'Supercarrier on ocean' by Ben Smallwood (composite with MOD)
Computer game simulators will be used to train Royal Navy personnel thanks to support from students at the University of Portsmouth.
Computer games and animation students are reproducing 3-D models of military hardware, such as ships, aircraft carriers, helicopters and submarines, which are embedded in computer simulators reflecting real combat situations.
The Armed Forces regularly exploit commercial off the shelf technology and virtual reality environments to augment training, but the Navy required more up-to-date models of its latest hardware. Under an agreement signed yesterday, it will formally commission work from final-year students studying Computer Animation and Computer Games Technology.
Lieutenant Alex Smith Royal Navy, who works at the Royal Navy’s Technology Based Training Unit, said: “With new developments in technology, Serious Games and simulators offer an increasingly realistic environment for military personnel to develop and hone their skills. They can be used to train young recruits many of the procedures they need prior to using the real equipment onboard but in a ‘safe to fail’ environment.”
The Navy, which has a large base in Portsmouth, approached the University’s School of Creative Technology earlier this year and is already using some of the students’ work, including models of the new Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier (currently under construction) and the WildCat helicopter. Future commissions are likely to include HMS Ocean and the new Royal Marine assault hovercraft.
Lieutenant Smith said that the quality of the work being delivered by the students was exceptional and comparable to anything they could commission professionally.
He said: “The student work we received under the initial brief far surpassed our expectations and prompted us to extend and formalise the collaboration. The arrangement works because the Navy receives an excellent product and the students experience working to a brief with a real-life client. It’s a win-win situation.”
Ben Smallwood, a graduate from the course in Computer Animation, was responsible for some of the first designs delivered to the navy, including models of supercarriers and superstructures, some of the largest vessels owned by the Royal Navy. He said that working on a real project for such a prestigious customer had been a fantastic opportunity.
“I feel like I’m graduating with more than just a degree but with real industry experience and exceptional exposure for my work. I’m thrilled that my designs will be seen by naval personnel all over the world and it’s great that future students on the course will have the same opportunity.”
The 23 year old spent time on HMS Daring to learn about naval architecture and see the technical specifications for himself.
He said: “Being invited on board the ship I was able to get a first hand impression of the sheer scale of some of these massive structures which helped me appreciate what I was dealing with. And I learned some crucial facts such as military vessels have few right angles to make them less detectable by sonar.”
Ben’s designs are now being incorporated into programmes for the Navy which will retain copyright over all the images for security purposes.
The Navy’s Rear Admiral Clive Johnstone CBE and the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor John Craven signed a contract yesterday formalising the arrangement between the two organisations.
