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Second Naval Training Device Center/Industry conference theme–“Technology in Training”

INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFERENCE

Dr. Hanns H. Wolff

Technical Director, Naval Training Device Center and Conference General Chairman

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Second Naval Training Device Center/Industry Conference.  As most you know, this conference grew from an idea for a problem-solving meeting for a specific trainer area.  It was NTDC’s late Commanding Officer, Capt. J.K. Sloatman, who supported and encouraged the idea of a conference that would deal with NTDC’s and the Training Industry’s problems on a broad basis.

Though we received many favorable comments last year from Industry and other Government Agency attendees, I feel that the real proof of usefulness is in the continued interest shown by other participating Government activities, and the Trainer Industry.

Soon after we had sent out the invitations we were assured of the desirability for this second conference.  In fact, the response and the requests for attendance by companies that did not participate in last year’s conference were such that we feel we did the right thing when we limited the attendance to two persons from each Company.  Three times as many companies asked for admission and we were forced to turn down a number of requests due to limited space.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

NAVTRADEVCEN IH-143

U.S. army participation group

present and future

Colonel L. H. LeVine, U.S.A.

Commanding Officer, Naval Training Device Center

I would like to add my welcome to those of Admiral Owen and Dr. Wolff, and hope that this conference will prove helpful and fruitful to all of us.

During last year’s NTDC/Industry Conference, you were given a presentation by LTC Philip Cunningham which presentation concerned itself generally with the organization and mission of the U.S. Army Participation Group, and what we were doing in the way of training-device developments at that time.  Neither our organization nor mission has substantially changed during the past year.  Consequently, rather than be repetitive, I would prefer to discuss what’s new in Army training-device development, what some of our more critical training problems are, and what we can see in the future for the Army Participation Group and for Industry.

We have several major programs pertaining to the development of training devices at NTDC, for example:

1)             The Synthetic Flight Training System for the Army Aviation School

2)             A training device requirement study for the Main Battle Tank-70

3)             And, third, the Moving Target Simulator for Redeye.

Each of these programs has a potential of many millions of dollars, provided that the development effort is successful.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

U.S. Marine Corps–Training by simulation

Major R.R. Sheahan, United States Marine Corps

Training Services Officer

Gentlemen–we can no longer afford the luxury of exclusive use of actual operational Weapons Systems and support Systems for training.

Heretofore, the feeling has been that training to the real situation in a real environment cannot be simulated.  Recognizing the current simulation state-of-the-art this precept is only partially true.  Additionally, expenses involved in operating modern complex tactical systems, restrictions on operating areas on land, sea and in the air, and the extensive training required to gain crew combat capability, collectively dictate a requirement to accomplish such required training through some form of accurate, meaningful, simulation.

The cockpit trainers and weapon systems trainers we deal with today provide a spring-board from which future simulators can be brought to fruition.  I believe we have barely scratched the surface.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

engineering technology for training devices

G.V. Amico

Assistant Technical Director (Sea Warfare), Naval Training Device Center

Today, there is an engineering technology for training devices.  Stated another way, we can say that there is a specialized training device technology.  This condition did not exist in the past, however.  The early days of training device development were largely based on inventive or experimental approaches to training problems.  The dedicated efforts of the pioneers of the training device program and the successes they achieved gave the initial impetus to the training device program, as we know it today.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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microelectronics for training devices

Robert L. Lowry

Goodyear Aerospace Corporation

In an article published in the February 21, 1966 issue of Steel Magazine, B.A. Jacoby of RCA neatly capsuled the case for integrated circuits.  “In 1959, integrated circuits meant microscopic electronics–and scientists were interested.

In 1961, integrated circuits meant more reliable electronics–and the military became excited. 

In 1966, a processing technology that is predictable, reproducible, and economical has made integrated circuits mean low-cost electronics–and an industry revolution is in the making.”

The revolution predicted by Mr. Jacoby has indeed occurred – and on an extremely wide front.  Today we find that revolution well underway in the simulator and trainer industry.  Goodyear Aerospace’s conversion to microelectronics for training devices began around 1963 when the first RTL integrated circuits became available.  The movement gathered momentum in 1966 when the first general-purpose integrated circuit operational amplifier became available.  The revolution–at least from the viewpoint of Goodyear Aerospace–will be apparent when we deliver to NTDC in early 1968 a trainer wherein 50 percent of the electronic “make” portion is integrated circuitry and 75 percent of the “buy” portion is integrated circuitry.  Designs now in the form of laboratory breadboards indicate that by 1970 more than 90 percent of the electronics content of Goodyear Aerospace trainers will be integrated circuitry.  The “why” of this revolution and the rapidity of its growth lie in three words–low-cost electronics.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

Processing and recording of flight-test positional data

William D. Gluck

Airborne Instruments Laboratory

Pilot training exercises involving actual flight-test patterns and aircraft operations are costly to plan and perform.  It is important, therefore, that the flight data be preserved for pilot debriefing and evaluation of the procedures and performance.  Recording of position processing of the acquisition data from Mark X SIF transponder replies is accomplished.  This paper describes a system that permits replay of a synthetic display presenting aircraft position, identity, and altitude.  Plots of actual data from operational sites are presented as an indication of the accuracy attainable.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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near field techniques and application as an in situ performance monitor/training device

Paul J. O’Brien

Electro-Acoustic Systems Laboratory, Hazeltine Corporation

Conventionally, all acoustic transducer parameters are measured in the far-field or Fraunhofer region.  This is undesirable for some of the larger sonar systems, since very long test distances are required as well as elaborate calibration test sites.  As a result, an extensive “down time “ of the system is necessary.  The capability of measuring the parameters of the AN/AQS-10 system, while in the Fresnel or near-field region, is valuable since it eliminates a great many of these problems areas.  This capability is made feasible through utilization of a relatively new method of near-field transducer measurement.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

Training equipment for a battlefield environment

Robert C. Hanson

Reflectone Division, Otis Elevator Company

Several weeks ago at an American Ordnance Association meeting, General Durrenberger, Commanding General of the Army’s Weapons command, succinctly summarized the demands of today’s combat units in the field.  Their needs are more firepower, greater mobility, and increased protection.

These broad requirements are, of course, not new; we have heard them before, and we will continue to hear them in the future.  But when we stop for a moment to think about the total implication–and problems–surrounding these demands, a number of basic truths and challenges become very obvious.

Combat requirements, such as firepower, mobility, and protection, are almost always tightly interdependent.  For example, firepower and mobility are essential elements of protection.  Or conversely, protection is a function of your ability–and success–to shoot and scoot.

However, continually trying to satisfy demands with new tools takes us down the path of technological change, adaptation, application, and need. And herein lies the underriding challenge of the Government/Industry team–to be able to meet demand with technological prowess.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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trends in digital simulation

E.B. Boyle

Aircraft Armaments, Inc.

Digital simulation, as used in simulators and trainers we know today, has followed directly from the larger analog simulators of the 1950’s.  It was first in the realm of large, complex systems such as these that digital computers became competitive.  These large analog systems were based on the technology of the vacuum tube, computing servomechanism and precision potentiometer.  In some of the later systems, printed circuit cards were used to simplify manufacturing and maintenance, but the equipment remained physically large, frequently inaccurate and invariably difficult to maintain.  Power consumption and heat generation were both very large.  A simulator of this type and period is shown in Figure 21.  It has the ability to simulate the flight of 48 airplanes under individual “pilot” control.  Radar returns from these “aircraft” are presented on four separate radar sets, and are used by air traffic controllers to study control problems.  This system employs approximately 10,000 vacuum tubes, which although conservatively rated, represented a difficult maintenance task.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

is standardization of computers

for training simulators a myth?

Milton Fischer

Head, Computer Laboratory, Naval Training Device Center

The increased use of digital computers in training devices and operational equipment since 1960 has presented many new problems to NTDC.  A study of the application of digital computers to training devices and of the experience with these devices in the field has revealed problems in hardware, software and personnel that must be resolved if training devices using digital computers are to satisfy the complex requirements imposed on them.  A discussion of some of these problems and a recommendation for a short and long range approach to their solution is presented in this paper.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

the military application of the commercial digital computer

R.P. Berkowitz and H.A. Dellicker

Honeywell, Computer Control Division

Low-cost, high performance, general-purpose computers have been available to commercial users for some time.  Generally, a military user has been excluded from the primary advantages of these computers; namely, low-cost, flexibility, availability, full systems support and designs proven by high-volume use.  His problems and applications vary every bit as much as the commercial user’s, but the military user is restrained because he cannot supply a stable, air-conditioned, vibration-free environment for the equipment.  In recognition of the variety and extremes of the military environment, specifications have been developed (MIL specs) to ensure a guaranteed base of performance in military applications.  Computers designed to provide full compliance with these specifications are usually limited in their general capabilities and intended for one function only.  They are also limited in the quantity of units built and used, and these limitations greatly increase their cost.

This paper presents the argument that commercial computers, without loss of their advantages, can–through relatively minor mechanical modification–be used in operational military applications.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

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digital recording and analysis of simulator outputs

E.A. Robin

International Business Machines Corporation, Federal Systems Division

Simulator computer programs should be designed to capitalize on the latest training innovations in data recording and analysis.  Related equipment should be configured for operational training and instructor guidance and include four main considerations in the design of data recording and analysis programs.

1)       The recording function should be integrated into the on-line data collection system to preserve program system integrity of the operational simulator programs.

2)       A data collection executive and modular on-line recording routine can effectively use computer memory and execution time resources.

3)       The post-run analysis program can provide human factors engineers the media for operator analysis without the usual delays of a data reduction facility.  The actual simulator digital computer can be programmed to give the instructor, human factors engineers, and other pertinent personnel a set of reduced training data reports or analyses immediately after a simulation session.  The ability to quickly reduce data gives all key personnel a unique selection of data reduction programs necessary to evaluate the simulation run just completed.  Human factors engineers can enter their judgments in selecting the data reduction programs best suited to the situation.

4)       The dynamic program selection of post-run analysis programs directly after a simulation run gives meaningful results immediately.  In contrast, normal data processing procedures process all the data from daily simulation sessions in a batch process manner, usually generating a large amount of paper.  Using this daily procedure a more substantial problem results when the instructor wishes to find a specific situation for man/machine evaluation.

Two systems–Federal Aviation Agency Computer Driven Simulation Environment (CDSE) and the TACFIRE Training Support System (TSS)–will emphasize data recording and data evaluation.  The first system has been implemented and actual results will be given.  The second system is designed and design considerations will be discussed.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

computer/display interface techniques for simulators

R.A. Heartz

General Electric Company

During the past few years the digital computer has replaced the analog computer in most simulator systems even though input and output requirements are mostly analog functions.  Thus the analog-to-digital (A/D) and the digital-to-analog (D/A) conversion requirements represent a major simulator subsystem.  For example, the Nuclear Power Plant simulator that is now being developed for training plant operators presents computer/instrumentation interface requirements that are typical to a wide range of operator training simulators.  In this system, over 300 meters and recorders are driven from digital computer output signals.  The computer addresses each meter channel sequentially every second.  A meter channel consists of an address decoder, a digital storage of the analog amplitude for each cycle, a digital-to-analog amplitude conversion and the amplifier that provides the meter drive signal.

This paper is available on the I/ITSEC Compendium CD-ROM.

Order it from I/ITSEC’s Website.

advanced display systems

Joseph Hallet

Sylvania Electronics Systems

The amount of information that can be used effectively by an operator is a key parameter in the design of any display system.  Present display consoles attempt to increase the amount of information content by using coded shapes and symbols; by intensification or by flashing of important items; and by controlling the display format in such a way as to enhance the recognition of significant data.  However, color, which is one of the most effective methods of coding information, has not been widely used in display consoles because of the lack of a suitable device.

The conventional color television tube employs an internal shadow mask, which severely limits resolution.  While there have been some attempts to use this type of tube for information display, it has been necessary to work with much larger symbols than would normally be desired, and registration (convergence) of colors is not sufficiently precise to permit accurate mixing data in different colors.  Figure 64 shows the effect of the shadow mask structure in limiting the size of symbols that can be displayed.  In this illustration, the symbols have been