stk:
There is a lot to reply to in your post, but here's a quick one:
<<<I just wonder what FATS is working on in the background?>>>
In an urban fight, one of the biggest challenges is to identify friend and foe. To reflect this, virtual trainers require advanced artificial intelligence programs that can realistically replicate the wide range of possible actions.
BioGraphic Technologies Inc., of Montreal, Canada, has sold a new artificial intelligence system to Firearms Training Systems Inc., a developer of military and law enforcement training devices. “The ability to populate our next-generation small arms trainer with intelligent, interactive characters is a key factor in our efforts to develop immersive simulations, including urban combat scenarios our customers require today,” says Jim Napier, software group manager at FATS Inc.
The artificial intelligence package allows trainers to manipulate character responses on the fly, changing crowds into violent mobs with a keystroke. Other group-level behaviors can be programmed into the system.
---from the Day 2 Show Daily at I/ITSEC