Gaming research laboratory debuts new website

  • Published
  • By Michela Greco
  • 711th Human Performance Wing
The opportunity to challenge high school students to adapt commercial off-the-shelf gaming technology to help solve Air Force training problems is one reason why Jennifer Winner said she loves working for the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Winner, a researcher with AFRL's Human Effectiveness Directorate, supported the Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory (GRILL). The GRILL mission is to conduct training research using game-based technologies to increase the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the Air Force by leveraging affordable, off-the-shelf technologies. The GRILL is also one of the Air Force science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) outreach efforts to increase youth interest in those disciplines.

"Every day I work with student researchers I'm amazed by their talent and creativity," Winner said. "The GRILL introduces them to real Air Force technical problems and challenges them to work together using gaming software to identify candidate solutions."

The GRILL team recently relaunched an updated version of their website with more information on the program. The site has information about GRILL research projects along with information regarding opportunities for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, teachers, and collegiate researchers. In addition to outreach information, the new website houses free challenge problem downloads for STEM students and teachers. These challenge problems and tutorials are intended to guide and support instruction for middle and high school students working with 3-D modeling and simulation tools.

AFRL considers STEM educational outreach an investment in the future workforce, Winner said. Air Force STEM efforts like GRILL introduce young people to Air Force military and civilian mentors and the work performed in the Defense Department laboratories. The ultimate goal is to create a pipeline for recruitment of future scientists and engineers.

For more information, please visit the GRILL website.