Vancouver, BC - October 12, 2010— NGRAIN, a leading provider of interactive 3D equipment simulation solutions that maximize the effectiveness of training programs and maintenance support systems, today announced it is one of the first companies to have its interactive 3D simulation solutions pass the necessary testing for the Canadian Air Force Integrated Information Learning Environment (AFIILE). NGRAIN Virtual Task Trainer™ (VTT™) solutions will be made available to maintenance technicians across the Air Force community on the standardized platform, helping to accelerate learning across a distributed learning environment.
“The AFIILE program marks a new training approach for the Canadian Air Force,” said Arnold van den Hoeven, Director of Canadian Defence, NGRAIN. “With this program, airmen across the country will have universal access to the NGRAIN solutions made available on AFIILE. Instructors will be able to track student performance and have confidence that their students have access to the information they need to be successful in the field.”
Two NGRAIN VTT solutions passed the testing for SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) compliance on the AFIILE environment. The NGRAIN solutions leverage interactive 3D simulations of the CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft to deliver results-driven training for aircraft maintainers and technicians. The MK-46 Lightweight Torpedo VTT and the CP-140 Corrosion Control VTT each enable students to feely explore the systems, identify parts, review key assembly/disassembly and maintenance procedures, as well as review troubleshooting exercises. NGRAIN VTT solutions are proven to optimize valuable instructor time, provide students with access to training outside of traditional class hours, and increase student performance and training throughput.
“The Canadian Air Force is transforming its training approach to develop more capable airmen and airwomen in a shorter period of time,” said Major David O’Brien, Air Force Technician Performance Solutions, 2 Canadian Air Division. “To meet these demanding goals, the Air Force is redesigning its training with the most advanced training methodology and employing cutting-edge technology - to improve the training experience, to reduce training times, and to increase performance on the job. We are pleased to see the first two NGRAIN products pass AFIILE SCORM testing. The NGRAIN products have been sent to the training schools and will be deployed in the AFIILE environment in the weeks to come.”
NGRAIN VTT solutions are based on the 3KO® (3D Knowledge Object™), a unique approach which embeds subject-matter-expertise with detailed 3D models into a self-contained format. The NGRAIN 3KO is optimized to run on a common Windows-based computer without the need for specialized graphics acceleration hardware. In the 3KO format, information related to the model itself is protected and cannot be reverse engineered, making it ideal for a distributed learning environment such as AFIILE. Air Force instructors will also have the ability to reuse and repurpose the NGRAIN solutions by updating the 3KO as needed or inserting it into Microsoft® Word, PowerPoint® or Adobe® PDF files or published as part of an HTML page.
“NGRAIN technology is known to improve comprehension and accelerate learning of complex technical information,” said Major Denis Forest, AFIILE Project Director at National Defence Headquarters. “The reusability of the NGRAIN 3KO is tantamount to our success. With NGRAIN onboard AFIILE, the Air Force has the confidence that our national training programs will have access to essential simulation technology.”
