Dialog Agent System

To support the Joint Task Force (JTF) commander and staff in meeting the decision-aiding and visualization requirements of Stability and Support Operations (SASO), we propose to develop a cognitively-based software environment to address currentshortcomings of existing military command and control (C2) systems. Functional requirements were derived from an in-depth Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) of selected SASO scenarios to identify critical tasks, critical C2 decisions, and key information andvisualization requirements. The proposed SASO Visualization Aid (SASOVA) is comprised of: 1) an adaptive graphical user interface (GUI) configured for specific user profiles and task objectives; 2) an information management module providing intelligentinformation retrieval, filtering, and processing via complementary artificial intelligence (AI) technologies; and 3) a database module supporting linkage across heterogeneous data sources. SASOVA will take advantage of a range of commercial-off-the-shelf(COTS) software tools and environments, and will be DII COE compliant. Key Phase II objectives are: 1) generating detailed specifications for the prototype; 2) developing intelligent information processors for the key modules; 3) developing candidatevisualization prototypes; 4) conducting empirical evaluations of effectiveness and usability; 5) delivering and documenting the final prototype; and 6) identifying commercial product opportunities for Phase III development.