AN EXPERT SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE TO DEVELOP WEAPON CONTROL ICONS

IN MODERN NAVAL COMBAT, LONG RANGE MISSILES CAN STRIKE FROM ANY DIRECTION AT ANY TIME. PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE WEAPONS CONTROL PROCESS HAVE APPROXIMATELY 30-60 SECONDS AFTER AN INCOMING MISSILE IS DETECTED TO REACH A DECISION ON HOW TO DEAL WITH THE INCOMING AIR THREAT.ICONS ARE ONE TYPE OF DECISION AID WHICH CAN HELP PERSONNEL INVOLVEDIN THE WEAPON CONTROL PROCESS REACT TO AND PROCESS INFORMATION FASTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY. THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF STUDIES CONDUCTED INTO THE USE OF TACTICAL SYMBOLOGY WITH GRAPHICAL DISPLAYS. AS A RESULT, THERE IS A GREAT BODY OF KNOWLEDGE INVOLVING THE THEORETICAL ASPECTS OF ICON DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF HUMAN ENGINEERING, TEST AND EVALUATION, THE ROLE OF ALPHANUMERICS, DEVELOPING ICONS TO EXPRESS MILITARY CONCEPTS, ETC. BUT THERE STILL EXISTS NO METHODOLOGY FOR THE GENERATION OF ICONS WHICH RELATES THE MYRIAD FACTORS WHICH HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED AND APPLIED IN ORDER TO DEVELOP A SUCCESSFUL ICON. THE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO CREATE AN ARCHITECTURE TO DEVELOP A SERIESOF ICONS. THIS ARCHITECTURE WILL LEAD TO AN EXPERT SYSTEM WHICH THE NAVY CAN UTILIZE TO PRODUCE ICONS TO SUPPORT THE WEAPONS CONTROL PROCESS.