Current Networked Implementation

The system currently under development is composed of numerous functional modules linked by a UDP multicast communication framework. The network communication library provides application modules with transparent access to medical data (such as respiration rate) along with other entity data (e.g. position, velocity). Broadcast of status and event packets is handled transparently as well. Medical data is handled separately from other entity data, so this framework can be used in conjunction with standard DIS PDU's without conflict.

Application modules under development include:

• Image generator module: This is the module that will be linked in to Jack, NPSNet, and Sandia's rendering program. Any new PaT-Nets developed for controlling audio/visual representations of physiological parameters and responses to diagnosis actions (e.g. capillary refill check) will be contained in this module. This will probably take the form of an enhanced JackML that contains a lisp interpreter.

• Simulation monitor: This is basically a 2D ``radar'' display that displays network entities participating in the exercise. Events such as wounds and medical procedure triggers can be displayed, and menus will be provided for starting up additional modules (such as a health monitor for a particular entity).

• Physiological model: This is the model that responds to injuries and treatments, and calculates the physiological parameters. One model will be created per entity.

• Wound model: This assigns wounds to entities. Injuries follow either probabilistically, from mechanism of injury or through a likely penetration path calculation (cf. Section 3.1). Injuries can also be assigned directly via a menu. There will be one wound model per simulation.

• Health display: This provides graphical display of various physiological parameters and may optionally take the form of a PSM display. Each display module will provide information on one entity.

• Entity controller: This controls a network entity based on user input or semi-autonomous behavior. For example, this could be linked in to Jack (along with an image generator module) to allow a user to both control a medic and view the environment. Or, a Jack process with several autonomous agents could broadcast the activities of a group of soldiers.