type of situation that may occur throughout the prison.  Having all areas well documented means that prison employees would know about every access point, defensible area, and hidden corner.  That awareness would serve to make them better prepared to safely handle not only normal prison activities, but any emergency that might arise.

Valador had used CAD data in the past to create a real-time environment of 80,000 ft sq. The prison scenario promised to be over 2 million ft sq.  Obviously, manually measuring every space and feature of the prison, even with all Valador’s personnel resources on call, was not a viable option. Valador’s program director reported, “To have mounted a massive measuring project by hand would have been cost prohibitive and with only 30 days for the project to be completed and ready to go, we decided that we had to look for a much more efficient way to gather 3D dimensional data. We needed huge quantities of data that would fit into our existing pipeline.” 

After an Internet search for terrestrial (long-range) laser scanning turned up several companies that specialized in gathering geo-spatial data of large-scale areas, GKS outbid the competition with an outstanding proposal that met all their requirements as well as their budget.  “The relationship with GKS turned out to be the perfect ‘Cinderella’s shoe’ fit in terms of time and cost.  GKS was willing to work with us on the very short timeline, offered valuable advice to our software engineers, helping to translate the files into the needed format for our game engine technology in real-time, from LIDAR scanner directly to the CAD model.”

Process & Technology

GKS was called in to provide the true-to-life full-scale 3D data of every area. GKS engineers proceeded with the scanning of the main cell blocks, the infirmary, the cafeteria, office spaces, and the apartment for night guard.  The long-range laser scanner was even able to scan the basement area which had never been mapped or visualized before because lighting was very limited--the laser functions even in the dark—so this was the first time the basement area had been “seen” and recorded.

Long-range laser scanning is a ground-based technique for collecting high-density 3D data to create digital models of large, complex entities such as a prison compound.  It can be used for both the interiors and exteriors of structures. GKS is able to perform on-site 3D scanning of objects that are virtually unlimited in size.  Using the highly accurate 3D scan data generated with long-range laser scanning, engineers and designers can create CAD models of actual site conditions by processing the scan data into universally usable CAD models.

The large-scale laser scanners work by projecting a laser beam onto an angled rotating mirror that reflects the beam to the object being scanned. The unit scans 360° in a horizontal plane and 320° in a vertical plane, so that the net effect is that everything the scanner can “see” within a sphere with a 76-meter radius can be digitized in one setup, while maintaining an accuracy of +/- 3.0 mm or better over that distance.  Many setups can be merged together to create large-scale scan scenarios.

The voluminous scan data from the prison areas were immediately downloaded to another GKS engineer who edited the data almost in real-time.  The data was then assembled into a digital replica of the prison complex and a solid model was created.  Scanning the entire compound took about 4 days and the huge, complex model was completed in 2 weeks. Following the transfer of data, Valador further optimized the model data for real-time and online use, added textures, and lit the environment within the game engine. The project director commented, “GKS took on a huge risk to reserve their scanning personnel and equipment for the job during the bidding process.  It was a massive measuring project and Valador was only given a 60-day window from concept to completion.  We took bids from several companies, but GKS provided the best cost plus the most comprehensive scope.  Another company’s bid was double the cost estimates and less complete.”

Results

After GKS engineers completed the long-range scanning, the highly accurate scan data was used by Valador to create the architectural structure of the compound.  The data was assembled, smoothed, and modeled into a digital replica of the entire prison complex using middleware to translate the files. “The level of quality of the GKS scan data would not have been possible to obtain by any other means, and on such a short timeline,” noted the Valador project director. “They provided accuracies of 1/100 of a meter. The results exceeded our expectations.”

The project required the environments to be as realistic as possible. The Valador design team took videos of walls, floors, and other elements in the prison to create credible textures, colors, and lighting.  Valador used Autodesk Maya^® (formerly Alias Maya) software, a high-end software package commonly used in professional film-making, to model the 3D data. The models were then integrated into their game engine technology to create an interactive simulation that could allow for an avatar in the scenario. “GKS worked with the software engineers to create the 3D scan data in a way that exported smoothly to the Valador game engine platform.  The models still needed extensive prepping for inclusion into a real-time system. However, the data GKS provided accelerated our ability to create the environments and made a 30 day deadline possible.”

The resulting 3D model of the West Virginia Penitentiary allows users to virtually traverse the penitentiary environments. The advantages of having the necessary areas available in a real-time system also include the ability to take measurements and get a tactical overview of the surroundings while interacting with a to-scale representation of the prison.  The trainers can plan their exercises, such as cell obstruction, riot shield training, and rappelling with accurate measurements and spatial models before coming onsite.  The system is therefore “self-service,” with the capability to tag objects to obtain dimensions.  For example, if a rappelling exercise from the upper level of the cell block is planned, the trainer can measure the height and determine what length of rope is needed and what supports are available for anchoring it.  

Since 2009 is the first year the model simulation has been available at the Mock Prison Riot event, it received a lot of attention.  Attendees from 28 states and 14 different countries saw the Valador booth and thought the demo was “snazzy,” but then quickly realized what a superb tool it was.  After familiarizing themselves with the compound via the interactive model, many training exercise response times improved. Participants saw how the 3D model could be used for many purposes, and that the realistic structural modeling, lifelike geometry, and details added elements of realism and plausibility to the video gaming modality, and better prepared the trainees.

Only a few years ago, the technology of long-range laser scanning was in its infancy.  With its evolution and improvement, simulation applications such as this are becoming more common.  Valador’s project director commented, “Our collaboration with GKS was critical to the project’s resounding success.  GKS provided the best price and the most comprehensive scope of all our bidders.  The cost to our customer was remarkable!”

“We were impressed with the turnaround time, and how all the problems that arose were quickly resolved,” the director continued. “It was a breath of fresh air to have a vendor-partner like GKS who was very responsive and willing to go the extra mile and get us what we needed especially considering the time constraints.  GKS’s efforts directly supported the success of the project and solidified Valador’s relationship with our client.  We were also able to market our simulation product to corrections agencies that viewed the demonstration at the Mock Prison Riot event and would like to create similar simulations at home with their own structures.  We hope this will give us the opportunity to collaborate repeatedly with GKS in bringing in more business.   We want to express our appreciation for the great work, the great budget, and the great quality.”  

Today Valador feels confident in the long-range scanning process with GKS, along with the data conversion and simulation creation methods they developed.  “Now we are much smarter than before this project began: we know the full potential of long-range laser scanning and how to best use it with our 3D game engine technologies.”  With all the acclaim from attendees, the West Virginia Penitentiary simulation is on its way to be even more useful in preparation for the 2010 Mock Prison Riot event.

About Valador
Valador helps customer management overcome challenges such as strategic and tactical planning; policies and procedures development; cost and operational effectiveness assessment; program and project management; and risk, safety, and reliability management. Valador provides this support through four key service areas: Information Assurance, Management Consulting, Modeling and Simulation, and Software Engineering. For further information, visit Valador online or call 703-435-9155.

 

About GKS Global Services / Laser Design, Inc.
GKS Global Services and  Laser Design, Inc. have been leading suppliers of ultra-precise, 3D laser scanning systems, along with CT scanning, dimensional inspection, 3D laser scanning, and long-range scanning services for over 25 years. Our engineers can assist with product development and design, rapid prototyping, and complete contract manufacturing services. GKS also offers rental equipment and expertise to customers with the occasional 3D scanning project. For further information, contact GKS at 952-884-9648 or request an online quote