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Serious Gaming plays an increasingly important role in the Defense and Security domain. Contact mag met with Bernard Charlès, President and CEO of Dassault Systèmes, to learn more about Dassault Systèmes’ vision for Serious Gaming.
Contact mag: Why has Dassault Systèmes entered the Serious Gaming market?
Bernard Charlès: All types of Serious Gaming applications, including message transmission, virtual training or the simulation of complex systems, are based on the use of 3D modeling. At Dassault Systèmes, we talk about Lifelike Experience. It is about learning or understanding “in practice” by experimenting with a scenario in a virtual environment that is very close to reality. We offer a unique experience that unfolds without the associated risks of the real world.
Lifelike Experience is now at the heart of our Version 6 solutions. It is present in the design, simulation and manufacturing phases of all our systems, from the simplest to the most complex. Some of our customers are already using our solutions to develop virtual universes. These projects can be considered as the origins of Serious Gaming, and it is natural for Dassault Systems, a world leader in 3D design and PLM, to support our customers in these strategic choices.
Contact mag: What makes the Dassault Systèmes approach different?
Bernard Charlès: We talk increasingly today about smart products being defined as systems: in addition to mechanical parts, these systems comprise electronic components and software. When the systems are multiple and complex, we talk about system of systems, as in aeronautics. Thanks to the Modelica open language, it is possible to develop a virtual model of a complex system by integrating right from the design phases the descriptions of mechatronic, hydraulic or electrical behavior.
In the aeronautics and defense industries, it is crucial to confirm very early in the development process that a new system will fit into and adapt to a complex, mixed environment. This validation of interoperability concerns not only physical aspects such as airport compatibilities, but also less tangible but equally vital issues such as ensuring the integration of a drone in a multinational armed force with diverse communications systems. Our Version 6 solutions today permit this type of simulation.
Contact mag: How do you see the principal development strategies of Serious Gaming in the years to come?
Bernard Charlès: Our Version 6 platform will contribute extensively to the development of Serious Gaming as applied to the aeronautics and defense sectors, and will allow new players to use 3D in their daily work. This is the case of RAID, the world-renowned French police unit, which is developing training and support solutions in partnership with Dassault Systèmes to assist in decision-making during complex and dangerous operations.
Beyond the aerospace and defense industries, Serious Gaming also extends into the automotive, high tech and life sciences sectors, where our Version 6 platform and Lifelike Experience approach are helping our customers anticipate and meet the challenges of the real world.
Today, our customers are already designing and developing products in 3D thanks to our solutions. Tomorrow, they will be able to develop new uses and new scenarios for their own customers and thus move forward from “Story Telling” to “Story Living”. Serious Gaming is also an opening to the worlds of teaching and research, and even to the general public who, in the near future, will also be able to take advantage of realistic virtual worlds to discover and test new products before buying them. The aim of Dassault Systèmes is to put this technology within the reach of all.
