VIsual Representation Techniques for Integrated, Goal-Oriented Awareness (VIRTIGO)

Advanced network visualization techniques are required to improve cross-domain situation awareness and support goal-oriented decision-making within the AOC. To address this need, we propose to design and demonstrate novel VIsual Representation Techniques for Integrated, Goal-Oriented awareness (VIRTIGO). These VIRTIGO visualization techniques will support the flexible presentation of display interfaces that seamlessly integrate network health and status information and meta-information with other traditional AOC information resources and activities across air, space, and cyber domains. Three key components characterize our approach. First, to enhance situation awareness, we will use Ecological Interface Design methods to develop a set of display mechanisms that perceptually and cognitively integrate critical blue and red network health and status information with traditional AOC information resources. Second, to support the dynamic integration and rendering of heterogeneous information resources within these structures, we will develop a network visualization ontology that maps amorphous data sets onto information models suitable for flexible representation across a variety of visual display mechanisms. Third, to truly explore the complexities of developing visualization technologies for supporting effects-based planning in the AOC, will rapidly build upon in-house, ontology-based rendering methods and network visualization capabilities to develop and demonstrate a prototype of our VIRTIGO approaches. BENEFIT: We expect fully developed VIRTIGO visualization techniques to have immediate and tangible benefits across both government and commercial applications. Government applications include the development of battlespace visualization technologies that will improve warfighters decision-making response time and provide enhanced flexibility for mission planning by revealing affordances for leveraging, disrupting, or enhancing network connectivity. Commercial applications include improved network visualization capabilities through enhancements to Charles River Analytics CONNECT software tool for the rapid development, editing, analysis, and representation of social, organizational, and communications networks.