Individual gunnery trainer with sensing platform

1. A computer-based modular, transportable turret mounted gunnery simulation system comprising:

a weapon mount on a frame configured to receive mounting thereon of a weapon mock-up;

a substantially non-rotatable sensing platform coupled to the frame and configured to receive a single trainee standing thereon, wherein the sensing platform is configured to sense a rotational pressure applied to the platform by the trainee and generate a rotational orientation signal;

a head-mounted display configured to be worn by the trainee and configured to receive a display signal representative of a virtual environment to be simulated to the trainee; and

a controller in electrical communication with the sensing platform and the display, wherein the controller is configured to receive the rotational orientation signal and to generate the display signal in response thereto such that rotational pressure applied to the platform by the trainee results in rotation of the virtual environment displayed to the trainee.

2. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the substantially non-rotatable sensing platform rotates less than one degree, but greater than zero degrees.

3. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , wherein a speed of the rotation of the presented virtual environment is proportional to the rotational force presented by the individual to the sensing platform.

4. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 3 , wherein the speed of the rotation of the presented virtual environment is limited if the rotational force presented by the individual to the sensing platform exceeds a threshold value.

5. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the rotation of the presented virtual environment is in a horizontal plane through an unrestricted angular displacement.

6. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , further comprising a joystick based input/output device configured to control the rotation of the presented virtual environment while negating the rotational control of the sensing platform.

7. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , further comprising an input/output device comprising a crank handle configured to control the rotation of the presented virtual environment while negating the rotational control of the sensing platform.

8. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the transportable gunnery simulation system is collapsible such that it can be transported within a system case that measures approximately 10 inches high, 24 inches wide, and 48 inches long.

9. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , wherein the rotational force applied to the sensing platform is measured using a strain gauge.

10. The computer-based gunnery simulation system of claim 1 , further comprising a head-mounted display configured to provide a full spherical field of regard to the individual based on a head orientation of the individual and the rotation of the presented virtual environment based on input from the sensing platform.

11. A method of turret mounted weapon simulation training for an individual gunner, the method comprising:

simulating, in a frame assembly, usage of a single unstabilized weapon system;

presenting a virtual environment to a trainee in the frame assembly;

standing, by a single trainee, on a substantially non-rotatable sensing platform;

applying, by the single trainee, a rotational force to the substantially non-rotatable sensing platform;

generating a rotational orientation signal as a result of the applied rotational force,

sending the rotational orientation signal to a controller, and

generating a display signal in response to the rotational orientation signal such that rotational pressure applied to the sensing platform by the trainee results in a rotation of the virtual environment displayed to the trainee in a head-mounted display unit worn by the trainee.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rotational force applied to the substantially non-rotatable sensing platform results in less than a one degree, but greater than zero degrees, amount of rotational movement of the sensing platform.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising coupling a removable realistic weapon mock-up to the self-contained physical structure.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the virtual environment presented to the trainee rotates in a clockwise direction when the trainee applies a counter-clockwise rotational force to the sensing platform, and

wherein the virtual environment presented to the trainee rotates in a counter-clockwise direction when the trainee applies a clockwise rotational force to the sensing platform.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein a speed of the rotation of the presented virtual environment is proportional to the rotational force presented to the sensing platform.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the speed of the rotation of the presented virtual environment is limited to a maximum value if the rotation force presented by the individual to the sensing platform exceeds a threshold value.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the rotation of the presented virtual environment is in a horizontal plane through an unrestricted angular displacement.

18. The method of claim 11 , farther comprising controlling the rotation of the presented virtual environment using a joystick based input/output device while negating the rotational control of the sensing platform.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling the rotation of the presented virtual environment using an input/output device comprising a crank handle while negating the rotational control of the sensing platform.

20. The method of claim 11 , further comprising presenting a full spherical field of regard to the individual based on a head orientation of the individual and the rotation of the presented virtual environment based on input from the sensing platform.