An Ontologically-Based Data Fusion Model

Information fusion is part of most military and commercial systems that must collect and process information from sensors and other sources. Systems of this type are extremely complex and thus require sound engineering principles to guide the development process. The JDL Model of Data Fusion has proven useful for this purpose over the past couple decades but it is showing signs of aging. As such it is no longer sufficient to deal with the growing emphasis on higher levels of fusion, nor can it fully accommodate the new and emerging technologies that are defining the net-centric environments of the twenty-first century. We propose to develop a reference model for information fusion that extends and refines the JDL model and provides a formal mathematical basis for the design and development of fusion tools and systems. This model will be vetted through communication and interaction with the fusion community with the ultimate intent of generating a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the standardization of a fusion model by the Object Management Group (OMG).