Human Machine Interface for Field of Light Displays

The accelerated pace of today’s battlespace requires military leaders to build strategies and make decisions in a much shorter timeframe.  The ability to exploit 3D battlespace data and intuitively visualize in 3D all elements of the operational environment will improve the operators’ ability to act with precision, certainty, and expediency.  Emerging field of light display (FoLD) technology provides a glasses-free 3D aerial image with all the depth cues expected by the human visual system. As these systems mature, the Navy requires a mechanism for interacting with the 3D aerial image above and below the image plan that will provide an optimized ability for the user to engage with 3D information in a high-stress environment. FoVI3D, with support from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Modeling Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute and Human Systems Integration (HIS) Program, will develop a Common Operational Picture (COP) Workstation prototype consisting of a central, large format, square LCD panel surrounded by 4 wide aspect ratio, 2D touch panels. The 2D touch panels provide task specific interaction for individual users while the central 3D visualization provides a COP for collaboration. A 3D wand system will enable users the ability to interact with the 3D information.  After year one, the prototype 3D COP visualization workstation will be delivered to NPS for design validation, human factors evaluation, and user integration/experience feedback. Year three will validate the principle benefits of face-to-face interaction for battlespace management, mature the application demonstration, and support the Land Based Test Site demonstration. The work performed in this phase II effort is a required step for the future technical insertion of a FoLD central to the AEGIS combat information center thereby improving the human machine interface to enable an optimized ability to engage with complex 3D information in a high-stress environment allowing the warfighter to increase task accuracy, reduce response time, lower the cognitive strain and improve overall situational awareness/understanding.