Alex Kruchten at a mountain overlook
Alex Kruchten Senior Test Engineer · Simulation & Autonomy

I build the virtual worlds that prove autonomous vehicles are ready.

At Forterra, I design and run simulation scenarios that test autonomous ground vehicles for commercial and defense use. Before that I spent 10+ years building Unreal and Unity training: U.S. Air Force XR at Mass Virtual, and U.S. Navy and commercial airline courseware at Cubic. I'm also a Marine Corps veteran.

SIM · Off-road route● Run in progress
WP 05 / 07Illustration
Work delivered for Forterra/ U.S. Air Force at Mass Virtual/ U.S. Navy & commercial airlines at Cubic
500+

Navy training levels built for Littoral Combat Ship crews

~70%

fewer lost training hours with Virtual Hangar XR

~45%

less real aircraft time needed for maintenance training

10+ yrs

shipping simulation in Unreal Engine and Unity

Selected work

Each project lists the client, my role, the stack and what changed because of it.

Current role · Jan 2026 – present● Active

Autonomous Vehicle Simulation Testing

I build virtual test scenarios and environments that check how Forterra's autonomy software behaves, with tests across many of Forterra's real vehicles. I validate requirements against real-world metrics, dig through run data to find defects, report issues to the development teams, and automate verification reports so developers get answers faster.

Client
Forterra (commercial & defense autonomy)
Role
Senior Test Engineer, Simulation & Autonomy
Engine
Custom simulation engine built on CARLA / Unreal
CARLAUnreal BlueprintsPythonLuaVehicle physicsRequirements validation
Details limited by program confidentialityRead the case study →
Mass Virtual · 2023 – 2026● Fielded

Virtual Hangar™ XR Aircraft Training

Shared VR hangar where Air Force maintainers practice procedures on virtual aircraft. I turned maintenance tasks into step-by-step VR modules with subject-matter experts and tested them with instructors and students.

~70%fewer lost training hours
~45%less aircraft use for training
~90%positive learner and instructor ratings
UnityXR / VRMassXR authoring toolsUser testing
Technical Level Designer IIICase study →
Cubic · U.S. Navy● Fielded

Littoral Combat Ship Courseware

Immersive Unreal Engine 4 training for LCS engineering crews, from system alignments to casualty control, including multiplayer watch-team training. Lessons build from guided practice to unguided performance.

500+training levels built
~30 minaverage level length
4titles: EPT, RCO, EWTT, STIGS
Unreal Engine 4BlueprintsUMGState machines
Senior / Associate Technical DesignerCase study →
Cubic · Commercial aviation● Fielded

Commercial Airline Training

Scenario-based training on iOS, Android and PC for cabin crew, ground crew and pilots. I designed the interactions, UI and assessment mini-games, and worked with airline experts so every step matched real procedures.

Modules
Cabin door operations · Tire inspection · Preflight & in-flight checks
Platforms
iOS, Android, PC
Scenario scriptingUI / UXGamified assessment
Technical Level DesignerCase study →
Cubic · 2022 – 2023● Leadership

Leading a simulation team

As Senior Technical Designer Lead I led design, art, animation, audio and engineering on PC and mobile training. I set scope and milestones, flagged risks early, ran reviews and capacity planning, and tightened hand-offs between disciplines.

Team
Design, art, animation, audio, engineering
Process
Agile / Scrum, Kanban, Jira, Confluence
Senior Technical Designer LeadSee résumé →

Experience

Full résumé
  1. Jan 2026 – now
    Senior Test Engineer, Simulation & AutonomyForterra

    Simulation scenarios, requirements validation, defect analysis and automated reporting for autonomous ground vehicles.

  2. 2023 – 2026
    Technical Level Designer IIIMass Virtual

    Unity XR training modules for the U.S. Air Force, from prototype to production. Mentored junior designers.

  3. 2022 – 2023
    Senior Technical Designer LeadCubic

    Led a multidisciplinary team building PC and mobile simulation training.

  4. 2015 – 2022
    Associate → Senior Technical DesignerCubic

    Navy LCS and commercial airline courseware in Unreal Engine 4. Reusable Blueprint templates and simulation state machines.

  5. 2014
    B.S. Game DesignFull Sail University
  6. 2008 – 2013
    Civil Affairs SpecialistU.S. Marine Corps

    Civil-military operations and multi-unit mission planning.

Toolkit

Simulation & engines
CARLAUnreal Engine 4/5BlueprintsUnitySequencerXR / VR
Code & tools
PythonLuaGitPerforceLinux
Test engineering
Scenario generationRequirements validationDefect analysisAutomated reporting
Design & leadership
Level & mission designUI implementationMentoringAgile / ScrumJira

Design on the side

Systems design outside of work: a published card game and two design documents.

Adapt: The Card Game

Survival card game for 2–6 players with hidden relics and social deduction. I owned core mechanics and balance: about 50 cards and 20+ playtest rounds.

See the game →
Game design document

At the First Light

Asymmetric multiplayer horror concept: three killer and three survivor classes, destructible resource depots and 15-minute matches.

Read the GDD →
Feature spec

Multiplayer FPS elevator

Blueprint feature design covering capacity limits, state machines, cross-floor calls and a hackable sabotage mechanic, with designer-tunable parameters.

Read the spec →
Orlando, FL · Open to conversations

Building something that has to work in the real world? Let's talk.

Email Elsewhere
© 2026 Alex KruchtenOrlando, FL