A real-time interactive simulation framework for watershed decision making using numerical models and virtual environment

Decision support systems based on a virtual environment (VE) are becoming a popular platform in watershed simulation and management. Simulation speed and data visualization is of great significance to decision making, especially in urgent events. Real-time interaction during the simulation process is also very important for dealing with different conditions and for making timely decisions. In this study, a VE-based real-time interactive simulation framework (VERTISF) is developed and applied to simulation and management of the Dujiangyan Project in China. In VERTISF development, a virtual reality platform and numerical models were hosted on different computers and connected by a network to improve simulation speed. Different types of numerical models were generalized in a unified architecture based on time step, and interactive control was realized by modifying model boundary conditions at each time step. The “instruction-response” method and data interpolation were used to synchronize virtual environment visualization and numerical model calculation. Implementation of the framework was based on modular software design; various computer languages can be used to develop the appropriate module. Since only slight modification was needed for current numerical model integration in the framework, VERTISF was easy to extend. Results showed that VERTISF could take full advantage of hardware development, and it was a simple and effective solution for complex watershed simulation.