Portfolio

SmallTown USA

A driving simulator designed for the Army Center for Enhanced Performance to support the re-integration of wounded soldiers into civilian life.

Client:
U.S. Army

Developer:
Virtual Heroes

Platform:
Unreal Engine 2.5

Release Date:
September 2008

About

SmallTown USA is a driver trainer created for the Army Center for Enhanced Performance (ACEP) to support the re-integration of wounded soldiers into civilian life. The player performs basic driving tasks to a specific location and back while the simulation enforces rules of the road.

The environment consists of a small town with various streets and highways that are populated with road signs, intersections with dynamic traffic signals, and AI driven pedestrians and vehicles. The player's vehicle itself is moving on a predefined path, but the player controls speed, turn signals, lights, seat belt, and other aspects of driving.

After the training course is finished, the player is given an after-action review and overall score. Additional features, such as side and rear view mirrors, turn lanes, free driving, parking practice, varying speed limits, and support for multiple monitors were added in phase two of the project.