At a ceremony last month at NVIDIA headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif., NPS Chairman, retired U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Ann Rondeau and NVIDIA Vice President of External Affairs Ned Finkle signed a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to collaborate on development. of AI-based technologies for learning and real-world applications.
“Working with NVIDIA represents a major advancement in leveraging cutting-edge AI, machine learning and the NVIDIA Omniverse platform to solve complex challenges,” said Kaitie Penry, director of emerging technologies and technology. innovation at NPS, who will oversee initial projects. . “This collaboration will create groundbreaking research and education opportunities that will drive innovation and enhance the capabilities of the Department of the Navy and be integrated into the Naval Innovation Center at the NPS.
Trusted AI and autonomy is one of 14 critical technology areas identified in the National Defense Science and Technology Strategy 2023. This collaboration highlights the importance of integrating AI and industrial technology into advanced training NPS students to develop their talent as technically competent leaders and problem solvers.
“The Department of the Navy continues to promote the rapid development of technologies that accelerate decision-making as part of our maritime advantage,” said Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro. “I am excited about the work that the Naval Postgraduate School’s Naval Innovation Center will do to harness and accelerate the results of AI-enabled research projects like this with our industry partners.
The recently released chief of naval operations NAV PLAN 2024 aims to improve situational awareness, decision-making and rapid planning through AI as an enabling technology. NAVPLAN also recognizes that AI-based training and education must be used at the same pace in reliable, realistic, and relevant environments for naval forces to carry them out.
Innovation in real, virtual, and constructive (LVC) technologies powers advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) applications. The Navy’s goal is to make LVC training widely available anytime, anywhere by providing the opportunity to develop tactical skills. NPS is a leader in advanced M&S education and applied research through its Institute for Modeling of Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) and will be one of the collaboration centers with NVIDIA.
As part of NVIDIA’s AI Technology Center program, NPS and NVIDIA will collaborate on research, educational efforts and industry discussions. The first project will focus on “non-physical modeling and scenario generation” to create a tool for simulation and mission planning purposes specific to the requirements of the naval end user domain.
Technologies based on Nvidia Omniverse platform will enable the development of the digital twin and Physical AIsimulation applications in all sectors. NVIDIA’s program will also provide NPS AI and M&S training relevant to a variety of operational use cases, including digital twin applications and contingency planning for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. disaster.
“Training the next generation of AI leaders is crucial to tackling some of the most complex challenges we face, from disaster relief to mission readiness,” said Jimmie Adkins, Federal Director at NVIDIA. “Using NVIDIA technology such as NVIDIA Omniverse, the Naval Postgraduate School provides students with cutting-edge tools for real-time collaboration and simulation, enabling them to develop innovative solutions with immediate, real-world impact. »
While helping to keep the Navy at the forefront of AI education, research and innovation, the collaboration between NPS and NVIDIA, born from working relationships on M&S technologies for enterprise environments, enhanced learning and training, will also allow the two institutions to share information.
These opportunities will help make NPS graduates high-impact and highly sought after, not only for their knowledge, but also for their skills and determination as innovative change leaders.
At the CRADA signing ceremony last month, Rondeau highlighted how “the NPS is a catalyst for change to help keep the naval services at the forefront of future operational concepts and enabling technologies, as it is not enough not to provide education – there must be results and impacts. »
She continued: “This collaboration with NVIDIA was born out of a desire to advance AI education and research to solve real-world problems. I look forward to the discoveries and innovative solutions to come.
NPS students and faculty met with NVIDIA team members at the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference in Orlando, Fla., on Dec. 3 to share current research and kick-off discussions on the technological applications that will form the cornerstone of the CRADA partnership. Del Toro, an NPS alumnus, met with the NPS-NVIDIA team to hear directly about their planned projects, encouraging them to work with a sense of urgency and focus on ways and means to enable rapid adoption, at a pace and on a large scale.
(The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) does not constitute an endorsement of NVIDIA or its products and services by the Naval Postgraduate School, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.)
The mission of the Naval Postgraduate School is to provide graduate education, including classified study and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness and technological leadership of the Naval Service. For more information, visit NPS online at http://www.nps.edu