HVOSM - One Of The First Open Source Programs

Question on 3D Simulation/msmac3D/HVOSM and other 3D Simulation models
MSI
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HVOSM - One Of The First Open Source Programs

Post by MSI »

A reference in a recent post on the James Bond Spiral Jump included a reference to an article on Bill Milliken called In the excellent article there was one glaring error in the statement:
  • "The resulting publicity [on the Spiral Jump] was such that CAL's Ira Ross sold many more of McHenry's programs-giving a hint as to why Ross was willing to tolerate Milliken's less conventional initiatives".
CAL never sold the HVOSM program (now known as msmac3D).
  • They freely gave it away to improve highway safety research to over 29 universities and companies
    Detailed information of the contacts, etc are contained in the reference and and briefly recapped below:
From a 1971 reference DEVELOPMENT OF ANALYTICAL AIDS FOR MINIMIZATION· OF SINGLE VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
  • By: R.R. McHenry and N.J. DeLeys
    CAL No. -VJ-2251-V-10
    July 1971
    (the above link includes a list of the recipients all over the world of the free program as of 1971, see below of brief summary)
4.0 PROGRAM USER SERVICES
  • In early discussions between FHWA and CAL personnel, it was decided that ease of transfer between computing facilities should be a major consideration in the development of a complex computer simulation program such as that planned within the presently reported research contract. The selection of a digital form of program, in the Fortran IV language, was encouraged by FHWA.
    If primary attention were to be given to operating economics in long duration applications, as opposed to ease of transfer, it is obvious that a hybrid adaptation would be advantageous. However, there are a number of factors that must be considered in relation to the economics of a computer simulation program of this complexity. The relationship between the setup costs of a computer simulation and the total operating
    costs to be accumulated in a given application must be considered for each type of application. Also, in some instances, the total of all computer - related costs may be only a secondary consideration when compared with the costs of acquisition of parameter data for inputs and of engineering effort for interpretation of results.
    The selected digital form of program was considered to have the following desirable features.
    1. The relative ease of transfer to other computing facilities can provide benefits to the national program of highway safety in the form of: avoidance of effort duplications; ease of communication of results -- through the possible widespread adoption of uniform reference systems and terminology; encouragement of a more open exchange of experimental and analytical data; exposure to comprehensive checking for errors via the detailed scrutiny of a large number of users; avoidance of the creation of a sole source contractor requirement for this
      type of research.
    2. The operating cost of the program in its existing form has been found to be quite moderate for many applications (that is, applications involving relatively short duration runs).
    3. A validated computer program in the selected format can serve as a standard against which faster and/or more economical adaptations can be checked. In keeping with the FHWA policy of making the developed programs and the corresponding documentation readily available to interested research organizations, distribution of the program started early in the course of performance of this research contract.
    In February of 1968, at the request of the sponsor, copies of ( 1) the listing, (2) the program source deck, (3) sample input cards and (4) corresponding samples of outputs were forwarded to the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) and to the Kelly Scientific Company. The SWRI copies of the cited material were subsequently forwarded to the Texas Transportation Institute of Texas A&M University.

    In June of 1968, an updated magnetic tape of the simulation program was loaned to the Kelly Scientific Company. Kelly Scientific was given the responsibility, by FHWA, for further distribution of the program and for the periodic updating of users copies. It was planned that CAL would serve as a "clearinghouse" for updating the "master" source program with refinements and/or extensions developed by CAL or by the users of the program.
    A meeting was held on January 19, 1969, in Washington, D. C., between representatives of CAL, the Kelly Scientific Company and several of the users of the program.
    In October of 1969, at the request of FHWA, CAL assumed the responsibility for subsequent program distribution and user services. A questionnaire for recipients of the program was prepared and mailed.
    In addition to distributing the program, CAL project personnel have prepared and mailed extensive responses to questions received from users of the several versions of the computer program. Sample runs have also been performed and added to the program tape for the benefit of recipients.
The following are recipients of HVOSM
CANADA
  • National Research Council of Canada
    • Ottawa, Ontario
    Jack Forster & Associates, Ltd.
    • West Vancouver, British Columbia
JAPAN
  • Nissan Motor Corporation
    • Secaucus, New Jersey 07094
UNITED KINGDOM
  • University College London
    • Research Group in Traffic Studies
      Luton, Beds.
UNITED STATES
  • U. S. Department of Transportation
      • Federal Highway Administration
    New York State Department of Transportation
    • Albany, New York
    Cornell University
    • Ithaca, New York 14850
    Highway Safety Research Institute
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
    University of Maryland
    • College Park, Maryland 20742
    Glenn L. Martin Institute of Technology
    • College of Engineering
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    • Electronic Systems Laboratory
      Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
    North Carolina State University
      • Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
    Oklahoma State University
    • Stillwater, Oklahoma 740 74
    Princeton University
    • Princeton, New Jersey 08540
    Texas A & M University
    • College Station, Texas 77843
    The University of Utah
    • Salt Lake City, Utah 84112
    American Motors Corporation
    • Detroit, Michigan 48232
    Automobile Manufacturers Association,Inc.
    • Detroit, Michigan 48202
    Chrysler Corporation
    • Detroit, Michigan 48231
    Ford Motor Company
    • Dearborn, Michigan 48121
    Firestone Tire and Rubber Company
    • Akron, Ohio 443 14
    The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
    • Akron, Ohio 44316
    American Machine and Foundry Company
    • Santa Barbara, California 93102
    Bendix Corporation
    • Southfield, Michigan 48075
    Booz-Allen Applied Research, Inc.
    • Bethesda, Maryland 20014
    Jet Propulsion Laboratory
    • Pasadena, California 91103
    Kelly Scientific Corporation
    • Washington, D. C. 20016
    Kelsey-Hayes Company
    • Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
    Southwest Research Institute
    • San Antonio, Texas 78230