Simulation environments offer a safe, inexpensive alternative to live exercises, but the entities which populate them lack many important human behavioral characteristics such as fear, frustration, anger, and fatigue. Such emotions influence how situations are interpereted, how attention is focused,… More

"Combat superiority requires training superiority. Current training state-of-the-art combines virtual reality, gaming techniques and intelligent forces. A key element missing from this equation is realistic speech interaction, with intelligent agentsrepresenting opposing forces, friendly forces and… More

"This effort proposes a study for the development of an individual combatant weapon systems firing algorithm to be used in the Integrated Unit Simulation System (IUSS). The IUSS is a force-on-force model used by analysts to support acquisition and materieldesign considerations affecting individual… More

"The FCS vision of future armored and mechanized military structure includes use of mixed teams of human and robotic forces on a dynamic, rapidly changing battlefield. This will require an overall force reduction with multiple entities controlled byindividual team leaders and multiple teams to be… More

"In response to the Office of The Secretary of Defense (OSD)'s need for adaptable information assimilation systems to support the fast paced flow and complexity of the evolving battlefield in both Command and Control (C2) and direct combat applications,Soar Technology, Inc. proposes to conduct a… More

This effort proposes the development of an individual combatant weapon systems firing algorithm to be used in the Integrated Unit Simulation System (IUSS). The IUSS is a force-on-force model used by analysts to support acquisition and materiel designconsiderations affecting individual combatants… More

The FCS vision of future armored and mechanized military structure includes use of mixed teams of human and robotic forces on a dynamic, rapidly changing battlefield. This will require an overall force reduction with multiple entities controlled byindividual team leaders and multiple teams to be… More

Soar Technology, Inc. proposes to develop a human-error modeling tool that can be used by designers and engineers early in the design process to identify likely causes of human error and engineer them out of the system. This tool will combine the strengths of an accurate high-fidelity model of human… More

Soar Technology, Inc. proposes a system for end-user behavior specification of autonomous entities. The approach is three fold: First, we propose to develop a user interface that uses a metaphor of a

In response to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD)'s need for adaptable information assimilation systems to support the fast paced flow and complexity of the evolving battlefield in both Command and Control (C2) and direct combat applications,Soar Technology, Inc. proposes to research and… More

An intelligent, synthetic behavior model that simulates the behavior of Army wingmen has the potential to increase flexibility in training FWA and RWA pilots, while reducing the manpower expense necessary to deliver such training. Soar Technology hasextensive experience developing and deploying the… More

An intelligent, synthetic behavior model that simulates the behavior of Army wingmen has the potential to increase flexibility in training FWA and RWA pilots, while reducing the manpower expense necessary to deliver such training. Soar Technology hasextensive experience developing and deploying the… More

As the vision of Network Centric Warfare (NCW) becomes reality in the Future Force, it is clear that trading steel (platform survivability) for information represents a true revolution in military affairs. A principal set of goals is to eliminate archaic information stovepipes, speed the flow of… More

Although unmanned vehicles see increasing deployment, strategy and tactics are outpacing their technological capabilities. Advances in robotic control, human-systems interfaces, intelligent systems, vehicle autonomy and human-to-vehicle interfaces are required to lower human-to-vehicle ratios to… More

In response to the Army's need for improved visualization and situation identification capabilities, Soar Technology, Inc., working with Situation Awareness Technologies and North Carolina State University, propose to combine state of the art techniques in situation awareness, agent-based cognitive… More

Air Traffic Control (ATC) has received little attention as part of military simulation environments. Where ATC is played, it is typically only in a limited way, reducing the realism and validity of the results, and using human controllers, thereby increasing the cost of running the exercise. To… More

Simulation-based training systems are developed for a broad range of warfighter and warfighter support activities, from clearing buildings to high-level command decision-making. These systems are expensive to build and they are expensive to operate. This proposal outlines a plan to decrease both… More

To reduce commander and staff workload in the full spectrum of battlefield management, we propose to create a network of agent modules that enable effective control of multiple robotic elements. In this network, each agent serves as an expert in one or more of the required knowledge areas, and is… More

This Phase I proposal describes a study for determining the feasibility of developing an automated air traffic control (AutoATC) capability for military simulation. We describe an integrative vision of a network-based cognitive systems approach to developing an AutoATC that will provide ATC control… More

Simulation-based training offers the potential for relatively low cost training available at any time and almost any duty station. However, a main drawback of simulation-based training is the lack of oversight in the training process. Simulations often depend on a fixed number of pre-defined… More

Under this Phase I Small Business Innovative Research contract, we propose to develop a synthetic agent-based environment, SEASIM, to help assess the impact of new technology on shipboard systems and to optimize manning. Model-based evaluation techniques are a proven alternative to traditional… More

Under this Phase II Small Business Innovative Research contract, we propose to develop a human-error modeling tool, EGLEAN, that can be used by designers and engineers early in the design process to identify likely causes of human error and engineer them out of the system. EGLEAN will combine the… More

Under this Phase II Small Business Innovative Research contract, we propose to develop a human-error modeling tool, EGLEAN, that can be used by designers and engineers early in the design process to identify likely causes of human error and engineer them out of the system. EGLEAN will combine the… More

Battle command of mixed human and robotic units is an inherently complex problem. Even within a SoSCOE architecture, implementing such a capability such that it improves commander and combat effectiveness is beyond current state of the art. Such an implementation will require integration,… More

Although the Army uses airborne computer generated forces (CGFs) in simulation environments, most CGFs are not autonomous or interactive enough to be directed by a controller. Full simulation capability requires detailed, doctrinally correct CGFs that can be controlled directly by airspace managers,… More

Although emerging technologies are enabling unsurpassed connectivity between battlefield units, coordinating and synchronizing efforts is still one of the most challenging aspects of warfare. This challenge is amplified by the different procedures, customs, and terminology used by each of the… More

Soar Technology proposes to develop a Task Examination/Aggregation/Learning system (TEAL) to enable Future Combat Systems (FCS) assets to autonomously perform increasingly complicated tasks over time. Envisioned as part of the FCS "System of Systems" (SoS) approach, TEAL is an independent reasoning… More

The proposed Predictive OPFORs for Planning and Simulation (PROPS) is an intelligent task planner that uses predictive analysis to automate planning and plan execution for opposing force (OPFOR) units in simulation environments. We propose the integration of the intelligent task planner with… More

U.S. Army personnel need realistic cultural training to carry out Stability and Support Operations (SASO) in foreign environments. Virtual environments supported by simulations such as the OneSAF Objective System (OOS) could help fill this training need. To do this, the simulations must model people… More

Soar Technology is teaming with Lockheed Martin to integrate Lockheed Martin's IFS (Intelligent Fusion System) with Soar Technology's BINAH (Battlespace Information and Notification through Adaptive Heuristics) system as the base for the development of BINAH-CF (Cognitive Fusion), a cognitive fusion… More

Soar Technology proposes to build IMPACT (Intelligent Modeling For Pedagogically-Aware Cultural Training), a sophisticated, agent-based system to enable immersive, realistic practice environments for cultural training. IMPACT features a robust student model that represents a broad matrix of… More

Soar Technology proposes to develop the Detecting Enemy Forces United to Strike with Explosives (DEFUSE) system to help address the constantly evolving IED threat at points before the IED blast. DEFUSE leverages the DARPA RAID Adversarial Reasoning Module (ARM) technology, which has been tested… More

Soar Technology proposes the Soar-Longevity autonomic architecture for self-adapting sustainable performance. Soar-Longevity utilizes a two-tiered approach to synergize lower-level organic computing elements and upper-level cognitive supervisory elements. Soar Technology's Cognitive Layer monitors… More

The need for automation within the US Army's intelligence collection processes is a well known problem. Intelligence teams do not have the tools to support dynamic battlefield situation management and prediction - two processes that are required for effective and efficient intelligence gathering. … More

Future Combat Systems are envisioned as a networked system of systems that will integrate tomorrow's soldier with families of manned and unmanned platforms and sensors. However, tele-operated and pre-FCS legacy systems will need to be upgraded to be sophisticated and "intelligent" enough to interact… More

Although the Army uses airborne computer generated forces (CGFs) in simulation environments, most CGFs are not autonomous or interactive enough to be directed by a controller. Full simulation capability requires detailed, doctrinally correct CGFs that can be controlled directly by airspace… More

Soar Technology is teaming with Drexel University to develop Sousa, a multi-agent system that assists signal officers by automating the task of composing Battle Command (BC) services into data flows and conducting the flow of data for initialization. Sousa decomposes the task into sub-tasks that are… More

Soar Technology proposes to improve the efficacy of existing combat simulations by introducing a more realistic computer-generated adversary (OPFOR). To do this, we introduce GAMBIT - a novel system for dynamically generating and implementing asymmetric tactics supported by the use of genetic… More

Soar Technology proposes to build PAST-A! (Pedagogically Adaptive Scenarios for Training - Automated!), a tool to generate and deliver training scenarios that not only target specific training objectives, but can provide trainees with the deliberate practice needed to support skill acquisition. … More

Soar Technology proposes to build IMPACT (Intelligent Modeling For Pedagogically-Aware Cultural Training), a sophisticated, agent-based system to enable immersive, realistic practice environments for cultural training. IMPACT features a robust student model that represents a broad matrix of… More

Current military M&S systems for training and experimentation rely on encoded human behavior models (HBMs) that must be produced and maintained by teams of subject matter experts (SMEs) and professional knowledge engineers (KEs) in an arrangement that can be time-consuming and expensive. The… More

Current traditional warfare assessment simulations have been criticized for their simplistic modeling of command and control behavior, often resulting in inappropriate reactions to complex tactical situations, which can produce erroneous simulation results. Soar Technology, in partnership with… More

We propose the development of a general software infrastructure for simplifying the integration of computer-game software with cognitive modeling tools. The software is designed to meet the requirements of two state-of-art cognitive models, one focused on spatial reasoning, the other on visual… More

For effective training in higher-level decision-making and social-interaction skills, there is a need for computer game technology to provide more realistically human-like non-player characters. As a cost-effective path for integrating greater social-cultural realism into game simulations, we… More

Providing a dominant response to terrorism and insurgent-driven asymmetric wars is a complex problem and is accelerating demand for high-quality multi-INT fused Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) products. Soar Technology, Inc. and the Lockheed Martin Co. propose to significantly… More

The team of Soar Technology, Inc. and NewVectors, LLC seek to help US forces understand and antici-pate the activities within faction networks that lead to IED blasts by developing the Detecting Enemy Forces United to Strike with IEDs (DEFUSE) system. DEFUSE will enable analysts to integrate models… More

The US Navy's Total Force Transformation requires improved methods of preparing the Navy Total Force to be not only skilled at everyday, routine jobs, but also capable of flexibility, suppleness, and problem-solving. However, most existing instructional design approaches lack at least one element… More

Computer games can enable training for the human terrain that is both scalable and effective. However, games lack the individualized guidance and feedback that speeds and deepens learning. To enable improved game-based learning of the human terrain, Soar Technology proposes to develop an innovative… More

In the past decade there has been an explosion of interest in using games and game technology for education and training due in large part to a number of presumed benefits. However, a number of these presumed benefits have not yet been realized or do not

When a service member returns from deployment, expectations on both sides run high for a joyous reunion. However, this transition to a peacetime environment can pose many challenges for the service member as well as his family and friends. Soar Technology, with our partners at USC''''''''s… More

Soar Technology is teaming with Drexel University to develop Sousa, a multi-agent system that assists warfighters by automating the task of composing Battle Command (BC) services into data flows and conducting the flow of data for initialization. Sousa decomposes the task into sub-tasks that are… More

There is a growing interest in employing modeling and simulation technology as a low-cost substitute to live Air-Traffic Control (ATC) exercises. One popular approach is to replace costly human role-players with computer-generated forces (CGFs) representing aircraft. Soar Technology proposes to… More

A long-term, cost-effective approach to addressing increased mission complexity and cost is to increase automation in operations and training. Although a variety of automation exists, the next significant advance will be to automate decision-making processes that currently rely on human experts.… More

Computer simulation in the Department of Defense has traditionally been the domain of carefully developed software and deliberatively validated models. While this has been an appropriate approach to the concern for working with accurate systems, there is increasing pressure to improve the… More

We will demonstrate the feasibility of detecting tactically meaningful complex events in sensor input streams using an efficient pattern matching technology embodied in the Soar cognitive architecture. Our focus in Phase I will be on video streams, such as those that might be produced by unattended… More

Immersive training environments tend to be good at graphics, but lack realistic cultural content, especially in regard to highly interactive cultural characters. There is a growing gap created by the ever-increasing need for realistic cultural training and the lack of availability of interactive… More

Most behavioral forecasting is done by social scientists or area experts, but they are a limited resource. Forecasting tools are needed to assist commanders' decision-making directly, especially when there are no social scientists on hand. Such tools cannot require that the users hold PhDs, but must… More

The US Navy is undertaking a Total Force Transformation to develop a more agile, deployable, and capable force to meet the challenges of 21st century conflicts. The adaptive expertise required by the Total Force demands innovative and evidence-based approaches to instruction, training, and… More

This project creates an immersive, theory-based tool that can assess and eventually train, social information processing (SIP) skills in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This tool leverages existing technology to rapidly create a virtual environment where children with ASD can… More

Soar Technology, in partnership with Lumir Research, will bring to bear our extensive expertise in speech-enabled synthetic entities, simulation and training technology to build a training system for international Red Flag participants. This system, called RedRef (short for 'Red Flag referee'), wil… More

State-of-art, game-based training environments are representative of real world situations and tasks, and they provide highly motivating practice in a form that is inexpensive and portable. However, practice by itself is not an efficient way to learn. Instruction, guidance, and feedback should… More

Sharing data between software systems developed at different times and with different functional goals has proven notoriously difficult. Today's disparate software systems are still largely integrated via manual development of custom "adapter" software. Adapters increase integration and lifecycle… More

There is a growing interest in employing modeling and simulation technology as a low-cost substitute to live Air-Traffic Control (ATC) exercises. One popular approach is to replace human role-players with computer-generated forces (CGFs). Here, the trainer must encode the behaviors of CGFs… More

The goal of the Gaming and OneSAF for Training with Realism, Accuracy and ImmersioN (GO-TRAIN) effort is to develop an interface between OneSAF and VBS2, and to use this combined technology solution to create an enhanced simulator for Battalion staff training targeted to the Maneuver Captains Career… More

Army helicopter pilots are inundated with information in the cockpit, and more is coming. With new technology constantly pushing new information into the cockpit, there is an ever-increasing demand for smarter management of that information before it overwhelms the pilot. Too much f?ohead-down… More

When a service member returns from deployment, expectations on both sides run high for a joyous reunion. However, this transition to a peacetime environment can pose many challenges for the service member as well as his family and friends. Soar Technology and our partners at USC's Institute for… More

As a critical part of the acquisition process, military testing facilities are under pressure to test increasingly complex systems using less time and resources. Modernization and automation efforts are underway, but traditional approaches may fall short especially where time-critical steps are… More

This project builds upon on previous work on a theory-based tool that assesses and trains children with autism spectrum disorders social information processing (SIP) skills. This system, the virtual environment for social information processing (VESIP), is a significant improvement over existing… More

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) hold the promise of dramatically increasing the cost effectiveness of training. However, one contributor to the per-lesson cost effectiveness of ITSs is the significant effort that goes into creating instructional material. ITSs in many ways shift the costs of… More

Current conflicts increasingly require the military to win the support the local population and this starts by understanding their environment and building relationships with them. In this proposal, the team of SoarTech, Vcom3D and Proxima Intercultural propose a novel training architecture in… More

The potential for force multiplication in Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs) rises with the degree to which they can be"neglected"by human controllers and operators. There is currently a great deal of human cognitive attention required to manage UAS assets safely and effectively,… More

ABSTRACT: Demand for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) within the U.S. Military has significantly increased over the past decade, including a demand for Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs). However, the increased use of these systems has been hindered by the lack of natural interfaces for controlling them.… More

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) currently deployed on the battlefield are driven with Operator Control Units (e.g., joystick or point-and-click interface), which requires the full attention of an operator. This means the operator cannot concentrate on maintaining situational awareness, security, or… More

Current Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) require a great deal of specialized training and experience to use effectively. Furthermore, their use is dominated by a paradigm of control in which a highly trained operator is giving very precise, low-level commands to a UAS. As UAS become more autonomous, they… More

ABSTRACT: Red Flag is a multinational exercise featuring aerial combat flight operations. Due to the complexity and scope of these exercises, participants require a significant amount of spin-up in advance of their arrival. Specifically, there are a number of logistical and safety related that a… More

Army helicopter pilots are inundated with information in the cockpit, and more is coming. But simply providing more information is not always the answer. With new technology constantly pushing more information into the cockpit, there is an ever-increasing demand for smarter management of that… More

The revolution in simulation and virtual technologies for training is enabling learners to practice skills and learn in realistic environments. Researchers are also seeking to develop algorithms that can tailor learner practice to the estimated abilities and needs of individual students, offering… More

SoarTech proposes to research and design an intelligent, multi-vehicle operator control unit that we call Sapient. Sapient will monitor the mission and behavior of a team of heterogeneous UVs and 1. present the user with filtered, focused information about the mission, 2. detect and project… More

The USMC Combat Hunter program trains warfighters to be"combat hunters,"providing instruction for combat profiling, tracking, and enhanced observation. Combat Hunter is delivering highly successful training for those warfighters who have opportunity to participate. Computer-based training… More

Current Mine Countermeasure (MCM) operations attempt to balance risk to commander"s intent and time via processes that are staff and time intensive. Existing tools such as MEDAL have helped to alleviate some of this, but those tools lack an comprehensive understanding of the uncertainties… More

ABSTRACT: Demand for Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) within the U.S. Military has significantly increased over the past decade, including Micro-Air Vehicles (MAVs). However, effective use of these systems has been hindered by the lack of natural interfaces for controlling them. Currently multiple… More

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs) currently deployed on the battlefield are driven with Operator Control Units (e.g., joystick or point-and-click interface), which requires the full attention of an operator. This means the operator cannot concentrate on maintaining situational awareness, security, or… More

Current Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) require a great deal of specialized training and experience to use effectively. Furthermore, their use is dominated by a paradigm of control in which a highly trained operator is giving very precise, low-level commands to a UAS. As UAS become more autonomous, they… More