Transcript NATO Workshop Talk on Visualisation

Command Visualisation
NATO Workshop on Visualisation of Massive Military Multimedia
Datasets, DREV
Justin G. Hollands
Human-Computer Interaction Group,
DCIEM
OVERVIEW
• Problem and Potential Solution
• Visualisation Philosophy--Human Centered
– Consistent with NATO IST-05 Model
– Empirical Basis
• Need for Multiple Views
• Command Visualisation Testbed Platform
– Five Research Domains
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INFORMATION VISUALISATION
• Problem:
– Military systems do not allow users to understand what
their various data and information sources mean
• Users cannot use engines to extract information from data
• Important information may be ignored due to deficient
extraction techniques
• Strategic and tactical actions, simulation and training, are less
efficient than they should be
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POTENTIAL SOLUTION
– Provide information visualisation tools to aid in the
appropriate comprehension of information
– Military benefits:
 Improved information accessibility, filtration, extraction, and
understanding.
 Support for joint activities through better interoperation and
communication
 Challenger Example
 Erosion of O-Rings as detailed by Thiokol
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Source: E. Tufte (1997). Visual Explanations
Conclusion:
The way in which information is presented affects
the way it is interpreted.
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VISUALISATION TOOLS for C2
• CPoF (DARPA)
– Large-scale
– Multimedia: Maps,
Charts, Graphs,
Pictures, CNN
– 3D Electronic
Sand-Table
– Multi-display
– $$$
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CPoF
Graphical representation of
cross-correlation of radio
activity provides insight
Same data in tabular form
as good as useless
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MULTIPLE VIEW AND TASK DEPENDENCY
• Data have to be displayed just the “right way”
– How can we increase P(Hit)?
– Make available a wide variety of views
• In line with graphical perception literature
– Performance with a given graphical format is task-dependent
• Two design implications are evident:
– 1) Successful C2 system must display data in multiple formats;
– 2) System must make transition from one format to the next as
straightforward as possible
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VISUALISATION PHILOSOPHY
• “Information Visualisation is the human's capacity to
utilize effectively the output from the computer to
understand the data.”
– NATO IST-05
• Specific Research Goal:
– Produce a testbed platform
based on the principles and
recommendations
contained in the HAT
report
– Platform will be designed
based on performance data
from human observers
NATO IST-05
Reference Model
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COMMAND VISUALISATION TESTBED
• TIF (DND Technology Investment Fund) Proposal
– Goal:
• To create an effective command visualisation platform based on
empirical performance data collected from human observers,
rather than upon a programmer’s “best guess”
– Approach:
• 5 Stages:
1) Identification/Selection of Operational Tasks
2) Testbed Platform Setup
3) Experiments to Address Specific Research Issues (Five Domains)
4) Iterative Platform Design and Testing
5) Delivery of Results
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Selection of Operational Tasks
– Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA) will be performed on
task group and/or task force commanders
– Anticipated that the visualisation system would be
particularly useful for:
•
•
•
•
•
battle planning and simulation;
establishing the threat axis;
assessing damage, weapons and supplies;
checking weapon ranges
correlation of sensor data across time (data fusion)
– CTA will determine what kind of information should be
displayed to commander at what time (in what context)
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What are we Measuring?
– Error (1 - Accuracy)
• Error Magnitude, Number of Errors
• Signal Detection Measures--sensitivity and bias
– Response Time
– Subjective Measures
• Preferences
• Situation Awareness, Workload
– In tasks that are as similar to real operational tasks as
possible (CTA) using military personnel as participants
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FIVE RESEARCH DOMAINS
– Frame of reference and visual momentum
• Easing the transition between egocentric and exocentric views
– Perceptual bias and reference points
• Utility of reference points for reducing bias
– Modeling mental operations
• Minimizing operations necessary for task
– Preattentive processing
• Utility of “pop-out” in visual search
– Mapping data to perceptual continua
• What’s good for what
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FRAME OF REFERENCE AND VISUAL
MOMENTUM
– Easing the transition between general and specific views
• Egocentric and exocentric views
• Hierarchical: generalization vs. specialization
• Drill up vs. drill down
• Visual momentum techniques:
– Continuously available global view
– Gradual transitions
– Brushing
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Roth et al. (1997) Visage.
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PERCEPTUAL BIAS
– Utility of reference points for reducing bias, and thereby
error
A
B
Source: Hollands & Dyre (2000)
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MODELING MENTAL OPERATIONS
• Minimizing operations necessary for task
• Two factors affect graph reading performance:
– 1. Number of operations necessary given a particular task-graph
combination
– 2. Effectiveness of the perceptual features used as input for the
operations
• Model yet to be extended to more realistic visualisation
situation
B
A
Ratio estimation(height[A],
height[A+B]);
A
B
Sum = Summation(height[A],
height[B]);
Ratio estimation
(height[A],Sum);
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PREATTENTIVE PROCESSING
• Utility of “pop-out” in visual search
• Visual properties that are processed preattentively can be
used to highlight important image characteristics
– colour, shape, orientation, length, size, curvature, depth
• Preattentive dimensions can be used to segment, create
textured areas
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MAPPING DATA TO PERCEPTUAL
CONTINUA
• Bertin--appropriate use of spatial dimensions versus,
colour, shading, texture, orientation etc.
• Conceptual dimension (e.g., number of helicopters, state of
alert) may be qualitative, ordered, quantitative
• Appropriate in the sense of mapping conceptual dimension
to perceptual dimension
• Bertin’s ranking will be empirically assessed
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SUMMARY
• Problem and Potential Solution
• Need for Multiple Views
• Visualisation Philosophy--Human Centered
– Consistent with NATO IST-05 Model
– Empirical Basis
• Command Visualisation Platform
– Five Research Domains
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Justin G. Hollands
DCIEM
1133 Sheppard Ave. W., P.O. Box 2000
Toronto, Ontario M3M 3B9 Canada
(416) 635-2000 x3082
[email protected]
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS?
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