Situational Filters for Battle Command Information Displays

A situational Filter is proposed to harness and focus the power of information technologies so that they do not result in decision-maker information over load. The Situational Filter is a hybrid in which the mental model of the commander directs the process of computer-based categorizing and prioritizing data elements and messages. In this way, we do not rely on inductive methods of message analysis since these have proven ineffective and brittle. Instead, the commanders will be able to guide the operation of the Situational Filter by inputting their interpretatioin of the dynamics of the battlefield, resulting in a true hybrid system. The Situational Filter will be prototyped using an existing shell system that supports the development of categorization systems. The prototype Phase I proof-of-concept will be evaluated based on its congruence with the information and message priority scores assigned by subject matter experts. The Situational Filter operating with a closely circumscribed set of inputs, should perform near the level of these subject matter experts, thus demonstrating the feasibility of using a hybrid system to adaptively filter information flow.