Data Processing and Audio/Visual Displays for Improving Situational Awareness (DAVIS)

We propose to iteratively develop and evaluate audio cueing methods and integrate them into current Soldier systems using our testbed for Developing Audio alerts and Verbal cues for Improving Soldier Situational Awareness (DAVIS). The following four components characterize our effort: First, we will adapt and extend the audio cueing methods developed under Phase I to broadly enhance Soldier situational awareness. Second, we will implement these methods in the DAVIS testbed and perform initial evaluations of their effectiveness. Third, we will systematically integrate these methods with components of a target Soldier system (i.e., Land Warrior). Fourth, we will perform Soldier-in-the-loop evaluations of these audio cueing methods and verify the success of our integration efforts. To accomplish these goals, we will refine the DAVIS testbed to improve prototyping and integration speed and expand the Phase I scenarios and use cases to support the evaluation of the audio cueing methods. In our effort, we will deliver innovative audio cueing methods for the Land Warrior system that clearly and definitively improve Soldier survivability, lethality, and tactical situational awareness, and therefore help us pursue Phase III transition and commercialization opportunities.