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CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Think of it as a video game for forestry buffs.
Tim Holt, a senior research assistant at Oregon State’s College of Forestry who also moonlights as a video game designer, is developing a “serious game” allowing scientists to “virtually” explore forests instead of having to travel to the actual locations.
Serious games combine video game technology with real-life applications, such as training surgical nurses in simulated operating rooms or allowing firefighters to simulate disaster scenarios in safety.
Holt and other researchers in the college modify existing games, creating virtual forests with accurate information about types of trees, fuels and topography.
“I can take a game where you’re given this space alien-looking thing with crossbows and turn it into a forest visualization based on real data,” Holt said.
Multiple players can participate in Holt’s game simultaneously over the Internet, and can interact with each other.
Holt is using data from the Landscape Ecology, Modeling, Mapping and Analysis project (LEMMA). It is a two-year project is funded by a $254,000 grant from the Joint Fire Science Program of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
Still in the early stages, Holt’s game covers a forest near Tillamook and distinguishes only between conifer and hardwood trees. Holt plans to make it much more specific and cover a wider geographic area.
“Many software developers have spent millions developing realistic-looking games that have dramatic visual elements, great lighting, 3-D effects, human interaction and are easily used by your average middle-school student,” Holt said. “Why re-invent the wheel? These games can usually be modified with additional programming. And so long as you don’t sell your package commercially, the industry generally encourages this because it helps them sell more of their games.”
While Holt is using open code to allow fellow scientists to use his information freely, the game could translate into licensing revenue for OSU if a company wants to purchase the commercial rights.
“There’s definitely a wow factor, and that’s pretty neat to see,” said Matt Gregory, a senior faculty research assistant at the forest science department who helped develop LEMMA. “People get past the initial ’Ha ha, this is really funny’ and see the possibilities of what it can do.”
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Information from: Gazette-Times, http://www.gtconnect.com
Tim Holt, a senior research assistant at Oregon State’s College of Forestry who also moonlights as a video game designer, is developing a “serious game” allowing scientists to “virtually” explore forests instead of having to travel to the actual locations.
Serious games combine video game technology with real-life applications, such as training surgical nurses in simulated operating rooms or allowing firefighters to simulate disaster scenarios in safety.
Holt and other researchers in the college modify existing games, creating virtual forests with accurate information about types of trees, fuels and topography.
“I can take a game where you’re given this space alien-looking thing with crossbows and turn it into a forest visualization based on real data,” Holt said.
Multiple players can participate in Holt’s game simultaneously over the Internet, and can interact with each other.
Holt is using data from the Landscape Ecology, Modeling, Mapping and Analysis project (LEMMA). It is a two-year project is funded by a $254,000 grant from the Joint Fire Science Program of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
Still in the early stages, Holt’s game covers a forest near Tillamook and distinguishes only between conifer and hardwood trees. Holt plans to make it much more specific and cover a wider geographic area.
“Many software developers have spent millions developing realistic-looking games that have dramatic visual elements, great lighting, 3-D effects, human interaction and are easily used by your average middle-school student,” Holt said. “Why re-invent the wheel? These games can usually be modified with additional programming. And so long as you don’t sell your package commercially, the industry generally encourages this because it helps them sell more of their games.”
While Holt is using open code to allow fellow scientists to use his information freely, the game could translate into licensing revenue for OSU if a company wants to purchase the commercial rights.
“There’s definitely a wow factor, and that’s pretty neat to see,” said Matt Gregory, a senior faculty research assistant at the forest science department who helped develop LEMMA. “People get past the initial ’Ha ha, this is really funny’ and see the possibilities of what it can do.”
———
Information from: Gazette-Times, http://www.gtconnect.com
