National Institute of Standards & Technology, Acquisition & Assistance Div.,100 Bureau Drive Stop 3572, Bldg. 301, Rm B117, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572

70 -- BEANTOWN" JAVA-BASED VIRTUAL WORLD SOFTWARE FROM CLEARWATER TECHNICAL SERVICES SOL 53SBNB960065 DUE 040299 POC Teresa A. Reefe, Contracting Officer (301) 975-6364, Fax No. (301) 975-5007 WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.Nist.gov/admin/od/Contract.html. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov. The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST's) Intelligent Systems Division intends to purchase, on a sole-source basis under the authority of 13.106-1(b), "Beantown" Java-Based Virtual World Software from Clearwater Technical Services, 4 Alamanda Close, Lakeside, Yungaburra Q 4872, Australia. This software package is a follow-on and upgrade to an existing software application called "Virtual World" which was created by Clearwater Technical Services and NIST currently owns and is using. This software is specially designed to create a virtual factory which will accommodate multiple human operators/observers and which will interface on the one hand to the control system for a real factory and on the other to the multiple local display systems and controls available to the humans. The virtual factory has both avatars of the humans and avatars of the controlled machines. It also has such totally virtual objects as are necessary to provide a realistic environment. The avatars of the controlled machines have variables which track (or are identical with) variables in the real-world controller of the real (or emulated) devices which the machine's avatar represents. This controller has a world-model database which needs to be accessed bidirectionally by the virtual world. Changing a value in this database will constitute a command to the controlled device. When the controlled device changes state its status will be reflected in variables in the database. The virtual world must access these to make the avatar track the device. The interface between the virtual world and the controller of the real or emulated devices shall be specified in NML and shall be fairly well fixed by the existing development work on the controller. The controller is called Real Time Control System (RCS) and is a NIST project of long standing. The RCS world model contains only information about things such as joint angles, speeds, limits, and other data necessary to the operation of the controller. It does not contain other information (for example color or geometry) which is necessary to provide a full representation of the controlled device for a human observer. These kinds of information shall be contained in the virtual world and/or in the local display as they will be for any other virtual object in the environment. The interface between the virtual world and the user's local display shall download as much as possible of the display information and processing to the local device. The motivation for this is twofold, first to reduce the bandwidth between the virtual world and the local display and second to more easily and simply define a standard interface between the two that would be device independent. Ideally, the virtual world would not need to know what sort of device it was talking to, would need only to broadcast changes and commands, and the responsibility for using that information as best it could to present the best visualization within its capability would rest on the local software. 3D models might be distributed by the virtual world over the link to load the local process, but that would be done in a non-runtime mode. Models might also be distributed in advance by CD-ROM or other means. The contractor shall use Virtual Reality Modeling Language (VRML) with Extended Authoring Interface (EIA) as the standard for the interface between the virtual world and the local display. In the other direction the interface between the local operator and his avatar shall convey information from such devices as head-trackers and wands. Other specialized controls peculiar to the factory may be interfaced to avatars of controlled devices, NIST is currently using EIA for this interface. A problem may arise in the case of head-trackers and gloves since there shall be a local link from the tracker to the immersive display to provide minimum delay in visual response of the graphics to changes in the viewer's point of regard. At the same time, the position of the viewer shall be sensed by the world in order to update the position of his avatar for other viewers. Issues of control such as two users attempting to occupy the same space at the same time or to manipulate the same control shall be addressed. NIST will use the software to study issues of software interface standards for virtual and remote collaborative manufacturing systems. THIS IS A COMBINED SYNOPSIS/SOLICITATION FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS PREPARED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FORMAT IN FAR SUBPART 12.6, AS SUPPLEMENTED WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS NOTICE. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONSTITUTES THE ONLY SOLICITATION; A QUOTATION IS BEING REQUESTED FROM CLEARWATER TECHNICAL SERVICES AND A WRITTEN SOLICITATION WILL NOT BE ISSUED. This solicitation number 53SBNB960065 is issued as a request for quotation (RFQ) using simplified acquisition procedures. This acquisition is a total small business set-aside under SIC Code 7371 and the related size standard is $18 million. Incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-10. The Contract Line Item Numbers (CLINs), Items, and Quantities are as follows: CLIN 0001, Beantown Java-Based Virtual World Software Software Licence, 1 each; CLIN 0002, Development of specific modifications and extensions to this software to conform to the functional specifications listed above, 1 lot; CLIN 0003, Installation, testing, and instruction of NIST personnel in operation of software on the NIST premises, 1 lot. It is required that all CLINs shall be completed and delivered no later than October 30, 1999. The provisions at 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition. The clause at 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items applies to this acquisition. The clause at 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items, applies to this acquisition, including subparagraphs (11) 52.222-21, (12) 52.222-26, (13) 52.222-35, (14) 52.222-36, (15) 52.225-37. 52-227-19, Commercial Computer Software-Restricted Rights applies to this acquisition. Year 2000 Warranty-Commercial Supply Item applies to this acquisition. The Contractor warrants that each hardware, software and firmware product delivered under this contract and listed below shall be able to accurately process date data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing and sequencing) from, into, and between the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including leap year calculations, when used in accordance with the product documentation provided by the contractor, provided that all listed or unlisted products (e.g. hardware, software, firmware) used in combination with such listed products properly exchange date data with it. If the contract requires that specific listed products must perform as a system in accordance with the foregoing warranty, then that warranty shall apply to those listed products as a system. The duration of this warranty and the remedies available to the Government for breach of this warranty shall be as defined in, and subject to, the terms and limitations of the contractor's standard commercial warranty or warranties contained in this contract, provided that notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in such commercial warranty or warranties, the remedies available to the Government under this warranty shall include repair or replacement of any listed product whose non-compliance is discovered and made known to the contractor in writing within ninety (90) days after acceptance. Nothing in this warranty shall be construed to limit any rights or remedies the Government may otherwise have under this contract with respect to defects other than Year 2000 performance. Department of Commerce Agency-Level Protest Procedures Level Above the Contracting Officer applies to this acquisition, which can be downloaded from the NIST Web Page located at http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/protest.htm. Clearwater Technical Services shall submit the following: 1) Three (3) copies of quotation which addresses CLINs 0001-0003; 2) Technical description and/or product literature; 3) Description of commercial warranty; 4) Two (2) copies of the most recent published price list(s); 5) A completed copy of the provision at 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items which may be downloaded from http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/repcert.htm. The quotation shall be sent to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Acquisition and Assistance Division, Attn: Teresa A. Reefe, Building 301, Room B117, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 3572, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-3572. For information, call the POC identified above. Submission must be received by 3:00 p.m. local time on April 12, 1999. A faxed offer will be accepted to (301) 975-5007. Interested persons may identify their interest and capability to respond to the requirement or submit quotes. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotes. However, all quotes received by April 12, 1999 will be considered by the Government. A determination by the Government not to compete this proposed purchase order based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Contracting Officer. See Numbered Note 1. Posted 03/24/99 (W-SN312212). (0083)

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