SEASIM - Synthetic Environment for Assessment of Shipboard technology Impact on Manning

Under this Phase I Small Business Innovative Research contract, we propose to develop a synthetic agent-based environment, SEASIM, to help assess the impact of new technology on shipboard systems and to optimize manning. Model-based evaluation techniques are a proven alternative to traditional build-and-test technology development processes in the design of Navy systems. However, no single technique exists that can assess new technology across dimensions essential for optimal shipboard manning. SEASIM will take a novel, multi-agent system approach to combine the strengths of multiple model-based assessment techniques including queuing theory, discrete event simulation, constraint satisfaction, and cognitive modeling. This approach will allow analysts to assess new technological and doctrinal changes for their impact across multiple facets of manning optimization, including, team organization, personnel selection, training, operations, maintenance, and logistics. The proposed environment will support rapid experimentation to compare alternative designs and enable analysts to understand how, why, and when one system is better than the other for specific metrics. This proposed methodology supports a logical, scientific process to manning optimization and for driving new shipboard technology development. Successful completion of this work could save the Navy vast amounts of time and resources while reducing manning requirements and improving shipboard performance.