Four-Dimensional User-Defined Spatio-Temporal Enhanced Interface Toolkit (FUSE-IT)

To effectively control the battlespace, AOC warfighters must rapidly perceive and understand complex geospatial and temporal relationships (e.g., the evolving 3D geometry of SAM-site threat envelopes, the potential for flight path conflicts over mission duration). Advanced 4-dimensional Common Operating Picture (4D COP) technologies are required to better support the cognitive challenges of these efforts. To address this need, we propose design, demonstrate, and evaluate user-definable 4D COP capabilities through a Four-Dimensional User-Defined Spatio-Temporal Enhanced Interface Toolkit (FUSE-IT). The FUSE-IT toolkit will allow AOC warfighters to rapidly define, explore, and exploit battlespace visualizations that are automatically correlated in time and space. Two major components comprise our approach. First, we will use an iterative, work-centered analysis, design, and evaluation process to develop 4D visualization and interaction methods for the presentation and manipulation of critical battlespace information and meta-information. Second, we will design these methods to support the fusion and display of heterogeneous information resources through a single, rapidly customizable user interface. We will assess the effectiveness of our approach by leveraging existing in-house, COTS, and GOTS components to rapidly design, prototype, and evaluate promising FUSE-IT visualization and interaction concepts in a spiral design and implementation effort. BENEFIT: We expect the visualization, interaction, and customization methods embodied by the fully developed FUSE-IT toolkit to have immediate and tangible benefits across both government and commercial applications. Government applications include the development of battlespace visualization technologies that will support commanders and their staff in accessing and exploiting network-centric information resources within Future Combat Systems (FCS). Commercial applications include improved visualization and display capabilities for a variety of business intelligence solutions developed through Charles River Analytics Metronome application framework.