Showing papers on "Situation awareness published in 2006"
TL;DR: This essay examines sensemaking from various perspectives to see if the authors can separate the things that are doable from the Things that seem more like pie-in-the-sky.
Abstract: Sensemaking has become an umbrella term for efforts at building intelligent systems. This essay examines sensemaking from various perspectives to see if we can separate the things that are doable from the things that seem more like pie-in-the-sky
756 citations
TL;DR: It is proposed that agents within a system each hold their own situation awareness, which may be very different from (although compatible with) that of other agents, and that the authors should not always hope for, or indeed want, sharing of this awareness.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to propose foundations for a theory of situation awareness based on the analysis of interactions between agents (i.e. both human and non-human) in subsystems. This approach may help to promote a better understanding of technology-mediated interaction in systems, as well as helping in the formulation of hypotheses and predictions concerning distributed situation awareness. It is proposed that agents within a system each hold their own situation awareness, which may be very different from (although compatible with) that of other agents. It is argued that we should not always hope for, or indeed want, sharing of this awareness, as different system agents have different purposes. This view marks situation awareness as a dynamic and collaborative process binding agents together on tasks on a moment-by-moment basis. Implications of this viewpoint for the development of a new theory of, and accompanying methodology for, distributed situation awareness are offered.
444 citations
TL;DR: It was concluded that current SA measurement techniques are inadequate by themselves for use in the assessment of SA in C4i environments, and a multiple-measure approach utilising different approaches is recommended.
348 citations
Patent•
20 Oct 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a knowledge base that organizes information and rules that enable an accurate, relevant and timely decision support system, which is represented in a hierarchical structure of functions and systems.
Abstract: Embodiments in accordance with the present invention relate to methods and apparatus for an intelligent human-machine interface. By way of example, but not limited thereto, embodiments of methods and apparatus are presented of an intelligent human-machine interface for the operating room, and more particularly, to systems and processes for real-time management and feedback of process control, situational awareness, logistics, communication, and documentation, herein referred to as system. One element of the system, among others, provides a knowledge base that organizes information and rules that enables an accurate, relevant and timely decision support system. The knowledge base is represented in a hierarchical structure of functions and systems. The system serves as platform for the avoidance, detection and timely correction of errors, and as such, acts as a countermeasure to error.
336 citations
TL;DR: A theoretical framework for a process-based measure called ‘coordinated awareness of situations by teams’ is outlined and is re-examine the concept of team situation awareness in decentralized systems beyond an individual-oriented knowledge-based construct by considering it as a team interaction-based phenomenon.
Abstract: Decentralized command and control settings like those found in the military are rife with complexity and change These settings typically involve dozens, if not hundreds to thousands, of heterogeneous players coordinating in a distributed fashion in a dynamically networked battlefield laden with sensor data, intelligence reports, communications, and plans emanating from many different perspectives Consider the concept of team situation awareness in this setting What does it mean for a team to be aware of a situation or, more importantly, of a critical change in a situation? Is it sufficient or necessary for all individuals on the team to be independently aware? Or is there some more holistic awareness that emerges as team members interact? We re-examine the concept of team situation awareness in decentralized systems beyond an individual-oriented knowledge-based construct by considering it as a team interaction-based phenomenon A theoretical framework for a process-based measure called ‘coordinated awa
315 citations
Book•
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a conceptual foundation for the C2 research and experimentation necessary to develop and explore the new C2 approaches needed for this transformation, focusing on the future, not the past.
Abstract: : "Understanding Command and Control" is the first in a new series of CCRP Publications that will explore the future of Command and Control (C2). This book begins at the beginning: focusing on the problem(s) Command and Control was designed (and has evolved) to solve. It is only by changing the focus from "what" Command and Control is to "why" Command and Control is that the U.S. military will place itself in a position to move on. Although transformation, which is inarguably about disruptive innovation, is a major policy objective of not only the DoD, but militaries throughout the world, these commitments to transformation have yet to shift the focus of Command and Control analysis and experimentation to the other side of the discontinuity. This series is meant to stimulate and contribute to the exploration of the other side. The purpose of the book is to provide the conceptual foundation for the C2 research and experimentation necessary to develop and explore the new C2 approaches needed for this transformation. In developing and presenting this foundation, the authors are unwaveringly focused on the future, not the past. While the foundation presented can be used to understand traditional approaches to C2, its value lies in its ability to help the military understand new network-centric approaches. The intended audience is very broad because, without a broad-based understanding of C2, progress is problematical. At the same time, the authors also are addressing issues crucial to the C2 community, from practitioners to theoreticians.
251 citations
28 Feb 2006
237 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The concept of cooperative collision warning (CCW) systems is introduced and explained, followed by presentation of experimental results showing the performance of a first prototype CCW system.
Abstract: The concept of cooperative collision warning (CCW) systems is introduced and explained, followed by presentation of experimental results showing the performance of a first prototype CCW system. The CCW concept provides warnings or situation awareness displays to drivers based on information about the motions of neighboring vehicles obtained by wireless communications from those vehicles, without use of any ranging sensors. This has the advantages of a potentially inexpensive complement of onboard vehicle equipment (compared to ranging sensors that could provide 360 degree coverage), as well as providing information from vehicles that may be occluded from direct line of sight to the approaching vehicle. The CCW concept has been tested on a fleet of five prototype vehicles, supporting a variety of safety services (forward collision warning, blind spot and lane change situation awareness and several modes of intersection threat assessment). The performance of the vehicle position estimation and wireless communication subsystems are demonstrated using samples of experimental data from test sites with both good and bad GPS signal availability.
194 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: On February 23, 2006, the White House report on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Frances Townsend said "[The president] demanded that we find out the lessons, that we learn them and that we fix the problems as mentioned in this paper, that we take every action to make sure America is safer, stronger and better prepared" The lessons Townsend called out in her briefing concerned planning, resource management, evacuation, situational awareness, communications, and coordination.
Abstract: On February 23, 2006, in a press conference to release the White House report on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Frances Townsend said "[The president] demanded that we find out the lessons, that we learn them and that we fix the problems, that we take every action to make sure America is safer, stronger and better prepared" The lessons Townsend called out in her briefing concerned planning, resource management, evacuation, situational awareness, communications, and coordination No one in the emergency response community was surprised We know these are the problem areas We knew they would be before Katrina ever hit the Gulf coast Why? Because we identify the same lessons again and again, incident after incidentIn fact, responders can readily predict the problems that will arise in a major incident and too often their predictions are borne out in practice Even a casual observer can spot problems that recur: communications systems fail, command and control structures are fractured, resources are slow to be deployed A quick perusal of the reports published after the major incidents of the past decade quickly shows this to be true Consider the following:Hurricane Katrina, 2005 In terms of the management of the Federal response, our architecture of command and control mechanisms as well as our existing structure of plans did not serve us well Command centers in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and elsewhere in the Federal government had unclear, and often overlapping, roles and responsibilities that were exposed as flawed during this disasterThis lack of coordination at the Federal headquarters-level reflected confusing organizational structures in the fieldFurthermore, the JFO [Joint Field Office] staff and other deployed Federal personnel often lacked a working knowledge of NIMS [the National Incident Management System] or even a basic understanding of ICS [Incident Command System] principles- From The Federal Response to Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned, 2006: 52September 11 attack, 2001 It is a fair inference, given the differing situations in New York City and Northern Virginia, that the problems in command, control, and communications that occurred at both sites will likely recur in any emergency of similar scale The task looking forward is to enable first responders to respond in a coordinated manner with the greatest possible awareness of the situationEmergency response agencies nationwide should adopt the Incident Command System (ICS)When multiple agencies or multiple jurisdictions are involved, they should adopt a unified command Both are proven frameworks for emergency response- From The 9/11 Commission Report, 2004: 315, 397Oklahoma City bombing, 1995 The Integrated Emergency Management System (IEMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) were weakened early in the event due to the immediate response of numerous local, state and federal agencies, three separate locations of the Incident Command Post (ICP), within the first few hours, and the deployment of many Mobile Command Posts (MCPs), representing support agencies- From the After Action Report: Alfred P Murrah Federal Building Bombing, 2003: 3Hurricane Andrew, 1992 The Committee heard substantial testimony that the post-disaster response and recovery to Hurricane Andrew suffered from several problems, including: inadequate communication between levels of government concerning specific needs; lack of full awareness of supply inventories and agency capabilities; failure to have a single person in charge with a clear chain of command; and inability to cut through bureaucratic red tape- From the Governor's Disaster Planning and Response Review Committee Final Report, 1993: 60As these statements reveal, we repeatedly confront command and control issues in large incidents …
170 citations
Patent•
13 Sep 2006
TL;DR: In this article, a system for providing real-time or near realtime situational awareness for a structure includes a database module for storing structural information associated with the structure, and a situational awareness module for gathering situational awareness information.
Abstract: A system for providing real-time or near real-time situational awareness for a structure includes a database module for storing structural information associated with the structure. The system includes a situational awareness module for gathering situational awareness information associated with the structure. The system includes a three-dimensional (3-D) rendering module in communication with the database module and the situational awareness module for rendering a 3-D virtual model of the structure utilizing the structural information associated with the structure, and for integrating into the 3-D virtual model the situational awareness information associated with the structure. The system includes a graphical user interface module in communication with the 3-D rendering module for displaying to a user the 3-D virtual model of the structure integrating the situational awareness information associated with the structure.
169 citations
TL;DR: In both experiments, performance in the ATC-related task simulation was significantly superior when automation was applied to information acquisition and action implementation (sensory and motor processing), as compared to automation of cognitive functions, specifically information analysis.
10 Jul 2006
TL;DR: A highly innovative data-fusion framework for asymmetric-threat detection and prediction based on advanced knowledge infrastructure and stochastic (Markov) game theory is proposed.
Abstract: The strategy of data fusion has been applied in threat prediction and situation awareness and the terminology has been standardized by the Joint Directors of Laboratories (JDL) in the form of a so-called JDL Data Fusion Model, which currently called DFIG model. Higher levels of the DFIG model call for prediction of future development and awareness of the development of a situation. It is known that Bayesian Network is an insightful approach to determine optimal strategies against asymmetric adversarial opponent. However, it lacks the essential adversarial decision processes perspective. In this paper, a highly innovative data-fusion framework for asymmetric-threat detection and prediction based on advanced knowledge infrastructure and stochastic (Markov) game theory is proposed. In particular, asymmetric and adaptive threats are detected and grouped by intelligent agent and Hierarchical Entity Aggregation in Level 2 and their intents are predicted by a decentralized Markov (stochastic) game model with deception in Level 3. We have verified that our proposed algorithms are scalable, stable, and perform satisfactorily according to the situation awareness performance metric.
TL;DR: Design implications for leveraging new digital technologies and location-finding systems to more effectively support informal cooperative strategies, enhance shared situation awareness, and promote high reliability performance are discussed.
Abstract: Cooperative strategies of individuals within a distributed organization can contribute to increased efficiency of operations and safety. We examine these processes in the context of a particular work domain: railroad operations. Analyses revealed a variety of informal cooperative strategies that railroad workers have developed that span across multiple railroad crafts including roadway workers, train crews, and railroad dispatchers. These informal, proactive communications foster shared situation awareness across the distributed organization, facilitate work, and contribute to the overall efficiency, safety, and resilience to error of railroad operations. We discuss design implications for leveraging new digital technologies and location-finding systems to more effectively support these informal strategies, enhance shared situation awareness, and promote high reliability performance.
Patent•
26 Sep 2006TL;DR: In this article, a system and method for processing real-time rapid capture, annotation and creation of an annotated hyper-video map for environments is presented, which is further enhanced with textual, audio and hyperlink annotations that enable the user to see, hear, and operate in an environment with cognitive awareness.
Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method for processing real-time rapid capture, annotation and creation of an annotated hyper-video map for environments. The method includes processing video, audio and GPS data to create the hyper-video map which is further enhanced with textual, audio and hyperlink annotations that will enable the user to see, hear, and operate in an environment with cognitive awareness. Thus, this annotated hyper-video map provides a seamlessly navigable, situational awareness and indexable high-fidelity immersive visualization of the environment.
27 Apr 2006
TL;DR: An OWL-based situation ontology to model situation hierarchically to facilitate sharing and reusing of situation knowledge and logic inferences is presented and the conversion of OWL situation ontologies to first-order logic representations is presented.
Abstract: Situation awareness is one of the most fundamental features of entities in pervasive computing environments to dynamically adapt their behavior to situation changes to satisfy user requirements, including security and privacy. In order to support situation-aware adaptation, it is necessary to model and specify context and situation in a way such that multiple entities can easily exchange, share and reuse their knowledge on context and situation. In this paper, an OWL-based situation ontology to model situation hierarchically to facilitate sharing and reusing of situation knowledge and logic inferences is presented. The conversion of OWL situation ontology specifications to the first-order logic (FOL) representations, and the performance of FOL rule-based reasoning in terms of problem size and time are discussed.
Patent•
01 Feb 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, a situational awareness system includes a first local network having a plurality of digital communication devices, each device capable of gathering information pertinent to an area in proximity of the device and providing information to a control station capable of collaborating the information and provide such information to the devices on the local network.
Abstract: A situational awareness system includes a first local network having a plurality of digital communication devices, each device capable of gathering information pertinent to an area in proximity of the device and providing information to a control station capable of collaborating the information and provide such information to the devices on the local network; a first regional network having a plurality of local networks, including the first local network, within an area of responsibility, the first regional network having a regional control station capable of collaborating information from the devices and provide said information to devices on the local network; and a central network having a plurality of regional networks including the first regional network, the central network having a central control station capable of collaborating information from the regional control stations and provide the information to devices on a local network.
TL;DR: SAGAT is a valid, reliable assessment tool for trauma trainees in the dynamic clinical environment created by human patient simulation and could improve the current assessment model for practical trauma education.
Abstract: Background:Situation awareness (SA) is defined as the perception of elements in the environment within a volume of time and space, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future. This construct is vital to decision making in intense, dynamic environments. I
02 Mar 2006
TL;DR: A fine-grained decomposition of situation awareness is presented, and UAV interaction designers can specify SA needs and analysts can evaluate a UAV interface's SA support with greater precision and specificity than can be attained using other SA definitions.
Abstract: This paper presents a fine-grained decomposition of situation awareness (SA) as it pertains to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and uses this decomposition to understand the types of SA attained by operators of the Desert Hawk UAV. Since UAVs are airborne robots, we adapt a definition previously developed for human-robot awareness after learning about the SA needs of operators through observations and interviews. We describe the applicability of UAV-related SA for people in three roles: UAV operators, air traffic controllers, and pilots of manned aircraft in the vicinity of UAVs. Using our decomposition, UAV interaction designers can specify SA needs and analysts can evaluate a UAV interface's SA support with greater precision and specificity than can be attained using other SA definitions.
TL;DR: This work integrates the information in log and alert files into an intuitive, flexible, extensible, and scalable visualization tool - VisAlert - that presents critical information concerning network activity in an integrated manner, increasing the user's situational awareness.
Abstract: The VisAlert visual correlation tool facilitates situational awareness in complex network environments by providing a holistic view of network security to help detect malicious activities. Information visualization techniques and methods in many applications have effectively increased operators' situational awareness, letting them more effectively detect, diagnose, and treat anomalous conditions. Visualization elevates information comprehension by fostering rapid correlation and perceived associations. Our visualization technique integrates the information in log and alert files into an intuitive, flexible, extensible, and scalable visualization tool - VisAlert - that presents critical information concerning network activity in an integrated manner, increasing the user's situational awareness.
TL;DR: It is argued that human-centered automation must be multi-layered, by taking into account not only enhancement of situation awareness but also trading of authority between humans and machines.
Abstract: This paper discusses that human-centered automation for traffic safety can vary depending on transportation mode. Quality of human operators and time-criticality are factors characterizing the domain-dependence. The questions asked in this paper are: (1) Does the statement that, “The human must be in command,” have to hold at all times and on every occasion, and in every transportation mode? and (2) What the automation may do when it detected the human’s inappropriate behavior or performance while monitoring the human? Is it allowed only to give some warnings? Or, is it allowed to act autonomously to resolve the detected problem? This paper also argues that human-centered automation must be multi-layered, by taking into account not only enhancement of situation awareness but also trading of authority between humans and machines.
TL;DR: The findings indicate that the competence required for the operators are concerned with developing the possibility of constructing situation awareness, managing conflicts, gaps and time problems created by ongoing task procedures, and dealing with distractions, developing skills for collaborative work.
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: A UAV interaction design approach that uses pre-loaded terrain data to augment real-time video data sensed by the UAVs to improve the design of human-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle interaction so operators can have better situation awareness (SA) of conditions pertaining to the Uavs.
Abstract: : Our goal is to improve the design of human-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) interaction so operators can have better situation awareness (SA) of conditions pertaining to the UAVs. We developed a UAV interaction design approach that uses pre-loaded terrain data to augment real-time video data sensed by the UAVs. We hypothesized that augmentation of the video in this manner would provide better SA than a video stream alone. To test the hypothesis, we performed a counterbalanced within-subjects experiment in which the independent variable was video presentation approach. Our results show an increase in comprehension of 3D spatial relationships between the UAV and points on the earth when experiment participants were given an augmented video presentation, as evidenced by a statistically significant difference in participants mapping accuracy. We believe our results will generalize to situations beyond UAVs to those situations in which people must monitor and comprehend real-time, map-based information.
17 Apr 2006
TL;DR: The application of a SA framework to implement Cyber SA is described, some metrics for measuring and evaluating systems implementing Cyber SA are described, and ongoing work in this area is discussed.
Abstract: Situation Awareness (SA) problems all require an understanding of current activities, an ability to anticipate what may happen next, and techniques to analyze the threat or impact of current activities and predictions. These processes of SA are common regardless of the domain and can be applied to the detection of cyber attacks. This paper will describe the application of a SA framework to implementing Cyber SA, describe some metrics for measuring and evaluating systems implementing Cyber SA, and discuss ongoing work in this area. We conclude with some ideas for future activities.
TL;DR: This paper summarizes several critical human factors issues associated with planning in a rapidly evolving environment, as identified in the investigation, and describes system design concepts aimed at addressing these challenges to distributed collaborative planning of C2 activities.
Abstract: We conducted a theoretical investigation of a complex command and control (C2) operation--the manoeuvres planning processes in Army land-battle situations, to improve understanding of how technology can best be designed to support planning and course of action development We drew upon results from cognitive task analyses and interviews with subject matter experts and insights gleaned from observations of Army training exercises and experiments to make inferences on the C2 activities carried out in preparation for tactical manoeuvres In this paper, we summarize several critical human factors issues associated with planning in a rapidly evolving environment, as identified in our investigation, and describe system design concepts aimed at addressing these challenges to distributed collaborative planning of C2 activities We conclude with implications for the application of these findings to other C2 domains
TL;DR: By shifting the control paradigm to a high-level control strategy, many of today’s problems may be avoided, with benefits of the reduction in delays, improved timeliness and better utilization of the infrastructure.
Abstract: Improving train traffic control can be a cost-efficient way to improve train traffic punctuality and increase utilization of existing and future railway infrastructure. However, performance in train traffic control tasks currently involves working on a technical level in order to regulate the traffic flow. Working in a preventive manner is poorly supported and train traffic controllers are usually restricted to just solving problems as they occur. This often results in unnecessarily long delays and decreased timeliness of train traffic. The main objective of this paper is to describe a proposed control strategy and a case study, which evaluates the control strategy and the prototype tool derived from the research. By shifting the control paradigm to a high-level control strategy, many of today’s problems may be avoided, with benefits of the reduction in delays, improved timeliness and better utilization of the infrastructure. Twenty-one train traffic controllers participated in a case study, with a simulated prototype environment. The majority of the participating train traffic controllers were positive to the new concepts and ideas. Many of the important aspects of the proposed control strategy can be investigated with the simulation, but due to the complexity of train traffic some issues must be evaluated in an operative environment.
15 Jun 2006
TL;DR: This paper analyzes the key features that should underly such a general approach, proposes an architecture centered around the abstraction of "autonomic communication elements", and sketches the main research thrusts to be pursued.
Abstract: The complexity of modern networks raises several challenges in the design and development of communication services. The unbearable costs in configuration and management call for autonomic approaches, in which services are able to self-configure and self-adapt their activities without human intervention. The need for ubiquity of service provisioning calls for the capability of services of adapting their behavior depending on the current situation in which they are used. In this paper, after having discussed the need for innovative approaches facilitating the development and execution of autonomic and situation-aware services, we analyze the key features that should underly such a general approach, propose an architecture centered around the abstraction of "autonomic communication elements", and sketch the main research thrusts to be pursued for the realization of the vision
01 Jan 2006
TL;DR: This work specifies a distributed agent coalition able to accomplish management by distributed software for distributed electric power and describes a prototype implementation based on Sandia-developed technology.
Abstract: Managing distributed infrastructure resources is usually accomplished by telephone calls among the managers and operators. This works reasonably well under ordinary circumstances but breaks down—often catastrophically—under stress. Individual motivation, long response times, and poor situation awareness interfere with operation and can even cause breakdowns. Broadly distributed operations would more robust and fail more gracefully than centralized systems, but remain unlikely given the difficulty in operating large infrastructures even with modern Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. The solution is management by distributed software that maintains normal operation, enforces operational and security policy, deals with contingencies, and protects against malicious indsiders, errors, and outright attacks. We specify a distributed agent coalition able to accomplish this for distributed electric power and describe a prototype implementation based on Sandia-developed technology.
15 May 2006
TL;DR: An experimental study of strategies for maintaining end-to-end communication links for tasks such as surveillance and search and rescue where team connectivity is essential for providing situational awareness to a base station.
Abstract: Communication is essential for coordination in most cooperative control and sensing paradigms. In this paper, we present an experimental study of strategies for maintaining end-to-end communication links for tasks such as surveillance and search and rescue where team connectivity is essential for providing situational awareness to a base station. We consider the differences between monitoring point-to-point signal strength versus data throughput and present experimental results with our multi-robot testbed in outdoor environments
TL;DR: This review is organized in three parts: definitions of SA, their interpretations in terms of human information processing and ecological psychological theories, as well as techniques for measuring SA, and introduces SA applications' information requirements, technological tools, and training systems that support the way people work and live.
Abstract: Human factors/ergonomics professionals regularly study the situation awareness (SA) problems of pilots, air traffic controllers, automobile drivers, power plant workers, ambulance dispatchers, urban search and rescue professionals, and unmanned vehicle operators, to mention a few. The challenge has been to define SA operationally and devise measurement strategies that focus on attention and recall on the one hand and relevant actions on the other. Although there have been many successes, challenges remain. This review is organized in three parts. Under "What?" we discuss definitions of SA, their interpretations in terms of human information processing and ecological psychological theories, as well as techniques for measuring SA. Under "So what?" we introduce SA applications'information requirements, technological tools, and training systems'that support the way people work and live. Finally, under "Now what?" we discuss future directions for SA research. Keywords: Driver distraction; Language: en
TL;DR: This paper conceptualizes SA as judgment under uncertainty as the degree of correspondence between a set of human judgments and the distribution of true system or environmental states or events being judged, and provides a technique for decomposing this correlation into seven independent factors.