Extended Perception: A Decision-Centered Approach to Layered Sensing Interfaces

The “Layered Sensing” report (Bryant, et al. 2008) specifies the functional requirements necessary for exploiting new sensor technologies to deliver “tailored effects." This shift to layered sensing (LS) systems embodies the challenge of transitioning the capability of sensor systems into actionable information for the warfighter. Access to new sensor technologies and the ability to integrate diverse sensor feeds are providing the Air Force community with new opportunities and capabilities. However, with these new capabilities come new complexities such as data overload, managing automated agent technologies, and target fixation. In order for warfighters to overcome these complexities and achieve universal battlespace awareness, interfaces are needed which seamlessly and intuitively integrate the warfighter with their multi-sensor environment. RCS-OSU proposes a cognitive systems approach which differs from typical approaches to human-system interfaces by explicitly considering the interaction between human operator and layered sensing system as a perceptual exploration that will naturally map to human attentional processes and avoid data overload. This approach combines RCS’ cognitively grounded system development process with promising perspective control technologies being developed by OSU. This integrated approach combines the best of expert decision-making theory with perspective-taking technologies to deliver intuitive theory-driven, man-machine interface concepts for LS. BENEFIT: The effort will expand the research base and provide prototype technology and interfaces grounded in a cognitive decision-centered understanding for layered sensing environments. Effective perspective control interfaces developed in this effort will coordinate diverse data feeds into navigable integrated representations that allow problem-holders to explore information spaces and focus on what is interesting. It is expected that research advantages from this effort will result in technology applications suited for large scale DoD ISR/C2ISR programs.