| Customer | U.S. Army RDECOM |
| Users | Warfighters manning a Command and Control Vehicle (C2V) crewstation |
| Need | The warfighter manning a Command and Control Vehicle (C2V) crewstation must remotely control robotic platforms to perform reconnaissance and engage the enemy. The operator must maintain situational awareness and apply tactical decision-making principles in a heightened information-rich setting with distributed vehicles and sensors under his command. With the objective of a fully embedded approach, the system operations and training modes become interchangeable, allowing troops to train in motor pools and conduct mission rehearsal in assembly areas. Consequently the need to provide robust training packages becomes much more important, and performing exercises in an embedded ITS can greatly enhance and standardize training, making it available anywhere a unit is deployed. The automated evaluation capabilities of an ITS are well suited to the embedded setting where human instructors are typically not available to provide individualized guidance. |
| Solution | Stottler Henke developed a proof-of-concept ITS to provide scenario-based practice for the Soldier. The ITS is integrated with the Army’s Embedded Combined Arms Team Training / Mission Rehearsal (ECATT/MR) Testbed, configured to represent a C2V. The Testbed includes a simulation component as the driver for computer generated forces, integrated with a control interface for networked robotic vehicles under the student’s command, as well as a variety of visualization and situational awareness interface tools. The ITS is tightly integrated with the simulation and control elements of the Testbed, not only to monitor events as they occur during an exercise, but also to publish messages which the Testbed uses to display feedback in its native user interface during execution. The ITS observes the student’s actions and performance in a simulated scenario and produces specifically tailored feedback on principles the student has executed correctly and incorrectly. In addition to the fundamental tactical principles, students are also monitored in the task of translating tactical intentions to robotic commands correctly executed in the control interface. The automated evaluation mechanisms also trigger adjustments in the behaviors of simulated opposing forces in the simulation, in order to make the scenarios more realistic.A preliminary proof of concept system was developed for the U.S. Army RDECOM. It demonstrates the integration of a real time ITS feedback mechanism with the ECATT/MR Testbed. This system was incorporated into trial experiments with human test subjects to measure the training that occurs with automated feedback in the Testbed environment. Preliminary results show favorable learning outcomes from the ITS feedback in terms of reduced errors and retention, with measured improvements comparable to the comparison case with human-led after action review. |
| Status | A preliminary proof of concept system was developed for the U.S. Army RDECOM. It demonstrates the integration of a real time ITS feedback mechanism with the ECATT/MR Testbed. This system was incorporated into trial experiments with human test subjects to measure the training that occurs with automated feedback in the Testbed environment. Preliminary results show favorable learning outcomes from the ITS feedback in terms of reduced errors and retention, with measured improvements comparable to the comparison case with human-led after action review. |
| Related Applications | This training technology was also adapted and integrated with the Tank and Automotive Research and Development Command (TARDEC) Crew instrumentation and Automation Testbed which has an embedded simulation component as part of their Vehicle Electronics (VETRONICS). In a subsequent related effort for the Joint Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory, the C2V ITS was integrated with a distributed learning architecture. The objective was to develop a mechanism for incorporating experiential learning events conducted on a standalone embedded trainer with a standard SCORM-compliant learning management system (LMS) and curriculum. This mechanism was successfully demonstrated with the C2V ITS embedded training testbed. The operational capability supports a sequence where initial didactic instruction is given in the LMS, an exercise is conducted in the standalone C2V ITS, and learner scores are passed back to the LMS, which then delivers remedial material as needed before completing a course block. |
| Additional information | Video demonstration, original C2V ITS: Windows Media Video (WMV) 6MBVideo demonstration, C2V ITS integrated with distributed learning architecture Windows Media Video (WMV) 26MBI/ITSEC 2008 conference paper:Distributed Learning Interoperability with Embedded Training and Intelligent Tutors 
I/ITSEC 2005 conference paper:FCS Intelligent Structured Training – Experimental Results and Future Applications I/ITSEC 2003 conference paper:Embedded Training Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS) for the Future Combat Systems (FCS) Command and Control (C2) Vehicle
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