Future Force Warrior Advanced Interface - formerly Innovative Hands-Free Point-and-Click Computer Control Device Within a Moving Vehicle

When systems such as Future Force Warrior (FFW) are fielded, the need for highly advanced user interface concepts increases. In the FFW program, there is a critical need for a nearly "hands-free" user interface that allows the soldier to work with automation tools within a head-mounted display (HMD), while maintaining both hands on his weapon. In Phase I of this effort, which was called Gaze-Based Point-and-Click (GPAC), CHI Systems developed prototype hands-free interface components which interfaced to the ARDEC Combat Decision Aiding System (CDAS) to allow hands-free manipulation of the interface. The Phase I prototype consisted of an HMD, head tracker, eye tracker, and voice interaction software. In Phase II, using the same Phase I computational software architecture, we will fully develop the prototype interface components. The completed prototype will abandon eye- and head- tracking used in Phase I, in favor of multi-modal interaction with an HMD-based interface using voice commands, haptic cueing, and weapon-based pointing devices. The completed prototype will control the current CDAS FFW software application in use at ARDEC and the FFW Battle Lab, and will be capable of transition into the FFW Lead Technical Integrator Software Integration Laboratory for fielding in the FFW program.