Simulation Module Markup Language

Vision: Virtual Earth

Simulation Module Markup Language

Home Overview Syntax Examples Java tools Download	Virtual Earth We expect that effectively managing human affairs through the next century will be largely dependent upon Mankind's ability to harness information technology to adequately perceive, formulate, and administer sufficient feedback control mechanisms to avert economic, ecological, and military threats at the local, regional, and global levels. Although the marketplace will produce tools which enable stakeholders to harness high performance computing, virtual reality, and distributed simulation capabilities to strive towards their respective goals, it is unclear that an embracing infrastructure to integrate those technologies will emerge. This project is designed to support such a framework, a "Virtual Earth," whereby a wide spectrum of participants can experience and interact with others' versions of the past, present, and future. This infrastructure will provide a persistent, dynamic, 3D virtual representation of many aspects of the planet's ecosystems, economics, and social/cultural/political systems, built upon a rapidly growing universe of networked geospatial information and data intensive simulations. This "planetary co-laboratory" will provide virtual spaces where policy makers, scientists, scholars, artists, students, and stake holders can work work together on an international scale to enrich the arts and sciences, and address the critical issues of the twenty-first century. The "Digital Earth" Foundation A new wave of technological innovation is allowing us to capture, store, process and display an unprecedented amount of information about our planet and a wide variety of environmental and cultural phenomena, and to build computer simulation models that cover the salient features of the world's climate, ecosystems, and human systems. Scientists hope that as data from Mission to Planet Earth and other programs are integrated into dynamic spatial models, it will be possible to develop a more holistic understanding of coupled Earth and human systems dynamics, and in the process convert data into information relevant for education, science, and policy making. These programs, augmented by the development of the Open Geodata Interoperability Specification (OGIS) by the Open GIS Consortium have provided the foundation for a Virtual Earth project by providing an open framework for universal geographic data access, processing, visualization, and spatial modeling. Simulation Infrastructure The simulation layer of Virtual Earth will provide the essential dynamics of VE component objects. It will require a vast library of highly flexible, interoperable, models. Clearly it will be impossible to build a separate model for every possible situation or scenario. To achieve the necessary configurability, models will have to be assembled as needed from a collection of configurable modules (representing model components) that can be freely exchanged over the net. These modules must be highly adaptable in order to be able to execute within the context of many different, widely varying models. We propose that this degree of adaptability be achieved by implementing the modules using a Simulation Module Markup Language (SMML). This declarative formalism provides the high level of abstraction necessary for maximum generality, provides enough detail to allow a dynamic simulation to be generated automatically, and avoids the "hard-coded" implementation of space-time dynamics that makes procedural specifications of limited usefulness for specifying archivable modules. A SMML module has access to simulation services that are not possible in a loosely-coupled "federated" environment, such as graphical module development and configuration, automatic differentiation of model equations, run-time visualization of the data and dynamics of any variable in the simulation, transparent distributed computing within each module, and fully configurable space-time representations. Graphical Module Development It is important that participants in VE be able to express their understanding of the world by creating new VE models. It is through the process of developing these models that they are able to communicate and test their hypotheses, so that the process of modeling can become a learning and consensus building tool. We propose that this creative process be supportrd through the utilization of graphical, icon-based module interfaces, wherein the structure of the module is represented diagramatically. The graphical representation of the model can serve as a blackboard for group brainstorming, allowing students, educators, policy makers, scientists, and stakeholders to all be involved in the modeling process. New ideas can be tested and scenarios investigated using the model within the context of group discussion as the model grows through a collaborative process of exploration. When applied in this manner the process of creating a model may be more valuable than the finished product. Multiple Spatio-Temporal Representations and Scales Building realistic models of natural systems generally requires the integration of multiple spatial data structures in a single model, and the coupling of data and models designed to operate at different spatio-temporal scales. Thus the implementation of the concept of space in the modeling environment must be general enough to allow the instantiation of a wide range of specific space-time representations, and the details of linking, transferring data between, and decomposing (over multiple processors) these spatial representations should be invisible to the modelers. In building a model, it should be possible to configure any relevant simulation module to run with any of the space-time representations supported by the modeling environment. Persistent Virtual Environments After a decade of evolution of multimedia systems, spatial DBMS, visualization tools, virtual reality applications, and problem solving environments, a new generation of information systems is emerging. Advances in processor, display, and storage technology now make it possible to combine aspects of these various systems into information managers that, for the first time, truly exploit human information processing abilities. For example, it is now possible to render photorealistic 3D interactive animations in real-time. A great deal rides on understanding what sorts of information systems can be built to take advantage of this qualitatively different world. The Virtual Earth collaboratory will enable users to view and interact with a remote simulation or remote observational exercise with near-realtime visualization of the results on local graphics machines or virtual reality hardware, using a shared, persistent virtual environment linked by a consistent programming and collaborative environment. Applications & Societal Impacts The applications that will be possible with broad, easy to use access to global geospatial information, models and visualizations will be limited only by our imagination. We can get a sense of the possibilities by extrapolating from today's applications of GIS and spatial modeling, some of which have been driven by industry, others by leading-edge public sector users. For example, in the realm Environmental management, VE will promote science-based, collaborative exploration of natural system dynamics by diverse stakeholders/ managers/ students, and thereby help strengthen environmental awareness, planning, and decision-making for conservation and sustainable development of natural resources. A list of other applications includes crime fighting, preserving biodiversity, precision farming, crisis/disaster management, economic policy evaluation, regional planning, regional conflict resolution, education, entertainment, virtual touring in space & time, and vacation planning. The Virtual Earth infrastructure will have broad societal and commercial benefits in areas such as education, decision-making for a sustainable future, land-use planning, agricultural, and crisis management. The Virtual Earth project could allow us to respond to manmade or natural disasters - or to collaborate on the long-term environmental challenges we face. We expect that in the next century Virtual Earth will become a multi-billion dollar industry.

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Virtual Earth

We expect that effectively managing human affairs through the next century will be largely dependent upon Mankind's ability to harness information technology to adequately perceive, formulate, and administer sufficient feedback control mechanisms to avert economic, ecological, and military threats at the local, regional, and global levels. Although the marketplace will produce tools which enable stakeholders to harness high performance computing, virtual reality, and distributed simulation capabilities to strive towards their respective goals, it is unclear that an embracing infrastructure to integrate those technologies will emerge. This project is designed to support such a framework, a "Virtual Earth," whereby a wide spectrum of participants can experience and interact with others' versions of the past, present, and future. This infrastructure will provide a persistent, dynamic, 3D virtual representation of many aspects of the planet's ecosystems, economics, and social/cultural/political systems, built upon a rapidly growing universe of networked geospatial information and data intensive simulations. This "planetary co-laboratory" will provide virtual spaces where policy makers, scientists, scholars, artists, students, and stake holders can work work together on an international scale to enrich the arts and sciences, and address the critical issues of the twenty-first century.

The "Digital Earth" Foundation

A new wave of technological innovation is allowing us to capture, store, process and display an unprecedented amount of information about our planet and a wide variety of environmental and cultural phenomena, and to build computer simulation models that cover the salient features of the world's climate, ecosystems, and human systems. Scientists hope that as data from Mission to Planet Earth and other programs are integrated into dynamic spatial models, it will be possible to develop a more holistic understanding of coupled Earth and human systems dynamics, and in the process convert data into information relevant for education, science, and policy making. These programs, augmented by the development of the Open Geodata Interoperability Specification (OGIS) by the Open GIS Consortium have provided the foundation for a Virtual Earth project by providing an open framework for universal geographic data access, processing, visualization, and spatial modeling.

Simulation Infrastructure

The simulation layer of Virtual Earth will provide the essential dynamics of VE component objects. It will require a vast library of highly flexible, interoperable, models. Clearly it will be impossible to build a separate model for every possible situation or scenario. To achieve the necessary configurability, models will have to be assembled as needed from a collection of configurable modules (representing model components) that can be freely exchanged over the net. These modules must be highly adaptable in order to be able to execute within the context of many different, widely varying models. We propose that this degree of adaptability be achieved by implementing the modules using a Simulation Module Markup Language (SMML). This declarative formalism provides the high level of abstraction necessary for maximum generality, provides enough detail to allow a dynamic simulation to be generated automatically, and avoids the "hard-coded" implementation of space-time dynamics that makes procedural specifications of limited usefulness for specifying archivable modules. A SMML module has access to simulation services that are not possible in a loosely-coupled "federated" environment, such as graphical module development and configuration, automatic differentiation of model equations, run-time visualization of the data and dynamics of any variable in the simulation, transparent distributed computing within each module, and fully configurable space-time representations.

Graphical Module Development

It is important that participants in VE be able to express their understanding of the world by creating new VE models. It is through the process of developing these models that they are able to communicate and test their hypotheses, so that the process of modeling can become a learning and consensus building tool. We propose that this creative process be supportrd through the utilization of graphical, icon-based module interfaces, wherein the structure of the module is represented diagramatically. The graphical representation of the model can serve as a blackboard for group brainstorming, allowing students, educators, policy makers, scientists, and stakeholders to all be involved in the modeling process. New ideas can be tested and scenarios investigated using the model within the context of group discussion as the model grows through a collaborative process of exploration. When applied in this manner the process of creating a model may be more valuable than the finished product.

Multiple Spatio-Temporal Representations and Scales

Building realistic models of natural systems generally requires the integration of multiple spatial data structures in a single model, and the coupling of data and models designed to operate at different spatio-temporal scales. Thus the implementation of the concept of space in the modeling environment must be general enough to allow the instantiation of a wide range of specific space-time representations, and the details of linking, transferring data between, and decomposing (over multiple processors) these spatial representations should be invisible to the modelers. In building a model, it should be possible to configure any relevant simulation module to run with any of the space-time representations supported by the modeling environment.

Persistent Virtual Environments

After a decade of evolution of multimedia systems, spatial DBMS, visualization tools, virtual reality applications, and problem solving environments, a new generation of information systems is emerging. Advances in processor, display, and storage technology now make it possible to combine aspects of these various systems into information managers that, for the first time, truly exploit human information processing abilities. For example, it is now possible to render photorealistic 3D interactive animations in real-time. A great deal rides on understanding what sorts of information systems can be built to take advantage of this qualitatively different world. The Virtual Earth collaboratory will enable users to view and interact with a remote simulation or remote observational exercise with near-realtime visualization of the results on local graphics machines or virtual reality hardware, using a shared, persistent virtual environment linked by a consistent programming and collaborative environment.

Applications & Societal Impacts

The applications that will be possible with broad, easy to use access to global geospatial information, models and visualizations will be limited only by our imagination. We can get a sense of the possibilities by extrapolating from today's applications of GIS and spatial modeling, some of which have been driven by industry, others by leading-edge public sector users. For example, in the realm Environmental management, VE will promote science-based, collaborative exploration of natural system dynamics by diverse stakeholders/ managers/ students, and thereby help strengthen environmental awareness, planning, and decision-making for conservation and sustainable development of natural resources. A list of other applications includes crime fighting, preserving biodiversity, precision farming, crisis/disaster management, economic policy evaluation, regional planning, regional conflict resolution, education, entertainment, virtual touring in space & time, and vacation planning.

The Virtual Earth infrastructure will have broad societal and commercial benefits in areas such as education, decision-making for a sustainable future, land-use planning, agricultural, and crisis management. The Virtual Earth project could allow us to respond to manmade or natural disasters - or to collaborate on the long-term environmental challenges we face. We expect that in the next century Virtual Earth will become a multi-billion dollar industry.

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Last modified: Tue Mar 9 15:54:27 EST 1999