EMERGING
CONCEPTS & INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES 2008 Abstracts
New Way
Of Accessing and Reusing E-Learning Between Countries
Interactions and Training with Unmanned Systems and the Nintendo Wiimote
Semantic Web Technology for Training to Meet a Changing Threat
Web Client Training Solutions in DoD Enterprise Computing Environments
Rich
and Thin: Migrating Simulations from Desktop to Web
Alternate Reality Game
(ARG)-Inspired Training for
Staff-Level Skills
Experimenting with Simulation and Stimulation
Measuring the Accuracy of Predictions of Future Events and States
A Unit-level Combat
Resolution Algorithm Based on
Entity-level Data
Five Forces Driving Game Technology Adoption
The
Application of Commercial Gaming Technology to Adaptive Adversarial Behaviors
SPeAR, Anchor, Scaffold, Thread: Learning Design for Scenario-Based
Serious Games
What
is Realism? Navigating the Obstacles and Forging a Path to Achievement
A Model-Following Variable Stability Control System for In-Flight
Simulations
Virtual Patients for Future Leaders
Spatial Relationship Networks: Network Theory Applied
to High-Detail Virtual Environments
An Immersive Learning Simulation Environment for Chinese Culture
Games
– Just How Serious Are They?
Bloody Serious Gaming – Experiences with Job Oriented Training
Using
Serious Game Technology to Improve Aircrew Training
Integrating Emotions, Perceptions, Cognitions and
Motion Under Perceived Pressure Conditions
DARCAAT: DARPA Competence Assessment and Alarms for Teams
Maintaining Cognitive Engagement in T raining
Scenarios Using Explicit Cognitive Models
INSTRUCTOR-FACILITATED VS STAND-ALONE TACTICAL GAME
TRAINING
A Service-Oriented Approach for Competency
Visualization and Management
Enhance learning with ITS style interactions between learner and Content
Integrating Training Simulations and e-Learning
Systems: The SimSCORM platform
Game-based Learning Assessment
Gaps in
SCORM Implementation and Practice Using
an Online Simulation
Physical Modeling of Helicopter Rotorwash Environments for Enhanced Crew
Training
Accelerating Line-of-Sight Computations in Large
OneSAF Terrains with Dynamic Events
Improving Simulation of Botnet Infection and Propagation
Using Real-time Physics to Enhance Game Based Effects
Interactive
Photorealistic
Inside-Looking-Out Automated 3-D Modeling
Multichronia
– A Framework for the Exploration of Parameter, Simulation, Data and Visual
Spaces
Next Generation Game Engine Evaluation
Real-time Computational Fluid Dynamics for Flight
Simulation
New Way Of Accessing and Reusing E-Learning Between Countries2008 Paper No 8112
Norwegian Defense Education
Command (NoDEC) and Canadian Defense Academy (CDA) are in a joint effort
using/testing Federated Digital Repository System (FDRS) to store and access
e-learning courses in a Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM)
Learning Management System (LMS) environment. This paper presents the results
of using the FDRS to store primarily learning objects without duplicating or
manipulating any of the files. It highlights how the system is used to
revolutionize the publication of courses through the use of Uniform Resource
Locators (URL) to the content instead of uploading large SCORM content
packages to an LMS. The paper describes how the FDRS allows federated
searches across several instances of content management systems or
repositories. By enabling an Open Knowledge Initiative (OKI) capability in
the FDRS, Norwegian Defense (NoD) and Canadian Defense (CaD) gain instant
access to the content from each other’s systems, ready to be reused right
away. The FDRS also allows publication of a package from a single course to several
types of LMS at the same time. This will enable the same course instance to
run on multiple LMS. This paper will also recommend solutions to the cross
domain issues of using different systems in a learning content management
environment. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Interactions and Training with Unmanned Systems and the Nintendo Wiimote2008 Paper No. 8255 Paul Varcholik, Daniel Barber, Denise Nicholson Institute of
Simulation & Training University of
Central Florida Orlando, Florida As unmanned systems continue to evolve and
their presence becomes more prolific, new methods are needed for training
people to interact with these systems. Likewise, new interfaces must be
developed to take advantage of the increasing capabilities of these
platforms. However, the complexity of such interfaces must not grow in
parallel with advancements in unmanned systems technology. A common form of
human communication is through the use of arm and hand gestures. Applying
gesture-based communication methods to human-to-robot communication may
increase the interface capabilities, resulting in less complex, natural and
intuitive interfaces. In the context of military operations, hand and arm
gestures (such as those listed in the Army Field Manual on Visual Signals, FM
21-60) may be used to communicate tactical information and instructions to
robotic team members. We believe that a gesture-based interface provides a
natural method for controlling unmanned systems and reduces training time and
training costs for military personnel by reusing standard gestures. The
research presented explores these hypotheses through interactions with
unmanned systems using computer mediated gesture recognition. The methodology
employs the Nintendo Wii Remote Controller (Wiimote) to retrieve and classify
one- and two-handed gestures that are mapped to an unmanned system command
set. To ensure interoperability across multiple types of unmanned systems,
our technology uses the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS); an
emerging standard that provides a hardware and software independent communication
framework. In this paper, a system is presented that uses inexpensive,
commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology for gesture input to control
multiple types of unmanned systems. A detailed discussion of the technology
is provided with a focus on operator usability and training. Finally, to
explore the efficacy of the interface, a usability study is presented where
participants perform a series of tasks to control an unmanned system using
arm and hand gestures. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Semantic Web Technology for Training to Meet a Changing Threat2008 Paper No. 8259 Geoffrey Frank, Don Gemeinhardt, Barry Scott RTI International Research Triangle
Park, North Carolina An Operational Adaptive Training System
(OATS) using operational intelligence sources can give First Responders, from
bomb disposal teams to firemen and law enforcement officers, the ability to
maintain their operational edge in an era of constantly changing threats. The
traditional approach of infrequent attendance at residential training and
lagging responses to rapidly changing threat warnings is not sufficient to
keep up with the evolving threats. Most agencies cannot afford to send their
officers to more frequent residential courses to catch up, even though the
gap means more risk in terms of preparedness and First-Responder safety. An
OATS uses distributed learning technology to provide up-to-date training to
First Responders anywhere they have access to a computer and can a secure
link to the Internet. The Internet provides key infrastructure for an OATS.
It allows schools to access streams of operational intelligence data from
around the world. Similarly, it allows those schools to analyze that data and
distribute up-to-date training materials to any agency using Learning
Management Systems. The weak link is the transformation of the analyzed
intelligence data into training materials, which is a costly, labor intensive
process that requires centralized peak-load staffing to maintain
responsiveness. This paper describes research on emerging Semantic Web
technologies to identify and isolate changes in training materials based on
the analysis of incoming intelligence information. An ontology is used as a requirements
traceability model to capture generic training requirements and link them to
training assets. The incoming data is processed to determine which
requirements are affected and to identify the assets to be modified. Critical
tasks and performance measures are updated, as necessary, to meet the new intelligence,
and simulation-based initial conditions and assessment methods are generated
for these measures. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Web Client Training Solutions in DoD Enterprise Computing Environments2008 Paper No. 8134
The use of commercial gaming technology by
the US military for PC-based training and mission rehearsal applications is
increasing. However, deployment of this technology typically requires
high-end hardware and large, lengthy software downloads; or worse, deployment
via physical media and technical support. Additionally, DoD Information
Assurance (IA) requirements forbid the execution of any software that has not
been through an arduous certification process. Finally, the services are
attempting to standardize computer and networking resources to specifications
geared towards typical office applications (e.g., document editing, email,
web browsing, etc.). These platforms typically have a multiyear refresh cycle
so that any particular computing station could be up to 3 years old.
Networking performance is “sized” for office expectations and not interactive
content delivery. The push to adopt gaming and simulation platforms for
interactive training is running counter to the push to standardize computing
and networking platforms across the DoD. Services often cannot afford the
costs of deploying additional equipment and resources for gaming and
simulation-based training. Web client solutions, interactive applications
that work primarily within a web browser environment, run on existing DoD
computing and networking assets. The US Air Force and Navy have teamed to
achieve a highly interactive web-based mission rehearsal trainer capable of
being delivered through the browser on a typical enterprise desktop computer.
This paper discusses the requirements, trade-offs and technology researched
this year to meet this need. E-2C Naval Flight Officers (NFOs) and F/A-18
Sweep Lead during an air-to-air engagement.
Human observers and an automated data collection component collected
performance data. The second system, a
two-ship F/A-18 simulation built to support training research by The Boeing
Company, collected and analyzed performance data for tasks performed by the
Escort Lead and Strike Lead during an engagement. The paper presents and compares methods for
integrating and presenting the multiple streams of performance information
available to the instructor. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Rich and Thin: Migrating Simulations from Desktop to Web2008 Paper No. 8137 Mary Ann Pigora, Eric Thompson Applied Research
Associates, Inc. Orlando, FL With computer security an ever-increasing
problem, it can be time-consuming and expensive to get software certified for
installation on government computers. This issue is compounded by the fact
that most of today’s training and simulation software does not lend itself to
easy portability across operating systems and geographical locations. To run
in a large-scale, mixed environment, each version of code for each operating
system must be rebuilt, retested, recertified, redistributed, and
reinstalled. In cases where installation on government equipment is not
feasible, the hosting entity must either ship-out standard equipment, or
ship-in participants. Each of these solutions involves a significant cost to
host a single training exercise. The emergence of Rich Internet Applications
(RIAs) and Thin Client (TC) technologies has made it possible to create a
single-build application available over the internet for any configuration.
These technologies solve the configuration and installation problems by
running the application in its own virtual machine, providing security
without sacrificing computational power. For many RIA technologies, no admin
rights or IT support is required, and the look-and-feel is often indistinguishable
from a desktop application. By binding to the simulation running on a
back-end server, these applications can provide complex constructive or
virtual team training, with minimal strain on the client. In this paper, we
discuss the use of RIAs and Thin Client technologies to deploy training and
simulation software. We will first describe the Thin Client architecture and
contrast it with the distributed client architecture. Then we will cover the
different Thin Client technologies available today, and in the near future.
Finally, we will demonstrate the feasibility of Thin Client simulators by
showing the evolution of the Emergency Management Staff Trainer from a
distributed to a Thin Client system. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Alternate Reality Game (ARG)-Inspired Training for Staff-Level Skills2008 Paper No. 8200
The first demonstration of an Alternate
Reality Game (ARG) style training event for military training applications
has shown the unique benefits and challenges of this approach. ARGs are
web-based, interactive experiences for large numbers of distributed
individuals, built around a gradually unfolding narrative. Our event, Dark
Waters, was designed to accommodate 100 participants in a scenario
lasting 28 days and orchestrated by a small number of controllers. This initial
demonstration was not developed for a specific training course but was
instead designed to give volunteer participants invited from the military training
community an opportunity to see how aspects of ARGs could be applied to
training for staff-level skills for long-term situation management. Lessons
learned from this demonstration include the need for explicit community
building, the role of both synchronous and asynchronous event content, and
some feasible approaches towards assessing learning in an ARG-based event. The
event used a scenario about a disaster relief effort complicated by an
unexplained epidemic to provide a narrative context for task assignments.
Participants were assigned two tasks per week, designed to be completed by
each individual, but with collaboration explicitly encouraged. These tasks
provided opportunities to develop, practice, and demonstrate three main
learning objectives: Information Management, Organizing and Organization
Navigation, and Interagency Interaction. The scenario content and task
assignments were designed for a target minimum participation time of 3-4
hours per week; however, the content was also designed to provide deeper
avenues of exploration to support optional additional participation. This
demonstration event showed that an ARG style training event can be used to
provide immersive, webbased training to distributed participants. We discuss
the strengths and weaknesses of the method as demonstrated by this event in
terms of participation over the course of the event, feedback from the participants,
and lessons learned about design and execution. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Experimenting with Simulation and Stimulation2008 Paper No. 8045 Andy Ceranowicz, Brett Dufault, and Don Beesing Alion Science and
Technology Alexandria, VA Four trends have been reshaping simulation
support for human-in-the-loop experimentation at the Joint Innovation and
Experimentation Directorate of Joint Forces Command. The first is the need to
interoperate with nonmilitary partners such as civilian agencies and
emergency responders. The second is the rapidly expanding role of the World
Wide Web as the communications medium of choice. The web opens new channels
for the simulation to stimulate. Third, the domain of interest for military
leaders and planners is expanding from traditional armed conflict to include
many aspects of civilian affairs both in war and in peace. Finally, there is
the continuous pressure for greater efficiency in all endeavors. While these
trends have been long standing, their combined effects crystallized for us
when we were asked to support the Noble Resolve series of experiments. Unlike
previous experiments, the participants included the Department of Homeland
Security and state emergency management personnel. The common operating picture
was not presented on GCCS and the protocols were not LINK or OTH-Gold.
Instead, web based common operational picture tools such the Department of
Homeland Security's Integrated Common Analytical Viewer and websites were the
participant's interface to the experiment. The domain was not combat but
earthquakes, evacuation, and rescue; and we needed to execute with a minimum
of operator support. These factors led us to reconsider the balance between
stimulation and simulation; when to use one over the other and how to deliver
stimulation content. In the process we have developed a more flexible and
efficient approach for combining simulation and stimulation and delivering
stimuli via a variety of Internet channels. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Measuring the Accuracy of Predictions of Future Events and States2008 Paper No. 8104 Wesley
A. Milks, PhD Applied
Research Associates, Inc. Orlando,
FL DARPA’s Realtime Adversarial
Intelligence and Decision making (RAID) project required a means to evaluate
the relative goodness of estimates of future enemy force activity. Estimates
of the enemy location and strength were generated by both a control group of
human staff members and the RAID tool. A formal methodology was required to
objectively measure the accuracy of generated estimates. A two-pronged methodology for
comparing the estimates with “ground truth” as played out in the
simulation-based experiment was developed. The first method requires
calculation of an L1 metric to measure the raw error between estimated and
actual locations / strength. The raw error was then normalized to produce a
value between 0 (low accuracy) and 1 (high accuracy). The resulting value is
interpreted as the accuracy percent for that estimate. As meaningful as this
first measure is to an analyst, it has limited tactical value. To provide the
tactical value, a second method adapted the “Circular Error Probable”
methodology from the weaponeering community to produce a physical measure of
the distance between the actual and estimated locations. The combination of
the two methods was used to objectively compare the output from the RAID tool
with that of a human staff (e.g., Is the output from the RAID tool at
least as good as that of a human staff?). The methodology is largely
independent of the specific application and has the potential to be used to
measure the distance between many functions (e.g., measure accuracy of
predictions from various weather models to determine which models are more
accurate under different conditions, estimates of IED locations, difference
between emergent and collective agent behaviors, analysis of social trends,
etc.). This paper provides an overview of the methodology, summary of the
results, emphasizes other potential applications, and identifies
opportunities for follow-on research. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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A Unit-level Combat Resolution Algorithm Based on Entity-level Data2008 Paper No. 8359
Unit-level combat models provide
computational efficiency, with the result that they can simulate large
scenarios in terms of geographic scope and size of military forces involved
and are often able to execute much faster than real-time. However, existing unit-level
combat models (such as Lanchester equations) don’t exploit the detailed
performance data and high-fidelity models that are available at the entity
level. In entity-level combat models combat phenomenology, such as moving,
sensing, and shooting, is represented at entity level, which is both more
intuitively acceptable to users and more directly supportable by available
test and operational data on entity performance than the abstract equations
of a unit-level model. However, current pure entity-level combat models tend
to produce unrealistically high attrition. Under DARPA sponsorship, we have
developed an alternative unit-level combat resolution algorithm. Within it
the effects of moving, sensing, and shooting on unit-level combat outcome are
based on entity-level performance information, directly supportable by test
and operational data. Despite entity-level basis, the algorithm is
sufficiently abstract to allow responsive execution in the context of a
unit-level simulation. Entity-level performance is represented by a set of
probability functions that eliminate as much entity level detail as possible
while retaining the important effects of entity-level performance on combat
outcome. These probability functions, all of which are based on entity-level
data and models, include intervisibility, detection, kill, and location. The
functions operate within equations that consider potential interactions
between entity types and likely locations of entities of different types. This paper will explain the combat
resolution algorithm, its basic equations, the probability functions, and how
the latter are based on entity-level data. It will also report work to test
the new algorithm by comparing its results with the outcome of a historical
battle. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Five Forces Driving Game Technology Adoption2008 Paper No. 8023 Roger D. Smith U.S. Army Program
Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation Orlando, FL The computer gaming industry has begun to
export powerful products and technologies from its initial entertainment roots
to a number of “serious” industries. Games are being adopted for defense,
medicine, architecture, education, city planning, and government
applications. Each of these industries is already served by an established
family of companies that typically do not use games or the technologies that
support them. The rapid growth in the power of game technologies and the
growing social acceptance of these technologies has created an environment in
which these are displacing other industry-specific computer hardware and software
suites. This paper introduces five specific forces
that compel industries to adopt game technologies for their core products and
services. These five forces are computer hardware costs, game software power,
social acceptance, other industry successes, and native industry
experimentation. Together these influence the degree and rapidity at which
game technologies are adopted in a number of industries. The military
simulation industry is just one of the many industries that are being
impacted by these technologies and the five forces are affecting it just as
they are many other industries. The paper extends the concepts of simulation
industry disruption that were introduced by the author in the Journal of
Defense Modeling and Simulation. Earlier papers have applied the
innovation and disruption model of Clayton Christenson to the
simulation industry and demonstrated that the industry was in the “process
innovation” phase of Utterback’s innovation lifecycle model. This
paper defines the forces that are driving these changes and indicates why
these forces are undeniable and will permanently change the landscape of
virtual and constructive military simulation products. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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The Application of Commercial Gaming Technology to Adaptive Adversarial Behaviors2008 Paper No. 8237
As computer gaming technology continues to
improve it has come to rival or surpass the simulated imagery, dynamics, and
human behavior representation available in current military training
simulators. With the goal of applying gaming technologies to training
simulations, the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG), through the U.S.
Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Simulation and
Training Technology Center (STTC), has sponsored an effort to use a commercial
game engine for the simulation of fully automated and adaptive individual
adversaries. This paper discusses the use of gaming technology to implement
fully automated and adaptive adversarial behaviors. The use of an AI gaming
engine allows the adversarial behaviors to adapt by assessing local
conditions and dynamically changing tactics, target selection and routing.
Learning takes place, and tactics improve, during scenario execution and this
learning is retained across scenario runs so that an adversary will improve
each time a scenario is run. AI.implant, a commercial artificial intelligence
game engine, was interfaced with the behavioral architecture of OneSAF Test
Bed (OTBSAF) to provide OTBSAF simulated entities with adaptive adversarial behaviors.
Several behaviors were implemented, including a Suicide Bomber and an IED
Ambush. A graphical user interface was developed that provides the
non-programmer the ability to modify existing behaviors or to create entirely
new behaviors. An evaluation was conducted to assess the effectiveness of the
AI.implant behavior engine in terms of variability, adaptability and
autonomy. Additionally subject matter experts (SMEs) were used to evaluate
the ease with which a non-programmer can create or modify adaptive behaviors.
The results of these evaluations are provided and discussed. The developed
adversarial behavioral system is currently in a usable state, and work to
interface the system with existing training systems is discussed. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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SPeAR, Anchor, Scaffold, Thread: Learning Design for Scenario-Based Serious Games2008 Paper No. 8352
Scenario-based serious games are a promising
medium for providing direct experience and concrete contexts in military
training environments. However, there are few research-based guidelines to
support their learning design or account for why they include specific
characters, environments, or activities. While the fundamentals of good instructional
design and learning are enduring, the design of scenario-based serious games
requires a different, holistic approach to leverage their great promise and
inherent power. This paper will describe an industry research
and development initiative to produce an integrated methodology for designing
scenario-based serious games while also providing a common lexicon for
designers, developers, project managers, customers, users and stakeholders to
communicate the role and relative importance of product elements and aspects.
The methodology is based on a review of learning theories and methods that
led to the identification of seven interconnected attributes of scenarios for
serious games (Focus, Action, Relevance, Support, Anchoring, Evaluation, and
Engagement). The SPeAR Design Methodology was then developed to provide a
framework for implementation of the seven attributes through its four
interconnected components: SPeAR Statement (Situation, Precipitating event,
Action, and Results), Anchor, Scaffold, and Thread. The SPeAR Statement
focuses design on active performance of the learning objective, while the
Anchor provides the context, the Scaffold provides the support, and the
Thread unifies the components into a meaningful learning experience. This
paper will conclude with recommendations for continued research and
implementation. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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What is Realism? Navigating the Obstacles and Forging a Path to Achievement2008 Paper No. 8377 Jeffrey W. Wallace, Barbara J. Hannibal Carpe Occasio
Technology Systems, LLC San Diego, CA At last year’s (2007) Interservice/Industry
Training, Simulation & Education Conference (I/ITSEC) Flag Panel, many
leaders mentioned the need for improving realism, and that it was a
topic of interest for their service or organization. However, a
community-wide agreement or consensus understanding as to how realism is
defined seems to be lacking. For example, realism may be defined as
high-definition graphics in some cases, as realistic environmental factors
(e.g., simulation of strong winds) in other cases, or even as
culturally-sensitive battle and negotiation tactics in others. So precisely,
what does someone mean when they use the term realism, and is the meaning
consistent across disciplines and across services and organizations? In a
related vein, there is wide community agreement regarding the need to advance
the practice of non-kinetic effects representation to the same level as our
abilities in kinetic effects. As such, it would be useful to understand the relationship
between realism and the concepts and practices in the modeling and simulation
of kinetic and non-kinetic effects. The paper provides some examples of how
these concepts are related, and also addresses the concepts of fidelity,
resolution, and verification, validation, and accreditation (VV&A). The
objective of this paper is to systematically describe a scheme to
characterize realism in a way that provides insight into its significance,
the obstacles to achieving it, and methods to enhance it, with regard to
modeling and simulation efforts employed in training and education curricula and
programs. Principally, this paper intends to begin the discussion of
representation primitives required to support the improvement of realism in
order to enhance warfighter readiness, and to ultimately understand how to
build more effective training and education products to maximize the
Government’s return on investment. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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A Model-Following Variable Stability Control System for In-Flight Simulations2008 Paper No. 8003
A major design objective for in-flight
simulation is to develop a controller that forces the aircraft being flown to
follow the dynamics of other airframes. Through utilization of a
model-following control system, this research seeks to force the in-flight
simulation aircraft to respond according to a pre-programmed aircraft dynamic
model. Specifically, this work presents a model-following variable stability
control system (VSS) for in-flight simulation which consists of feed-forward
and feedback control laws, the aircraft dynamic model to be simulated, and switching
and fader logics to minimize the transient effects that occur when switching
between the two aircraft dynamics. The separate design techniques for
feed-forward and feedback control law proposals are based on model matching
and augmented linear quadratic (LQ) techniques. The system allows pilots to
select and engage VSS mode, and when deselected, the aircraft reverts to the
baseline flight control system. Both the baseline flight control laws and VSS
control laws are computed continuously during flight, and overall system stability
during mode transition is discussed. Initialization of the state values are
necessary to prevent undesirable transients during engagement and disengagement
of VSS, since both baseline control and VSS control laws have integrators and
filters in pitch (longitudinal), roll and yaw (lateral/directional) axes.
This research demonstrates and validates the effectiveness and quality of VSS
with F-16 models embedded in T-50 in-flight simulation aircraft. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Virtual Patients for Future Leaders2008 Paper No 8360
Caroly Pataki, Michele
Pato, Jeff Sugar, Cheryl St George USC Keck School of
Medicine Los Angeles, CA War is one of the most challenging
environments that persons may experience. The cognitive, emotional and physical
demands of combat environments place enormous stress on even the
best-prepared military personnel. The OIF/OEF combat theatre, with its
ubiquitous battlefronts, ambiguous enemy identification, and repeated
extended deployments have resulted in a significant number of returning
American SMs with PTSD and other mental disorders. As a result, military
leaders and clinicians in training need to develop clinical skills for
identifying potential stress related disorders. Although traditional
approaches make use of standard clinic patients to teach, there is limited
ability to evaluate skills in a systematic fashion. There is the concern
related to the time and money needed to train those involved in the role play
for standardized patients. Perhaps most difficult is the “standardization” of
standardized patients—will they in fact consistently proffer psychometrically
reliable and valid interactions with the training clinicians. Virtual Human
technology has evolved to a point where researchers are developing mental
health applications that make use of virtual standardized patients. These
virtual patients are embodied characters that have the ability to recognize
speech, respond to questions and generate verbal and non-verbal behavior. We
have conducted several pilot studies with clinical residents at USC’s Keck
School of Medicine and will describe the ongoing study and methodology of our
virtual patient approach that allows novice mental health clinicians to
conduct an interview with a character emulating PTSD. The paper will
summarize the data from the studies and discuss the preliminary standardization
of the interactions with the virtual patients. The underlying virtual patient
technology will be described. Finally future work will be discussed and
recommendations related the ways in which these characters may enable future
leaders to learn, train and win. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Multi-National Distributed Training Exercise to Evaluate Massively Multiplayer On-Line Gaming Technology2008 Paper No. 8241
The United States (US) Army Research,
Development and Engineering Command Simulation and Training Technology Center
(STTC), as a cooperative research effort with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Land
Warfare Center, will be conducting experimental training exercises to
evaluate Massively Multiplayer On-line Game (MMOG) technology. The goal is to
run three exercises over the next 24 months, starting with a ground exercise
and working toward a Close Air Support exercise. The first exercise, which
will be conducted in July 2008, will contain several scenarios focused on
Assaults, Hostage Negotiations, and Non-combatant Evacuation Orders. The
purpose of these exercises is to conduct cooperative research activities that
will enhance the technologies, processes, and strategies for applying
distributed simulation to Coalition training. The exercises will be conducted
in a distributed fashion, where both the US and UK Soldiers will be
participating in the training experiment from their respective locations.
Exercise control, role players, and after action review will also be
distributed over the World Wide Web. Several technical research topics will
be explored including: bandwidth constraints, network latency, network
security, and scalability. In addition, the United States Army Research
Institute will conduct formative evaluations, evaluating task performance,
training strategy, and leadership feedback. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Spatial Relationship Networks: Network Theory Applied to High-Detail Virtual Environments2008 Paper No. 8306 Barry Bitters Science
Applications International Corporation McLean, Virginia In the information technology realm,
ontologies are used to define an explicit set of objects, concepts, or
situations within a subject domain. However, ontologies usually define only
what could exist, not what actually exists. For a formal and explicit
ontology of human and natural geographies to be a viable tool for the
prediction of existence, it must provide more detail than just an itemization
of a domain’s class structure. Ontologies must provide indications as to the
likelihood of existence. In conjunction with existing feature databases, when
developed properly, an ontology of a geographic domain can be used to augment
existing feature content within a feature database with additional very high
detail feature. Waldo Tobler proposed the “1st Law of Geography” with the
statement, "Everything is related to everything else, but nearby things
are more related than distant things" [Tobler, 1970]. The world can be
viewed as a fixed set of features; a set of features distributed about the
landscape based on a set of constant and definable associations and spatial
relationships. Social systems, business systems, financial systems, natural
landscapes and cultural landscapes can all be defined as hierarchical networks
in a link and node form – the nodes as entities, objects or features and the
links as associations and spatial relationships. By defining those
associations and relationships (and including probabilities of occurrence) as
a set of logical axioms, this assemblage of axioms constitutes a geospatial
relational network of knowledge. Recording these commonly occurring situations
in machine understandable form allows them to be used in the next generation
Web environment in a wide variety of future applications. As an extension of
past work with geographical taxonomies and ontologies, we are developing an
extended spatial relationships network of natural and cultural
features/objects. It takes the form of a set of logical axioms – each axiom describing
a specific association between two objects. In addition to the definition of
an association, each axiom contains a probability factor of the occurrence of
the association, a specific spatial or aspatial relationship describing the
association, and a spatial probability factor. Stored as a set of RDF/OWL
predicates, each statement defines an association between two objects, their
spatial relationship, and probabilities of the existence of the association.
Including these discrete probability values within each logical predicate
results in a complex network of domain knowledge. This spatial
relationship network can be used in conjunction with existing feature
data to predict the existence of additional feature content. Analyzing
this spatial relationship network using classical inference, Bayesian logic
filters, or graphical belief functions (Dempster-Shafer theory) allows
inferences to be made of the presence and location of associated feature
content. In this way, new feature content can be added to existing feature
databases – for ultimate use in rich and detailed virtual environments. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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An Immersive Learning Simulation Environment for Chinese Culture2008 Paper No 8344 Julie Henderson, Paul Fishwick, Elinore Fresh, Franz Futterknecht, University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL Benjamin D.
Hamilton SETA Support to the
Technical Support Working Group Arlington, VA Overseas operations for U.S. government
personnel have steadily increased in frequency, spawning a growing emphasis
on cultural awareness. Although appropriate behavior in a foreign context is
often understated, skillful cross-cultural interactions have significant
potential in diffusing, solving, and avoiding problems, as well as promoting
healthy and co-operative relationships with local populations. Prior
in-country immersion is rarely feasible, and therefore adequate alternatives
are needed. A model immersive cultural learning environment integrates Second
Life and traditional web content, optimizing the affordances of presence and
web content for a robust cultural learning experience. Utilizing principals
of situated cognition, authentic learning, and contextualized learning, the
immersive cultural learning environment shows promise in meeting the need for
cultural awareness training in an authentic, learner-centered environment. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Games – Just How Serious Are They?2008 Paper No. 8013
As military forces around the world
begin to adopt gaming technology as an apparently cost effective and robust
means for military tactical training it seems appropriate to consider how
well suited they are for this task. This paper uses an evidence based approach
to illustrate how American, British, Canadian and Australian forces are
applying serious game (SG) technology to meet a variety of training needs. In
particular, the paper uses these specific examples to address three
questions: What tactical training requirements are serious games best suited
to meeting? How effective and efficient are they at meeting those
requirements? What are the technological limits associated with their use? In answering these questions, the paper
concludes that SGs are providing a cost-effective means to provide
experience-based learning with emphasis on cognitive and increasingly
affective training domains. War fighters will not develop the expert
psycho-motor skills they need to effectively employ their weapon systems using
game-based training. However, once the team of experts in various weapon
systems is created, SG technology affords trainers the opportunity to turn
them into an expert team capable of communicating well with the cognitive
skills they need to effectively operate as teams. The examples demonstrate
that this is true for infantry, armoured or combined arms training in open or
urban terrain and holds for the very technologically demanding case of
aviation training. To take full advantage of this capability, SGs need to be
included as part of blended training solutions that take advantage of the
strengths of the various types of training available with the SGs providing
an experience-based learning alternative that has not been practically
affordable since the end of the Cold War. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Bloody Serious Gaming – Experiences with Job Oriented Training2008 Paper No. 8169 Anja van der Hulst, Tijmen Muller, Sam Besselink, Dennis Coetsier TNO Defense, Safety
and Security Soesterberg, The Netherlands Major Clemens Roos (Royal
Netherlands Army; Simulation Centre) Amersfoort. The Netherlands A long needed educational paradigm shift is
steadily finding its way into the Dutch military organization, namely that of
Job Oriented Training [1,2]. When training the JOT way, from day one, military
students are confronted with increasingly complex real 'job' challenges to be
solved in virtual environments. Along that road, we do not take prisoners;
mistake means virtual death. Neither do we supply theory in advance:
theoretical insights are acquired while solving realistic issues. Frequent
and thorough reflection makes the insights stick. Military personnel enjoy
being challenged and thrive on it. This is one of the main observations of
four years of JOT within the field of serious gaming. We make them learn the
hard way. They say ‘it is pretty cool’. In this paper, we will explain the effects of
JOT on learning and performance as we observed it in the various Dutch military
schools that have adopted this way of training. While implementing JOT, we
gathered quite some lessons learned. Additionally, we measured the
development of crucial aspects of learning and performance during JOT curricula.
Our experiences indicate that JOT may be a very effective approach to
challenge soldiers to become professionals, to take responsibility for their
performance and to be flexible when their mission and environment change. The
effectiveness of JOT is promising for present military education, the road to
implementation, however, is challenging. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Using Serious Game Technology to Improve Aircrew Training2008 Paper No. 8184
Serious games offer a promising technology
for training complex skills. But there are few implementation guidelines and
even fewer empirical studies that unequivocally demonstrate a benefit of
game-based training over conventional alternatives. To address the first
issue, we developed a structured query framework that links elements of game
design (e.g., feedback, challenge, fantasy) to training objectives. The
framework is a synthesis of serious game, multimedia instruction, cognitive
psychology, and instructional design literatures. This tool helps instructors
incorporate gaming elements into their curriculum to improve the motivation,
learning, and performance of key cognitive, psychomotor, and problem-solving
skills. This framework also specifies the types of gaming environments that
work best for each skill. To address the second issue, we applied the
framework to develop a serious game to train an operational task: programming
an aircraft’s flight management system (FMS). A training needs analysis
revealed the FMS to be a good candidate for “gaming up” since its 1970’s
interface and opaque logic are unfamiliar to many of today’s pilot trainees,
where the intrinsic motivation to practice component skills is low. Yet
learning to program the device quickly and accurately – and being able to
recognize and correct errors – requires repeated practice in varied contexts.
The training effectiveness of the FMS game is being evaluated using students
from Arizona State University’s flight training program and co-located Mesa
Airlines’ new-hires as subjects. A randomized design is used where half the
students receive gamed FMS instruction and half conventional computer based
training. A transfer of training task criterion test is then given using a
physical replica of the FMS device, where comparisons of relative performance
index game impact. The paper will provide graphic examples of the framework
and quantitative results of the evaluation. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Integrating Emotions, Perceptions, Cognitions and Motion Under Perceived Pressure Conditions2008 Paper No. 8066 Gershon Tenenbaum, Selen Razon Florida State
University Tallahassee,
Florida Of great concern to the 21st century
warfighter is how well one may perform mission-essential duties under
conditions of intense duress or high cognitive workload, and how
decision-making skills may be influenced when emotions and timebased pressures
call for immediate actions to be taken. In the highly applied military domain,
a warfighter without properly integrated emotional responses, cognitive
processes and subsequent behaviors, could potentially make a dangerous or
even fatal decision. This research seeks to examine how relationships between
emotions, cognitive processes, and motoric behaviors change under stress and
lay out a framework that details how linkages may alter under specific
conditions of perceived pressure. Is it the case that stronger emotional
control can mediate the cognitive-motor relationship and result in better
performance? What are the underlying mechanisms that enable or prevent
efficient courses of action from occurring? Though sound theories have been
put forth and extensive research has been devoted to investigate these questions,
most of those initiatives have not taken an integrative approach to examine
how the emotional, cognitive, and motor systems interact. More specifically,
the structural components of human performance, such as emotional processes
(i.e., feelings, mood), cognitive processes and structures (e.g., knowledge
architecture, long-term working memory), motor processes (coordination,
endurance), and the neurophysiological basis of these structural components
(i.e., activation of cortical areas) have been studied independently. This
research presents a conceptual framework to address the integration across
these systems, and we attempt to propose a unified theoretical framework that
offers an improved understanding of human performance as well as helping to
generate scientifically-valid applications. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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DARCAAT: DARPA Competence Assessment and Alarms for Teams2008 Paper No. 8180
Assessing teams in complex military
environments requires effective tracking of individual and team performance.
Indeed, performance measures must be both accurate and timely in order to
provide effective real-time alarms. However, current methods of monitoring
team and group performance often rely on delayed outcomes or global metrics
that are insufficiently detailed to detect failures until recovery is impossible,
and are often unable to reveal the causes of failures. An untapped source of
timely and diagnostic information lies in the communications among team
members. The DARCAAT program developed and tested a toolset for automating
team assessment and near real-time alarms. The toolset uses Automated Speech
Recognition and Statistical Natural Language-based techniques for embedding automatic,
continuous, and cumulative analysis of team communication in training and
operational environments. The techniques include measures of the content,
patterns, and style of team members’ communications. These measures were
combined using machine learning techniques to develop performance models
based on Subject Matter Expert (SME) ratings of teams. Focusing on the domain
of convoy training, we collected team performance and communication data from
the Fort Lewis DARWARS Ambush! convoy training virtual environment and from
the National Training Center’s live convoy STX lane training. Tests of the
performance models and critical incident detection capabilities showed that
the technology agreed significantly with SMEs’ ratings of teams, and could identify
a majority of the team critical incidents. In this paper we discuss the
implications for modeling team performance based on communication, describe
the development of the technology, and demonstrate how it can process communication
to detect critical incidents and to generate team performance metrics. Finally
we describe how this technology can be integrated into training systems for
automatic team assessment. These systems can provide automated feedback and
can alert teams and commanders of potential problems before they occur. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Maintaining Cognitive Engagement in T raining Scenarios Using Explicit Cognitive Models2008
Paper No. 8217
Commonly, military training games and
simulations depend on participants engaging in the immersive environment and
then stopping to glean the meaning of their behaviors through(admittedly,
increasingly sophisticated) After Action Reports. In order to derive the
meaning of their experience, they must break cognitive engagement with their
experience. This is, of course, sub-optimal. While it is established that reflection-upon-behavior
is required to “make sense” of experience, it may not be possible to
demonstrate how that can be realized without breaking the participants’
cognitive engagement. This presentation demonstrates a unique method of
maintaining user engagement through a planned system of “graceful failures,”
that allow non-catastrophic mistakes, precludes catastrophic mistake, and
maintains “play” of the simulation. Plan-based models of narrative control
interaction within a learning environment to provide powerful underpinnings
for models of both the environmental dynamics and the cognitive model of the
learner operating within it. The idea of narrative mediation – an analysis of
the potential points of failure within an automatically generated learning
experience that pre-computes appropriate story adaptations at points where
user activity could cause a learning experience to break. This approach
tracks every learner behavior in the engagement, making it possible to
distinguish between the behavior-as-behaved and the
behavior-as-instructionally-significant. This probable discrepancy typically
is not addressed in games and simulations, leading to the real risk that
active engagement in the game-play aspect is misconstrued as engagement in
lessons to be learned. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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INSTRUCTOR-FACILITATED VS STAND-ALONE TACTICAL GAME TRAINING2008 Paper No. 8022 Dr. Scott A. Beal U.S. Army Research
Institute Fort Bragg, NC Sixty-nine Infantry leaders attending the
Basic Non-Commissioned Officer Course (BNCOC) at Fort Benning, Georgia,
participated in an experiment that investigated the impact of
instructor-facilitated vs stand-alone game training on tactical decision
making. Thirty-two leaders were assigned to complete two urban
operations-based missions (patrol and defense) using the SimFX game. These
leaders worked under the direction of an instructor and interacted with
peers. Thirty-seven more leaders completed the two missions, but worked in
the absence of an instructor and peer interaction. Pre-exercise measures
included military and game experience and tactical situation judgment. A
questionnaire administered to leaders following the exercise documented their
perceptions of training value, opportunities to implement tactical decisions,
and motivation. Leaders in both groups were assessed individually for their
ability to recognize and implement sound tactical decisions while serving as
leader of a light Infantry squad during patrol and defense missions in an
urban environment. Results showed that tactical decision making performance
was not impacted by training methods, but that leaders’ perceptions of
training value and decision making were more favorable when the exercise was
facilitated by an instructor and when they interacted with peers. A
discussion of the results and their applicability to the Army’s trend towards
distributed methods of instruction is included. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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A Service-Oriented Approach for Competency Visualization and Management2008 Paper No. 8214 Jeff
Krinock, Upul Obeysekare, Matthew Cafasso, Walt Grata, Dave Richards, Tammie Panar, Nancy Johnson Concurrent
Technologies Corporation (CTC) Johnstown,
PA The array of available
network-hosted training material and advanced distributed learning content
continues to expand. With this expansion, increasingly diverse applications
launch training activities and content and track the progress of students and
learners. Advances with standards and models help standardize content launch
within specific "stovepipes" such as simulations or courseware.
These standards, however, do not enable interchange of information about
tracked learner experience between diverse online applications such as those
increasingly hosted by Web portals. For example, learners engaging in an
online small-group training experience may wish to augment understanding of a
given subject with background material from a SCORM-conformant course. Yet
gaming lobbies and simulation launchers do not typically contain data models
and protocols for exchanging recent student experience and assessment results
(and, related, the need for additional training or experience). I.e., the
launch mechanisms and databases of games or simulations cannot communicate
learner results and needs with courseware-launching applications such as
Learning Management Systems (LMSs), or in a broader sense, the Web portal
hosting these multiple applications. This paper describes a service-centric
information service that combines training and assessment information into a
single distilled joint profile to track current Knowledge, Skills and
Abilities and to set the stage for robust adaptive support to the learner.
This "Learner Profile"—built using existing standards and models
and translating data where data model gaps exist—is accessible via a
service-centric learner profile service that serves as a base information
source for querying and exchanging learner data about competencies, skills,
and training records. This prototype learner information profile service
enables commanders, supervisors, and learners to visualize both individual and
group training accomplishments and experiences and to make decisions ranging
from next-up training events to personnel utilization. Its inherent learner
model enables just-in-time provisioning and the basis for Intelligent
Tutoring-like behaviors. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Enhance learning with ITS style interactions between learner and Content2008
Paper No. 8218 Xiangen Hu, Trey
Martindale Workforce Advanced Distributed Learning
Co-Lab The University of Memphis Much e-learning content has been produced and
is being delivered as uninspiring page-turners. Although advanced learning
technologies such as Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) have been shown to
produce significant learning gains, it is prohibitively expensive to convert
existing e-learning content into more interactive learning environments. In
this paper we describe a process that may produce greater learning gains with
existing e-learning content with minimal conversion time and expense. We call
this ITS-enhanced delivery of shared content objects (SCOs). This process was
developed by the research associates of the Workforce ADL Co-Lab at the
University of Memphis. It is based on years of extensive research and
development in cognitive learning theory, human tutoring, ITSs, and other advanced
learning systems. The prototype we will present is supported by a contract
from the Joint ADL Co-Lab. The core of this process is a lightweight natural
language processing (NLP) component that can be added to any SCO. In this
process, the following scenario occurs: A student is participating in
page-turning instruction. The learning management system (LMS) asks the
student a question about the content. The NLP component understands the student’s
response and offers meaningful feedback. The LMS requires the student to react,
explain, or otherwise spend more time with the content. The resulting
enhanced instructional content is a SCO that can be delivered in any
SCORM-conformant LMS. The pedagogical foundation guiding the interaction
between the student and the LMS is based on analysis of hundreds of hours of
human tutoring and numerous studies of effective ITSs (including AutoTutor,
developed by our Workforce ADL Co-lab research associates). Our paper will
describe implementation of the NLP component, communication between API and
LMS, and the feedback process for the student. We will demonstrate some
enhanced SCOs that are used in the current Joint Knowledge Online (JKO)
initiative. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Integrating Training Simulations and e-Learning Systems: The SimSCORM platform2008 Paper No. 8062 Leo de
Penning MSc, Eddy Boot PhD, Bart Kappé PhD TNO
Defense, Safety and Security Soesterberg,
The Netherlands From a technological,
pedagogical, and commercial perspective, the world of training simulators has
always been separate from the world of e-learning. There is a need, however,
to merge both worlds. This would allow the pedagogical capabilities of the
e-learning community to be combined with the operational training
capabilities of simulators. Until now, this integration was held back due to the
high cost and complexity of connecting training simulators with e-learning
tools such as Learning Management Systems (LMSs). With the recent, rapidly
growing adoption of standards for both simulation (e.g., HLA) and e-learning
(e.g., ADL SCORM), integration can now be achieved much easier and at a lower
cost. TNO has studied the integration of e-learning and simulation and
developed an approach based upon integration by means of de facto standards
in both worlds. The SimSCORM platform was built as a proof of concept of this
approach. The SimSCORM platform provides a dynamic integration of e-learning
systems and training simulators. Although not a unique effort, TNO has chosen
a rather distinctive and flexible approach. In this approach, each learning
task in the LMS is treated as a separate simulation component, which has its
own direct link to the HLA simulation. This integration allows real-time,
two-way interaction between one or more simulator(s) and the active learning
task running in the LMS. The LMS, which can be any LMS as long as it is SCORM
compliant, can be used for tracking, evaluation, and administration of
training results, as well as for configuring and starting scenarios for the
simulator. As a result, the SimSCORM platform enables cost-effective reuse of
expensive simulator features in e-learning settings, joint training
simulations, real-time assessment using ADL SCORM objectives, team training, and
requires no adaptations to the simulator or LMS as long as they are
respectively HLA and ADL SCORM compliant This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Game-based Learning Assessment2008 Paper No. 8071 Curtis Conkey, Kelsey Henderson, & Katrina Ricci Naval Air Warfare
Center Training Systems Division Orlando, FL Chris DuBuc Engineering &
Computer Simulations, Inc. Orlando FL Games and simulations have great potential to
support adaptive learning by placing learners in a “real-world” environment
and allowing them to learn in context. While these types of simulations offer
the opportunity to immerse a student within a context based scenario, student
tracking, assessment, and feedback play a key role in the learning process
and in learning management. From a learning perspective, feedback provides
critical information to a student for insight regarding knowledge
deficiencies and strengths. From a learning management perspective, knowledge
of a learner’s progress can provide opportunities for more precise
remediation or advancement to a more challenging level of training. However,
historically most game-based training applications have not had the
capability to interface with SCORM-conformant Learning Management Systems
(LMSs) to track and record trainee progress. Moreover, there is a lack of ability
to assess performance and provide learners immediate feedback in a game-based
environment. The goal of the effort presented here is to provide a tool
capability for interfacing a simulation’s characteristics with an LMS for
control and tracking. A SCORM conformant gamebased assessment capability will
be presented. Potential strategies to enhance the state-of-the-art of
scenario-based, self-paced learning will be explored and recommendations for
future study will be discussed. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Gaps in SCORM Implementation and Practice Using an Online Simulation2008 Paper No. 8345 Patrick Shane
Gallagher, Ph. D. ADL/Si-International Alexandria, VA In assessing SCORM 2004 for its affordances
facilitating the implementation of specific requirements representing a
simulation-based model optimized for interoperability and reusability several
implications have come to light ranging from gaps in the technical
architecture to standard implementation practice to instructional designers
and programmers perspectives and understanding. They were identified
technically within the RTE and Sequencing as well as in the common
implementation practice of designing SCOs purely for content presentation.
Findings also point to the need for persistent arbitrary SCO to SCO communication
and the ability to conceptualize, design, and implement reusable functional
SCOs to fully implement a simulation as an interoperable model within a SCORM
environment. Also implied, are gaps in instructional design practice for
SCORM-based solutions as well as gaps in the understanding of IT engineers
and practitioners in relation to learning theories and practices. In respect
to SCORM 2004 and simulations in general as a valuable reusable pedagogical
model, the underlying behaviorist pedagogy inherent in SCORM’s design needs
to be revisited and in so doing the academic community needs to become more
involved in its evolution. These findings were derived from a gap analysis
using a specific set of requirements derived from an existing online
simulation learning environment as the criterion and the Run-time Environment
(RTE) and Sequencing of the SCORM 2004 technical architecture as the
condition. Results were based on an analysis of quantitative and qualitative
data collected from 26 members of the SCORM community employed in industry,
government, standards/specifications entities, and academia. Participants
were asked to provide levels of agreement to indicator statements of the
relevance of the SCORM 2004 targets to the SIMREF at both the individual and
set levels. They were also asked to describe alternate standards, specifications,
technologies, and capabilities necessary to fulfill the requirements. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Physical Modeling of Helicopter Rotorwash Environments for Enhanced Crew Training2008 Paper No. 8175 Jeffrey D. Keller, Daniel A. Wachspress, Todd R. Quackenbush Continuum Dynamics,
Inc. Ewing, New Jersey Military rotorcraft operations have grown in
mission capability such that these aircraft are critical components in
numerous combat and non-combat missions. Simulation provides a valuable tool
for training aircrews and ground personnel during mission rehearsal of
rotorcraft operations, which at times can involve coordination between
multiple personnel. A critical aspect of ensuring that personnel receive effective
training is the inclusion of physics-based models that account for the
effects of rotorcraft operations, in particular, the effects of rotorwash, on
the simulated environment. These effects have become more critical with the
use of heavy lift rotorcraft and tiltrotors, which may potentially introduce
a significant rotorwash hazard to ground personnel. It is highly desirable to
identify enhanced models for rotorwash effects in simulation to yield highly
effective training environments. This paper describes initial work on an
advanced simulation capability for modeling helicopter rotorwash effects in a
dynamic virtual training environment. The central element is a real-time,
physically-based rotorwash model that is used to capture interactions between
the helicopter and environment. A proof-of-concept rotorwash physics engine
has been developed that simulates the response of dynamic objects (including
rigid bodies and flexible objects such as cables) due to flight operations
near the ground and ship flight decks. By using a physics-based approach, it
is possible to represent the dynamic environment and provide proper training cues
over a broad range of operational scenarios. The paper discusses the
rotorwash physics engine development that combines an advanced rotorcraft
flow model with a commercial off the shelf (COTS) multi-body physics engine.
Results from representative applications are provided, including an
application that presents regions of potential rotorwash hazards in a
simplified manner for ground personnel training. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Accelerating Line-of-Sight Computations in Large OneSAF Terrains with Dynamic Events2008 Paper No. 8273
We describe
novel algorithms to accelerate the performance of line-of-sight (LOS)
computations in large terrains with dynamic entities and events. The
underlying approach can handle all kinds of dynamic environments with large
number of moving entities, modifiable and dense urban features and may
include environmental elements such as terrain skin and features (trees,
roads, buildings) an entities such as smoke, clouds, etc. Our algorithm makes
use of dynamic bounding volume hierarchies (D-BVHs), which are represented in
terms of axis-aligned-bounding-boxes (AABBs). We describe efficient
algorithms to compute the D-BHVs by using a combination of refitting and
restructuring techniques and perform fast intersection tests between AABBs
and the LOS to improve the runtime performance. We have integrated our
algorithm with the OneSAF Objective System (Versions 1.1 and 1.5) and created
an LOS services library inside of the OneSAF Environment Runtime Component
(ERC). We have measured the LOS performance of the existing OneSAF algorithm
and our novel D-BVH algorithm on many test suites including JNTC and JRTC
databases. Our new integrated LOS algorithm executes the query in 18
micro-seconds per call on a current desktop PC within high-resolution, urban
exercises. In practice, our D-BVH algorithm is about 3X faster than the
current OneSAF v1.5 LOS routines and about 10X faster than OneSAF v1.1 LOS
routines. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first efficient approach
to accelerate LOS computations in large terrains with dynamic entities and
events. Our formulation can also be used to accelerate route planning,
collision detection and physics-based simulations in dynamic terrains. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Improving Simulation of Botnet Infection and Propagation2008 Paper No. 8284
The simulation of
cyber warfare and cyber activities, especially the activities of bot armies
(botnets) and their effects upon networks, computers, users, and society, are
an important simulation challenge. The importance of improving botnet
simulation stems from their potential use in military operations and in other
security-oriented simulations. Botnets are malware that can be remotely
controlled at all times, uses increasingly sophisticated command and control
structure, and can be upgraded at any time by the controller. A bot army is
powerful and agile in its technical capabilities and can be extremely large,
comprising tens of thousands or millions of computers. Botnets are a threat
to all computing and networked systems. To improve our understanding of
botnet operation and combat future hostile uses, bot army simulations that
can be inserted into military simulation environments are needed. Developing
botnet simulation capabilities requires advances in two areas: improved
understanding of bot army technologies and development of standards and
models that support the simulation of bot army operations. Additional
challenges are posed by integrating bot army simulations into interactive and
constructive simulation environments. To date, little work has been reported
in the open literature concerning these issues. In the paper, we address
these and related issues to highlight the challenges of botnet research and
standards development. In this paper, we discuss the need for botnet
simulations, describe a model for botnet operation, and discuss the need and
benefits realized by their incorporation into broader simulation
environments. Section One presents an introduction to bot armies and malware,
the expected benefits, and the motivation for our research and for research
on bot armies. Section Two presents background material on bot armies and
malware and a discussion of related topics. Section Three presents the
characteristics of our botnet model and its uses. Section Four contains the
conclusion and suggestions for further research. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Using Real-time Physics to Enhance Game Based Effects2008 Paper No. 8033
Advanced graphics processors,
multi-core processors, and game physics engines have contributed to the rapid
growth of games that inch ever closer to replicating real world physical interactions.
Vehicles collide with objects and display realistic damage, structures hit by
weapons crumble realistically, and trees bend and sway in the wind and snap
off when fired at with small arms. The sources of these effects are
sophisticated computational physics algorithms available to mainstream game
developers through physics engines such as those developed by Havok and
Ageia. In order to simplify the game environments where these effects are
used, many assumptions are made about the physical properties and the
interactions of objects in these environments. If the game is being used
purely for entertainment or if it is being used as a training tool where the
realism of the interactions is not critical, these simplifying assumptions
are acceptable. However, there are valid reasons to replace simplifying
assumptions of the environments and physical responses of objects in the game
with more realistic physical models. If the game is being used for
experimentation where certain effects can alter the outcome of an experiment,
better models may be warranted. Physics-based effects are also valuable for
training where accurate weapons effects are important to training
requirements. In this paper, we discuss our research into
the implementation of real-time physics models in a game environment. The
objectives of this research are to demonstrate the feasibility of using
physics-based weapons effects models in a game engine and to develop an
approach for optimizing the models for real-time response. The US Army
Research & Development Engineering Command Simulation and Training
Technology Center (RDECOM –STTC) is currently researching and evaluating
these real-time models to support experimentation and training. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Interactive Photorealistic Inside-Looking-Out Automated 3-D Modeling2008 Paper No. 8044 Voicu Popescu Purdue University West-Lafayette, IN Mihai Mudure Google Inc. Mountain View, CA Digital 3-D models of real world scenes are
important in many applications in defense and beyond. Constructing 3-D models
that faithfully capture the complexity of the real world is a difficult
problem. A promising approach is automated 3-D modeling based on directly
recording the geometry and color of the scene. Current systems suffer of
important disadvantages such as inadequate scene coverage due to slow acquisition,
lack of immediate feedback on the quality of the acquired 3-D model,
restriction to small scenes, and unintuitive operation. In this paper we give an overview of the
ModelCamera automated indoor 3-D modeling project at Purdue University, and
we present novel research results and their implementation. The ModelCamera
is designed to handle the challenging “inside-looking-out” 3-D modeling case
of large, room-sized scenes. The system is interactive, it provides immediate
feedback to the operator, it is efficient, and the resulting 3-D model supports
rendering the 3-D scene photorealistically at interactive rates, as needed by
applications such as virtual training. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Multichronia – A Framework for the Exploration of Parameter, Simulation, Data and Visual Spaces2008 Paper No. 8084
This paper introduces concepts related to
Multichronia, a generic visual interactive simulation (VIS) exploration
framework. Combining concepts on VIS, data farming and computational
steering, Multichronia provides users with a visual history of an informal
simulation experiment. We investigate how rich interaction metaphors with
running simulations and resulting data can assist users to better understand
the simulated system. To achieve this goal, four exploration loops are
implemented in Multichronia. Firstly, parameter space exploration involves
“what-if” analysis as well as formal analysis. Secondly, simulation space
exploration offers users visual and interactive means of managing several concurrent
executing simulations. Thirdly, data space exploration allows data streams
originating from every simulation to be customized for particular needs (e.g.
mathematical operators, windowing). Fourthly, visual space exploration allows
users comparing several simulations over specific metrics using appropriate
visual metaphors. Users experience the main interaction with the system
through the multichronic tree, which is a visual representation of several
parallel executing simulations. This paper presents the formal representation
related to the multichronic tree concept as well as interactive features implemented
such as simulation group synchronization and custom layout. On the other
hand, the Multichronia framework is generic due to extensive use of
Extensible Markup Language (XML) as the basic building block for the software
architecture that implements the interaction metaphors for exploring several
simulations. It is claimed that integrating a multichronic tree with
interactive tools could help users be more efficient in their analysis of
simulations. It is also claimed that complex scenarios in which decisions
have to be made at runtime can benefit from the four interaction loops
provided by the Multichronia framework. As a support for these claims, we
show how Pythagoras, an agent-based simulation platform not a priori designed
to be interactive, can be exploited by a Java-based implementation of
Multichronia. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Next Generation Game Engine Evaluation2008 Paper No. 8324 Eric Burns, Ty Christopher Lockheed Martin, 3D
Learning Solutions Cary, NC Rett Crocker zapgun Chapel Hill, NC A growing trend within the simulation and
training industry is to build 3D simulations on top of “game” engines
used as platforms in the computer gaming industry. Recently, several “next
generation” game engines have been released that take advantage of the
latest techniques in computer graphics and the latest graphics
hardware. These engines hold a lot of promise for the future of the
simulation and training industry, but currently, many simulations are
still built on the previous generation of technology. As a guide for
upgrading to the latest platforms, we evaluated three next generation game
engines: Garage Games' Torque, Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3, and
Emergent Game Technologies' Gamebryo. For the evaluation, a team
comprised of engineers and artists created an application on top of each
engine that loaded a complex model (~500,000 polygon, working engine
room) and allowed a user to navigate through it without penetrating
objects. The engines were evaluated based on the software development
process, the art content development process, performance, and licensing. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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Real-time Computational Fluid Dynamics for Flight Simulation 2008 Paper No. 8384 James Kenny, Kenji Takeda & Glyn Thomas School of Engineering Sciences University of Southampton Southampton, UK A service oriented architecture is
described that enables computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to run
alongside a human-in-the-loop flight simulator; thereby informing the
behavior of a simulated aircraft whilst it is being piloted. The scenario of
a helicopter landing on a moving ship at sea, is used as an example
application. A generic service-oriented architecture is
presented that allows coupling of a real-time flight simulator, flight
dynamics model and CFD simulation running on a high performance computer. The
case study used is performing unsteady CFD calculations used to model the
aerodynamic development of, and interaction between, the ship and helicopter
wakes; The CFD code resides on a cluster computer and is exposed to a
PC-based flight simulator as a service, enabling two-way data exchange
between the CFD and flight model whilst the simulation is running. Real-time
analysis of the CFD results and control inputs allows prediction of the
forces acting on the helicopter rotor, this is fed into a full six degree of
freedom flight model. Performance results for the full end-to-end
architecture are presented to demonstrate the capability, and limitations, of
this approach. The paper concludes with a short discussion regarding the
potential for this architecture to provide a generic representation of
aircraft-environment interactions, and their influence on performance and
handling. Implementing a more accurate representation of these phenomena in
flight simulators could improve the ability to prepare pilots for challenging
tasks such as: landing on ships, flying in urban environments, dealing with
„brown-out‟ conditions, and encountering the wakes of other aircraft. This
paper is available on the 2008 I/ITSEC CD ROM. Order
the paper from I/ITSEC’s Website. |
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