Modelling, Simulation, and Analysis
Based on GSC Associates' long-standing expertise in both computer science and
mathematics, statistics and operations research,
the company has developed a strong competency in Modelling, Simulation, and
Analysis (MSA), and especially in making MSA capabilities an integral feature of
collaborative environments. Specifically:
- We have developed a set of technologies
and a framework that we call Modelling, Simulation, and
Analysis Definition and Integration (MDI). This framework is based on widely
used business tools including standard Microsoft Excel and SharePoint 2007. We
have applied MDI to opportunities in logistics, transportation, regional
planning, and environmental representation where it integrates such tools as
time-domain based discrete event simulation and transportation optimization
including Least Cost Path Optimization.
- As part of the Strategic Mobility 21 research program conducted for the Office of Naval Research, in 2007 we conceptualized, designed, and developed a set of web portal
interfaces based on our MDI technology. These web portals include integrated geo-spatial
visualization, modelling, simulation, and analysis tools organized around set of common data files based on a formal ontology.
The formal ontology was defined collaboratively by stakeholders using a
wikipedia interface for the problem domain. This ontology is expressed in
multiple formats including UML diagrams and Excel spreadsheets. MSA tools were
integrated based on this ontology with their inputs and outputs connected
through the use of Excel spreadsheets tied to the ontology, documenting object
instances and their properties. One significance of this new technology is that
it allows a group of experts to collaborate in defining the important
characteristics of a domain (the formal ontology) as well as in making models,
simulations, and analysis tools in that domain interoperate. A paper about this work presented at the 12th
ICCRTS: Collaboration in Regional Civilian and Military Transportation Planning.
- For over seven years, we conducted research and development in environmental representation and geographic information technology to support the development of a series of International Standards for modeling and simulation including the Environmental Data Coding Specification (EDCS - ISO 18026), the Spatial Reference Model (SRM - ISO 18025), and the Synthetic Environment Data Representation and Interchange Specification (SEDRIS - ISO 18023). The goal of this research was to support military
modeling and simulation efforts with improved representation and interchange technologies that were internationally accepted as well as to encourage the use of these technologies in applications such as entertainment.
GSC Associates' experts served as editors of two International Standards: Environmental Data Coding Specification (EDCS - ISO 18026) and the Spatial Reference Model (SRM - ISO 18025). We conducted research and development in spatial information processing and integrated concepts from a diverse set of information communities including the US DoD, International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), World Meteorological Organization (WMO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), OpenGIS Consortium (OGC), ISO TC 211 (Geographic Information - Geomatics), the SEDRIS Organization, and the Simulation Interoperability Standard Organization (SISO) into a cohesive framework. Participated in the ISO Joint Steering Group on Spatial Standard and Related Interoperability and conducted liaison with many standards organizations worldwide. We were key contributors to data representation model and transmittal format standards for spatial information interchange.
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