Abstract
This panel will explore how Modeling and Simulation (M&S) is applied to VR. M&S combined with VR provides a powerful environment for understanding complex processes, activities and events. Until recently, military simulation provided the greatest impetus toward combining the two fields and underpinning technologies.The outcome has been developments that are widely applicable to other domains such as entertainment, science, emergency management and simulation-based design. For example, Mike Zyda explores how his research group is combining those interests and disciplines within the Naval Postgraduate School Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation graduate program.Other efforts, as discussed by Paul Barham, include the development of a High Level Architecture (HLA) for distributed virtual worlds. HLA includes facilities not commonly found in academic virtual environments such as time management that are useful for factory simulation.Finally, Farid Mamaghani discusses an emerging standard for very large virtual world databases, the Synthetic Environment Data Representation and Interchange Specification (SEDRIS).