Advancing the Interoperability of Geospatial Intelligence Tradecraft with 3D Modeling, Simulation, and Game Engines

Herndon, Virginia (March 8, 2021)—The United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), in cooperation with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), published a technical paper, Advancing the Interoperability of Geospatial Intelligence Tradecraft with 3D Modeling, Simulation, and Game Engines, as a means to highlight technology trends that are influencing the convergence of GEOINT and the Modeling, Simulation, and Gaming (MS&G) tradecraft.

The emergence of the geospatially enabled enterprise has opened up new opportunities in the applications of 3D/4D analytics, artificial intelligence/machine learning decision-support systems, and game-engine applications supporting mission rehearsal and virtual training. This technical paper identifies gaps that can be filled through training and education to bridge the divide between communities of practice and spur the evolution of open standards and increased interoperability between geospatial analysis and modeling and simulation solutions for generating 3D synthetic environments.

“As the technologies for both gameplay rendering and 3D characterization of the real world improve, it is highly beneficial for them to merge along a common path, making both new games and new mapping and geospatial techniques possible.  The paper and the working group both enable this exciting way forward,” said Barry Tilton, technology evangelist, Maxar, and USGIF’s Modeling, Simulation, and Gaming (MS&G) Working Group Co-Lead.

The paper addresses three core areas: Tradecraft Gaps Between GEOINT and Modeling and Simulation Communities of Practice; Next Generation Reality Modeling and Database Production; and Game Engines and GEOINT: Redefining Multi-Dimensional Analysis.

“OGC and USGIF have long cooperated on bridging the GEOINT and Modeling and Simulation communities by ensuring that data and practices are highly interoperable. This paper provides a clear vision of further opportunity to align technology to user requirements to take advantage of emerging capabilities,” said Scott Simmons, Chief Standards Officer, OGC.

Members of USGIF’s MS&G Working Group and the OGC collaborated on the paper, which was sponsored by Leidos, Maxar, and Presagis.

About USGIF

USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to promoting the geospatial intelligence tradecraft and developing a stronger GEOINT Community among government, industry, academia, professional organizations, and individuals who develop and apply GEOINT to address global security challenges. USGIF achieves its mission via its strategic pillars: Build the Community | Advance the Tradecraft | Accelerate Innovation.

For more information, please visit www.USGIF.org and follow USGIF on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About OGC

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international consortium of more than 500 businesses, government agencies, research organizations, and universities driven to make geospatial (location) information and services FAIR - Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. OGC’s member-driven consensus process creates royalty free, publicly available geospatial standards. Existing at the cutting edge, OGC actively analyzes and anticipates emerging tech trends, and runs an agile, collaborative Research and Development (R&D) lab that builds and tests innovative prototype solutions to members' use cases. OGC members together form a global forum of experts and communities that use location to connect people with technology and improve decision-making at all levels. OGC is committed to creating a sustainable future for us, our children, and future generations.

Visit  ogc.org for more info on our work.