Generation of Terrain Databases for VCDD

The Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) is the primary provider of terrain data to the military services. Other agencies, such as the US Army Engineering Topographical Laboratory, provide terrain data products as well. DMA currently provides Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) and Interim Terrain Data (ITD) as the high resolution terrain data products usable by maneuver forces. Also emerging, but in very limited data sets, is the follow on to ITD called the Tactical Terrain Database (TTD). The generation of terrain data for plan-view and perspective-view display from the DMA data will vary in complexity depending upon the display requirements, including resolution; the source and resolution of the data; and the icons/symbols added to the display to meet a military planning, control, or training objective. US Army TACOM, in developing Soldier-Machine Interfaces (SMI), has developed the Vetronics Crew Display Demonstrator (VCDD) to display data to the surrogate crew member and evaluate data presentation requirements, data presentation efficiency (human factors), and control mechanisms. The VCDD requires new and additional terrain data for meaningful evaluation of SMI, which is the purpose of this proposal.