Workload Assessment Notification and Demand Alert (WANDA) Phase II

The Navy increased Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities with new Radio Frequency (RF) monitoring and digital technologies that expanded the capacity to detect, resolve, classify, and identify interest signals. The challenge is that the new technologies, combined with the legacy assets, resulted in increased stress levels and fatigue due to the workload placed on the already overtaxed EW Console Operator (EWCO). The EWCO's work overload and fatigue are real problems that need to be understood and effectively addressed. When a person experiences multiple tasks demands that exceed human capacity for workload, the result is decremented task performance. Leveraging SimVentions’ expertise in Modeling and Simulation (M&S), EW operations, information technology, Human System Integration (HSI), human performance measurements, and Naval combat system architecture, we propose to continue development of a Tactical Decision Aid, referred to as Workload Assessment and Demand Alert (WANDA) to effectively analyze, organize, prioritize, and share task information. The TDA will transmit real-time data to mitigate EWCO workload challenges and prioritize tasks that can be disbursed to the Electronic Warfare Supervisor. WANDA will assess data entries and keystrokes to determine workload demand values and if the values are within a normal range. The WANDA TDA will provide situational awareness for the EWS as to the status of the EWCO workload.