Virtual Environments for Soldier Training via Editable Demonstrations (VESTED)

Army needs for improved skill training capabilities, especially through use of virtual environments (VEs), has given rise to the need for a versatile facility for creation of VE demonstrations of Army skills along with empirical research to prescribe appropriate, effective uses of this type of skill demonstration facility. Such a facility and supporting research is proposed in a program designated as Virtual Environments for Soldier Training via Editable Demonstrations (VESTED). VESTED will provide software tools for authoring VE demonstrations, including representations of both the physical environment and animated human characters, and also a systematic research program to determine how best to use this facility in order to best achieve Army skill training objectives, focusing initially on tasks involved in MOUT building clearing operations. Key issues to be addressed in the research to guide demonstration authoring and use include what perspectives to include in demonstration displays, whether to use demonstrations of common errors, whether and how to employ distortions in time scale, and how to handle decision points. Major software components of VESTED will be adapted from the existing VECTOR system for authoring of interactive VE training. An evaluation plan will address training effectiveness, authoring usability, and cost-effectiveness of use.