Virtual reality means genuine hope for the Hampton Roads economy

A disaster is happening near the crossroads of College Drive and Route 164, just inside that nice building with the big name.  Floods, mass evacuations, people feeling a bit upside-down - it has it all.  Fortunately, the events are unfolding in the virtual world and the lessons learned could help stabilize a teetering economy.

The Virginia Modeling, Analysis and Simulation Center marked its 10-year anniversary in the summer of 2007. It moved into its current headquarters that same year.

Managed by Old Dominion University, it grew from a marriage with the military, which depends on high-tech tools to test weapons, defense and communication systems.

The industry has since reached out to other sectors of the economy with a message that may sell in these tough times: "Mod-sim" reduces costs, saves time and increases efficiency.

"It has all the potential you can imagine because it does apply to every area of the economy," said Thomas Reese, VMASC's director of business development.

Take health care. Physicians use modeling and simulation to practice surgical procedures, and institutions such as Eastern Virginia Medical School are eyeing it as a way to brace for natural disasters.

One VMASC project simulates hurricane damage, up to a Category 4. EVMS wanted to see how a hurricane would affect its medical center campus, which stands near the Elizabeth River.