High Performance Clusters for Modeling and Simulation

Principal Investigator: Dinesh Manocha 
Funding Agency: U.S. Army Research Office 
Agency Number: W911NF-06-1-0113

Abstract
We are requesting equipment to support development of desktop and portable high performance clusters for modeling and simulation. They will be used for interactive display, interaction with massive datasets, computer generated forces and physically-based simulation. In particular, we propose to acquire: - Six high-end, multi-core workstations with high-end graphics processors and giga-bytes of memory. - Six mobile workstations with multi-core CPUs and high-end portable graphics card. - High-resolution displays. - High speed inter-connect technologies. We would use these workstations to develop two graphics clusters: desktop and mobile. These clusters would be used for our DoD funded research on modeling and simulation and handling complex datasets. They would also be used for virtual engineering, simulation-based design, mechanical design, digital prototyping, and vulnerability analysis and battlespace visualization. We would also develop scalable algorithms for line-of-sight, route planning and collision avoidance algorithms on these clusters and evaluate their performance within OneSAF simulation systems. Combined with existing equipment and software tools, and with the assistance of our supporting staff, the proposed equipment will be used for best software realizations of current mathematical algorithms and applications to different domains. The major research projects supported by this equipment are:. - Computer-generated force simulation systems - Simulation-based design of fighting vehicles and submarines - Physically-based simulation - High-resolution displays - Solid modeling for vulnerability analysis and lethality - Real-time walkthroughs of CAD and Urban Environments - Haptic displays We are also closely collaborating with many DOD research labs (including ARL, PEO STRI and RDECOM) and transferring some of the algorithmic and software technology developed as part of these research projects. The requested instrumentation will provide a major upgrade to our current facilities and is also critical for our collaboration and technology transfer to DOD labs and organizations. The equipment will be actively used by more than 15 faculty members from Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, Radiation Oncology and about 75 graduate students. Some of this equipment will also be made available for classroom instruction and laboratories.