Counter-mobility Tower Defense
Project description
To what extent does a simulation-based serious game support insight acquisition for military engineers regarding obstacle effects, and facilitate conversation during counter-mobility planning?
Effective counter-mobility planning requires understanding the tactical effects of obstacles. The design challenge is building an interactive simulator that makes these effects tangible and supports collaborative planning conversations.
Context
This project is commissioned by the Dutch military engineering corps (Genietroepen, Koninklijke Landmacht). Counter-mobility planning involves the strategic placement of obstacles — such as minefields — to slow or deny enemy movement.
Results
The primary product is a functional Unity-based simulation prototype enabling military engineers to place obstacles on a terrain map and observe traversability effects on the enemy.
Testing showed that participants significantly improved their knowledge of obstacle effects after using the simulator. Participants also rated the simulator positively on conversation facilitation and enjoyment.
At TRL 3, the prototype demonstrates proof of concept for the exploratory phase.