C2 of Unmanned Systems in Distributed ISR Operations
Elizabeth Bowman, Jeffrey A. Thomas · Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) · 2008
This paper describes a series of experiments to investigate issues of human-robot teaming and network centric operations. Experiment objectives were coordinated to address issues within and among the physical, communications, information, and human (cognitive/social) domain layers of the network. Objectives spanned the cognitive, social, and physical domains of the network. In the cognitive domain, researchers tested a predictive performance tool for robotic operators and measured operator situational awareness and workload during missions as these conditions related to reliance upon unmanned surveillance technologies. In the social domain, we documented the ad hoc development of social, task, and knowledge networks during missions. These human dimensions of the network were juxtaposed to the agile computing infrastructure operating over a Future Force surrogate network and an 802.11 network. Results show that many challenges exist across the layers of the network domain architecture. Primary among these is to develop a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) to support mobile and extended vehicle/dismount ranges in a variety of terrain conditions. In the cognitive/social domain, we need to understand what information Soldiers need from a network, when this information is of maximum use, and what form the information should take for maximum situational awareness and decision making.