Four-Dimensional User-Defined Spatio-Temporal Enhanced Interface Technologies (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 to design and demonstrate Four-Dimensional User-Defined Spatio-Temporal Enhanced Interface Technologies (FUSE-IT). FUSE-IT technologies 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 identify 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 feasibility of our approach by leveraging existing in-house, COTS, and GOTS components to rapidly design and prototype promising FUSE-IT visualization and interaction concepts. We will also design a plan for evaluating these prototypes with subject matter experts in a spiral design and implementation effort.