Research and Development:
| G3 Systems Inc. has a long and decorated history of providing leading-edge technology strategies for cutting-edge, new and emerging technologies. This commitment dated back to 1988 and the research and development efforts that Gordon G. Miller, III directed while at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). Over the last 10-15 years, several specific research efforts have managed to evolve into significant technologies and core efforts. The results from these internal research efforts continue to inform activities from Interface Design and Systems Integration to Courseware Development and Software Engineering. The most critical research areas are indicated below. For more information, please contact info@g3.com. |
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Interface Design:
G3 is fortunate to have access to a Silicon Graphics powered CAVE advanced virtual reality and simulation environment here at Virginia Tech. At the time this system was installed, there were only 20 sites in the country. Access to this unique technology gave rise to virtual tours and field trips for educational clients and virtual simulations and walkthroughs for the US Navy. Gordon G. Miller, III is a Founding Fellow for the Center for Human Computer Interaction at Virginia Tech. His research focuses on both 2D and 3D interface design and overall usability issues including, but not limited to, accessibility issues for WAI and Federal Section 508. |
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Learning Management:
G3 led the SAIC team as head of the original Learning Management Configuration Process Action Team for the P/TAS contract. In preparation for this vital team role, G3 spent a great deal of time researching, testing and evaluating various commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) product solutions. Once the functionality matrix was established for the future Army system, it was a simple matter to compare and contrast system features in order to find the closest fit to existing COTS products. |
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Nano Servers:
G3 started research into the area of server clustering and small-scale multi-processor servers as far back as 1993. Back in 1994, G3 revolutionized the Internet server market by designing and building the first multi-processor Internet server of its kind. This five-processor server used a single Motorola 68020 host chip to manage tasks between multiple Motorola 68040 series processor cards. This radical new server design was field tested in 1994 and used as the primary Internet server for over a year while the designs for the hardware were further refined. This technology is now the cornerstone of the next-generation of G3 server products that should debut sometime in 2002 and focus on large-scale simulation computation and real-time encryption encoding/decoding. |
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Network Storage:
As G3 evolved its own Nano Server architecture, that new architecture featured a focus on network-based storage. Over the years, G3 has looked at Network Attached Storage (NAS) as well as Storage Area Networks (SAN). G3 continues to monitor on-going research activities at Virginia Tech in this area, including the PetaPlex project sponsored by Knowledge Systems to provide 1 Petabyte of integrated intelligent on-line storage. This technology is a pivotal part of the G3 modular systems architecture. |
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Steganography - Cryptography and Encryption of Data in Images:
G3 has its roots in scientific visual analysis, visual simulation and parametric and mathematical modeling. G3's efforts to extract data from images dates back to early 1991 with projects out of the Laboratory for Scientific Visual Analysis at Virginia Tech. G3 has developed its own technologies to provide multi-dimensional encryption and cryptography of information into single and multiple images. This technology will likely be extended to meet the needs of the current war on terrorism through future DARPA research and development activities with the US Army and potential future applications with National Security Agency (NSA). |
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Thin Client:
G3 has been testing and evaluating a wide variety of handheld products since the original US Robotics Palm Pilot hit the market back in 1996. Since then, G3 has investigated early Microsoft HPC solutions including early Compaq HPC and Vadem Clio tri-fold tablet form factors. Current research focuses on Kyocera smartphone integration for the Palm platform and HP Jornada PocketPC running the Microsoft Mobile 2002 platform. This research is often performed in conjunction with wireless LAN and WAN solutions either via CDPD, cellular data or IEEE 802.11b standards. While no clear winner has emerged for all use cases, the search continues. |
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User Interface Markup Language (UIML):
G3 has been working with Harmonia, Inc to explore the potential of UIML as a natural extension to traditional XML. UIML has already been used by SAIC and the US Army for the Initial Operational Capability (IOC-2) version of the Army Training Information Architecture - Migrated (ATIA-M) system. G3 has contributed to the evolving UIML functionality of the technology and the accompanying authoring system. This technology allows for a single code base to support deployment to multiple platforms such as HTML, Java, VoiceXML and WML. Current integration works within the J2EE architecture and runs on Web Logic and is integrated with LDAP, CORBA, EJB and RMI as well as links to back-end databases such as Oracle. |
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Wireless Networks:
G3 has been working on a variety of wired and wireless network solutions since the early 1990's. G3 initially focused on the now dated wireless WAN solutions for line of site building to building connectivity, but has evolved the base of research over the years to include wireless LAN and WAN applications. G3 was an early adopter and a pioneer in the area of Satellite WAN - Wireless LAN research with numerous articles in magazines like Satellite Today. This type of topology is easily transferable to a number of military applications with the use of SATCOM links feeding wireless LAN envelopes of connectivity. Current WAN research includes CDPD and LMDS research as well as soon to be available 2.5G and 3G solutions. Current LAN research focuses primarily on the IEEE 802.11b implementation but also addresses future technologies to include what is being called "wireless ATM". |
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