Evaluating Training Effectiveness and Usability of Distributed Training Environments

The ACTIVE Lab is investigating how distributed training systems can be evaluated for effectiveness and usability. The Multi-purpose Operational Team Training Immersive Virtual Environment (MOT2IVE) system is presently used as the testbed environment. MOT2IVE is a suite of laptop-based simulators that can be reconfigured for training.

How MOT2IVE Is Being Used

• Injection of the several elements of the MOT2IVE system (FO Arty, FO  Mortars, FAC, JSAF) into the Marine Corps Infantry Officers Course (IOC).
• Evaluated with an experienced group of Marines at the Expeditionary Warfare School (EWS).
• Being refined for deployment to front-line Marine Corps units.
• Incorporating the use of neurophysiological sensing technologies such as functional Near Infrared (fNIR) imaging, eye tracking, and arousal monitoring to infer training effectiveness.

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Virtual Environments

ACTIVE Laboratory has several test beds available for cognitive studies in virtual environments. The following are among them.

Multi-purpose Operational Team Training Immersive Virtual Environment (MOT2IVE)

MOT2IVE is a suite of laptop-based simulators that can be reconfigured for training. The system was originally designed to train Marine Corps Fire Support Teams (FiST). Within the environment, it is possible to train Forward Observers and Forward Air Controllers (FO/FAC) in providing close air support (CAS), mortar, and artillery support. Additional elements within MOT2IVE include aircraft simulators, ground vehicle simulators, and planning tools for combined arms missions. The system is presently used within ACTIVE as testbed environment.

Robot Simulator (RoboSim)

RoboSim is a suite of laptop simulators to allow the training of mixed-initiative teams. A mixed-initiative team is one that consists of humans and unmanned entities working together. The system consists of an operator control unit (OCU) for monitoring and directing multiple unmanned entitites, a simulator that mimics the physical movements of an unmanned vehicle accurately, and the capability to create 3D views from any of the unmanned entities within the system. RoboSim is capable of working within High Level Architecture (HLA) networked simulations and compatible with the Joint Semi-Automated Forces (JSAF) system.

RoboSim supports the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS)

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Game-Based Simulation

Gaming for Training
The ACTIVE lab is engaging in research using Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOG) to study the effectiveness of game-based training. The environments studied are developed and maintained using an On-Line Interactive Virtual Environment (OLIVE) platform from Forterra, Inc. In conjunction with other game-based research efforts, the ACTIVE lab is also utilizing commercially available gaming technology within simulation environments.

Gaming for Therapy

ACTIVE is currently using the Torque game engine to develop games for therapeutic purposes that have a look and feel comparable to commercial entertainment games. In partnership with the UCF College of Health and Public Affairs and the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy, a game called Opera Slinger is being adapted to increase compliance in pediatric speech therapy.

Gaming Technologies utilized at ACTIVE include:

Multiple-user interaction
Voice-over IP
Commercial game consoles (Sony Playstation3, Microsoft Xbox)
Commercial game controllers (Nintendo Wii)
Pen source game engines (Delta3D, XNA, Torque)

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Neuroscience Sensors

The ACTIVE Lab has assembled a suite of neurosensing devices to record physiological data from test subjects while performing training tasks. The goal of the collection of the physiological data from the subjects is to provide a metric of performance. The neurosensing devices present within the ACTIVE Lab are a Functional Near Infrared (fNIR) Imager, an electroencephalograph (EEG) system, a wearable arousal meter (WAM), an eye tracker, and the BioGraph Software system.

Neuroscience Sensors

The following are devices adopted in our experiments:

• fNIRS– a non-invasive, unobtrusive method of rapidly measuring localized brain activity in an individual
• EEG – offers an easy-to-understand analogue for brain activity
• WAM – a wireless, continual sampling device that measures and analyzes the interbeat heart rate interval of a subject
• Eye Tracker - a free-standing device that is capable of following a participant's head and eye movement
• BioGraph System - a multimedia tool that records physiological data and delivers physiological feedback

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Robotics and Interfaces for Unmanned Systems

Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS)
JAUS is an architecture defined for the research, development, and acquisition of unmanned systems. Using JAUS makes it possible to communicate with and control any virtual or real unmanned asset using a single interface. The ability to control unmanned, unattended, or autonomous air, ground, surface, or underwater vehicles that are real or simulated is a key factor in the development of these systems for research or training environments involving mixtures of human robot teams.

ACTIVE Capabilities:

• The ACTIVE Lab has developed prototype software to provide translation between JAUS and the High Level Architecture (HLA).
• Currently developing models for representing decision making of autonomous vehicles.
• Developing software for tracking specific image segments over time.
• Completed a software library capable modeling objects as vectors and polygons in a noisy environment.

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Physiological Signal Processing

In the ACTIVE Lab, a suite of neurosensing devices is assembled to gather data from test subjects. These devices record physiological data from the test subject as the subject perform various tasks. By filtering the data using mathematical formulae, the signals represented by the data can be analyzed to provide a metric of performance. We have chosen Matlab® as our programming environment due to its flexibility in implementation, availability of many toolboxes, and excellent report generation tool. Additional toolboxes used in the lab include Signal Processing Toolbox, Filter Design Toolbox, Neural Network Toolbox, Image/Data Acquisition Toolbox, and Optimization Toolbox.

ACTIVE Capabilities:

• Sensors
  • fNIRS – Functional Near Infrared Spectroscope
  • EEG – Electroencephalogram
  • WAM – Wearable Arousal Meter
  • Eye Tracker
• Data Synchronization
  • The ACTIVE Lab is currently developing algorithms to handle various multi-rate signal processing techniques
• Pattern Recognition
  • ACTIVE uses various pattern recognition techniques to work on formulating a solid algorithm which is robust and flexible to handle variability between subjects.

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Warfighter Enhancement Program Office (WEPO)

The Warfighter Enhancement Program Office (WEPO) is a portfolio of research initiatives dedicated towards the development and evaluation of scientifically proven training and assessment methodologies and technologies. WEPO’s success will enable Warriors to master and succeed in the complex, asymmetric, and non-kinetic battlespace.

For more information, click here.

Read a PDF of our publication, Warfighter, here.

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