VT Program Element 1.4b.2 (Led by the University Visualization and Animation Group)
Our goal in this effort is to explore how to implement Virtual Environments (VEs) in areas of tactical interest to the Navy. The emphasis in this research will be to design and evaluate cognitive tools that work best with existing VEs to aid in making tactical decisions. This program will require that we work closely with key on-site Navy personnel who are familiar with existing tactical interfaces.

Early research created graphical interfaces that emphasize a cognitive process in making design decisions. Specifically a new visual method called "Cognitive Visual Data Compression (CVDC)" outlined how large tabular and graphical data can be compressed into a parameteric space. Several case studies demonstrated how personnel faviliar with data compressed into this format benefit by using the CVDC cognitive visual method. Figure 8 shows how the data from a personality characteristics evaluation profile, data representing mission test conditions (stress level imposed), and time can be compressed and organized. An example illustrating how such a visula data compression technique might be used is shown in Figure 9. The simulated task is for a squadron commander to select which pilots (based on personality profile parameters) would be the best candidates for a specific mission, based on expected mission conditions by considerting multiple parameters simultaneously. Similar techniques can be used to organize and compress tactical data.

Figure 8. Example of Cognitive Visual Data Compression

Figure 9. Pilot Sections Task

Task Elements:

• Compile list of current state-of-the-art cognitive methodologies and tools for strategic decision making such as the "Cognitive Visual Data Compressrion" (CVDC) method.
• Indentify various existing Naval tactical strategies that could benefit the most from immersive VEs.
• Test relevance of cognitive methods as they apply to real world tactical situations in an immersive VE.
• Design new tactical interfaces that emphasize a cognitive process in making tactical decisions in immersive VEs.
• Evaluate the candidate interfaces and categorize usefulness of interfaces in different tactical situations.

VT Program Element 1.6.2 (Led by the University Visualization and Animation Group)
In this program element our goal is to create a prototype system that will allow participants at remote sites to collaborate in immersive environments. Emphasis will be placed on creating simple prototypes that can be tested and evaluated using existing high speed wireless networks. At present we are experimenting with simple prototypes based on a CAVERNsoft application called LIMBO. LIMBO is a CAVE.net collaborative interface that allows collaboration within exisiting CAVE applications over high speed networks. Collaborative environments currently based on LIMBO allow the API fexibility to scale from the workstation monitor to the larger VE formats such as the large scale CAVE format previously discussed. We will be priciple CoPIs with General Dynamics on the Command Post of the Future (CPoF). Test results will suggest how simple prototypes might be scaled up to larger more comprehensive systems that are more typical of large scale tactical "Littoral Battlespace".

Task Elements

• Compile design requirements for high speed distributed collaborative immersive VEs.
• Create prototype of collaborative immersive tools used between remote sites.
• Test and evaluate prototype usefulness and compile recommendations for second generation prototype full scale systems.