Workspace Visualization for Planning of Air Operations

2011 - MILCOM 2011 Military Communications Conference, 2011

We present visualization requirements and designs for the Human-Centered Network Visualizer (NetViz) to assist the US Army Brigade Signals Officer (S6) soldiers with their daily activities. These are based on interactions with both retired and active duty S6 soldiers. To assure information dominance, it is increasingly important that the S6 and Network Operations Group are able to obtain and provide accurate situational awareness from data received over the network. This paper addresses three challenges faced by the S6: (1) mentally integrating and correlating information from disparate tools, (2) processing and interpreting that information for a commander who may have limited technical knowledge, and (3) reducing the amount of downtime resulting from any disruption through the creation of a contingency plan. The NetViz designs abstract and unify data required by an S6 into a single view. They allow for the visualization of data to support S6 reporting during an update brief. Visual designs for "what if" scenarios and future events also facilitate planning for both the expected and the unexpected. This paper describes our interactions with S6 soldiers along with the resultant visualization enhancement based upon information provided.

10th IEEE International Conference and Workshop on the Engineering of Computer-Based Systems, 2003. Proceedings., 2003

This article presents a hybrid software/hardware architecture for commander's decision support in tactical operations. The architecture builds on the symbolic, object-oriented visualization software called Advanced Tactical Architecture for Combat Knowledge System (ATACKS). The extension discussed here is the design of a real-time robot agent layer that interacts wirelessly with ATACKS. This layer enacts decisions made by software agents (wargamers), continuously relays the execution states back to ATACKS, and updates its actions as advocated by replanning algorithms. The software layer is briefly described followed by the specification of the real-time requirements for the robotic architecture. The design and implementation are given with a small example that illustrates the hybrid system's operation.

MILCOM 2009 - 2009 IEEE Military Communications Conference, 2009

Recent operations in Iraq and Afghanistan have confirmed that in order to achieve effective Network-Centric Operations (NCO), innovative enhancement to military decision-making is desired. Required are processes and computational models that support the decision-makers' experience while promoting high levels of shared situation awareness (SA) -not only in the context of the external operating environment, but internally aligning the decision makers' mental model with the intelligent software agents working on their behalf. Towards this end, the aim of this research is to enhance the decision-maker's perception, comprehension, and projection of the underlying knowledge space while improving shared human-agent SA. To accomplish this we extended R-CAST, an agent-based Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) model developed at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) with the capability to interactively visualize the knowledge space during execution. Presented are the early results of a recently completed knowledge visualization experiment where ROTC cadets from the PSU operated the visuallyenhanced R-CAST on a command and control simulation.

2006 9th International Conference on Information Fusion, 2006

A key challenge presented by the increasing volume and complexity of information collectable from battlespace situations is the development of intelligent applications able to automatically analyze the information and identify critical enemy activities in a timely manner. What makes this information fusion problem particularly difficult is the strong contextual dependency of the interpretation of complex battlespace information. This paper examines the dimensions of intelligence information, establishes a framework for exploring the effects of contextual information and provides an illustration of its use. The paper concludes with a discussion of the ramifications of context on the development of intelligent applications intended to aid in the interpretation of complex battlespace intelligence.

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000

Information Analysis and Synthesis (henceforth "IAS") is a type of cognitive work that plays a key role in many high-performance, complex, and mission-critical domains. These can range from tactical military intelligence to scientific or technological forecasting, business and financial intelligence to national strategic counterterrorism, and include areas as disparate as geopolitical policy analysis to computer network intrusion detection. The specific subject of this study is the military intelligence domain as one instantiation of IAS. Several innovative ethnographic and cognitive task analysis methods were used to observe team-based distributed work done by actual domain practitioners. The main investigative effort took the form of a scaled-world study, leveraging a real world tactical intelligence training exercise as a natural laboratory for investigating the contrasts between weaker and stronger IAS. Specifically, we examined the role of instructors in providing broadening checks to the team analytic process, and mapped the findings to an existing framework.

2009

This paper focuses on the use of a Virtual Collaborative Working and Visualisation Environment (VCWVE), i.e. using virtual collaborative desks (VCDs), for the development of shared situational awareness using a common operational picture to support collaborative military planning in joint command and control situations. Joint usability, critical task and situational awareness assessment methods were employed to determine the effectiveness of this VCWVE in supporting commanders' joint decision making. With reference to the British Army's seven questions (7Qs) estimate process and intelligence preparation of the battlefield along with a small military judgment panel (MJP) used for the simulation experiment, the research focused on how effectively networked VCDs highlighted commander's critical information requirements and their evolving requests for information during the planning process. The research also highlighted how collaborative technologies can not only help to improve joint decision making in a distributed HQ environment but also how an effective plan and its products can be delivered such as: the decision support overlay, the decision support matrix and the synchronisation matrix. As a result of this research a joint usability framework has been developed. This research has military significance in terms of enabling synchronised joint decision making in resilient agile distributed HQ groups and thereby reducing security risk of commander and staff.

This paper describes an on-going effort to develop operational visualization concepts and their technical implementations to support sensemaking skills based on the Army's Field Manual (FM) 3-0 doctrinal information on "Visualization, Detection, and Decide" requirements. A theory of visualization is presented from the stance that visualization is embedded and situated in human endeavors, and its cognitive activities. A visualization tool from Sensemaking Support System (S3) is used to evaluate this theory by using case vignettes from a Stability and Security Operation (SASO) domain to measure visualization impact variables. The evaluation metric was validated with eleven military personnel who are familiar with SASO situations. In addition to the inter-rater metrics and correlations analyses, a linear prediction equation that relates situation understanding as a function of evidential cues and Level 3 situation awareness is derived. The strength of the model is demonst...

Wars in the XXIst century will place unprecedented demands on the commander's ability to make critical decisions under volatile conditions and extreme time pressure. Advances in information technology and cognitive science have made possible new types of decision aids that can help commanders to meet those demands. Design of commander decision aids for Network Centric Warfare is in the focus of this paper. The first section treats command and control in terms of dynamic asset allocation and considers the cognitive complexity of allocation decisions under shifting constraints and priorities. The next section compares two decision strategies: a) template-matching and b) creative utilization of past experiences under conditions that are rapidly changing and have no exact precedents. We argue that creative and efficient application of rules and past experiences requires battle space comprehension and suggest that current decision technologies do not recognize the role of comprehension and thus overlook a fundamental prerequisite for efficient command and control. The third section outlines a model of expert commander decision processes, and defines a new approach to the design of decision aids that facilitate commander's comprehension of the battle space and help to increase the speed of control and self-synchronization in highly mobile and geographically dispersed forces.

The Combat Information Center (CIC) of a surface combatant presents a team of decisionmakers with a complex and fast-paced environment. The challenges these Sailors face will only intensify, as the push towards reduced manning begins to impact the design and crewing of the command and control centers of future ships. Supporting these warfighters will require advances in a number of different technologies and domains, including human factors and applied psychology. In particular, this paper describes an advanced cognitive modeling approach, and explains how cognitive models could be used to support superior training and more effective system operation in CICs of the future.

The rapid development of new sensors and wide-band communications provides the capability to collect enormous amounts of data. An increasing challenge involves how to understand and interpret the data to yield knowledge about evolving situations or threats (e.g., of military situations, state of complex systems, etc.). New visualization tools and techniques are becoming available to support advanced visualization including three-dimensional, full immersion display environments and tools to support novel visualizations. Examples include network system display tools and evolving multi-sensory situation environments. Despite the emergence of such tools, there has been limited systematic test and evaluations to determine the efficacy of such tools for knowledge understanding and decision making. This paper provides an overview of this problem and argues for the need to conduct controlled experiments. A sample experiment is suggested.

Proceedings International Conference and Workshop on Engineering of Computer-Based Systems, 1997

It provides a framework for testing various display strategies. Its design, which uses object-oriented and hierarchical design methodologies, is flexible and extensible. It assures that a working program can be rapidly developed for comparing alternate display strategies. This report defines an overall architecture for battlefield visualization and then focuses on a detailed design of its display layer, called the Process Centered Display (PCD). The design is specified using the Object Modeling Technique ( O M ) notation. The complete class diagrams for the PCD are presented and an illustrative example is given.

Proceedings of the IEEE 1991 National Aerospace and Electronics Conference NAECON 1991

We present novel interactive graphical techniques for performing Air Force planning tasks such as deploying aircraft and weapons against desired targets, determining the availability of resources, performing a cost benefit analysis to improve resource utilization, and coordinating interdependent missions. The most fundamental aspect of force-level planning is that it is an iterative process, during each cycle of which it is important to be able to visualize the interdependence among the decision variables, and to be able to gauge the impact of modifying specific decisions. 'Raditional text-based techniques deny the planner the power of the interactive graphical medium for visualizing these dependencies, and for gauging the impact of proposed changes. In contrast, OUT techniques help the planner to understand arbitrary fragments of the current state of the mission plans, and incrementally improve them to achieve tactical objectives. We believe that our techniques can be easily generalized to s u p port other planning tasks.1

Motivation -To explore the concept that knowledge visualization would improve sensemaking within the scope of a NDM model; specifically the agent-based R-CAST system derived from Klein's Recognition-Primed Decision (RPD) Model. Research approach -In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the visual sensemaking extension to gain better situation awareness and team performance, we are taking an experimental approach. Research limitations/Implications -This is an ongoing effort with results of planned experiment expected in early 2009. Originality/Value -The knowledge visualization concept offered in this effort is based on a hybrid dimensionality reduction technique and the aggregated similarity measures of an RPD experience space. The results of the knowledge visualization will likely improve the perception, comprehension and projection associated with an RPD experience space. Take away message -Processes that support a decision maker's sensemaking and situational awareness to solve problems are inadequate. Extending RPD with knowledge visualization may significantly improve the decision making process.

Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics, 2007

Due to their complexity, systems used within Network Centric Warfare and Command and Control are notoriously difficult to predict. These systems are often influenced by an ever increasing number of dynamic constraints. This dynamic instability causes problems for many traditional normative Human Factors techniques. Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) is a formative process that focuses on these constraints rather than prescriptive methods of working; this constraint based approach allows the model to handle the unexpected and unanticipated events common in network-centric warfare. This paper presents the development of a Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) software tool. The tool has two main purposes. The primary purpose is to assist the user in developing the large number of graphical representations that support the iterative design process. The secondary purpose is to explain CWA to novices and systematically guide them through the analysis process. The paper provides a brief introduction to CWA along with a description of the tool and its current capabilities.

2007

Information operations, network-centric operations and, certainly, effect based operations have become very popular in the last few years. Information, with its importance for battlespace awareness, occupies a special place in all three types of operations. The objective of this article is to impart a quantitative evaluation to this understanding to the extent possible. This would enable the creation of mathematical models, by means of which to investigate different information processes in the pursuit of understanding (or misleading the enemy) of the current or predicted situations. Keywords: Effect-based operations; battlespace; understanding, quantity of intelligence information needed for understanding the information; "pulsation" of information at situation change. The discussion in this article will be open by giving a short explanation of the nature and meaning of effect-based operations. Effect-based operations are a sum of cause-and-effect activities that change t...