Intelligent Agents for Human Behavior modeling as Support to operations

Goal of the present chapter is providing support to operations planning and management in complex scenarios. The authors are mainly focused on South Asia region, which is subject of experimental analysis by running an Intelligent Agents \u2014driven HLA Federation. Simulation of investments and operations over an asymmetric mission environment with several parties, insurgents, terrorists and dynamic social framework is the aim. The scenario has various degrees of freedom and M&S enables evaluation of human behavior evolution and socio-psychological aspects. The presented models include Computer Generated Forces (CGF) driven by Intelligent Agents (IAs) that represents not only units on the battlefield, but also people and interest groups (i.e. Middle Class, Nomads, Clans). The study is focused on Civil Military Co-operations (CIMIC) and Psychological Operations (PSYOPs). The simulation is based on specific architecture that involves various federates playing different roles. Verification, Validation and Accreditation (VV&A) has been applied along the whole life cycle of the research, in order to determine the correctness and effectiveness of the results. The paper proposes experimental results obtained during the dynamic test of the federations

NATO Code of Best Practice for C2 Assessment

This major revision to the Code of Best Practice (COBP) for C2 Assessment is the product of a NATO Research and Technology Organisation (RTO) sponsored Research Group (SAS-026). It represents over a decade of work by many of the best analysts from the NATO countries. A symposium (SAS-039) was hosted by the NATO Consultation Command Control Agency (NC3A) that provided the venue for a rigorous peer review of the code. This new version of the COBP for C2 assessment builds upon the initial version of the COBP produced by SAS-002. The earlier version focused on the analysis of ground forces at a tactical echelon in mid- to high-intensity conflicts. In developing this new version of the COBP, SAS-026 focused on a changed geopolitical context characterized by a shift from preoccupation with a war involving NATO and the Warsaw Pact to concern for a broad range of smaller military conflicts and Operations Other Than War (OOTW). This version also takes into account the impact of significantly improved information-related capabilities and their implications for reducing the fog and friction traditionally associated with conflict. Significantly reduced levels of fog and friction offer an opportunity for the military to develop new concepts of operations, new organizational forms, and new approaches to C2, as well as to the processes that support it. In addition, SAS-026 was cognizant that NATO operations are likely to include coalitions of the willing that might involve Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations, other partners outside of NATO, international organizations, and NGOs. Cost analyses continue to be excluded because they differ among NATO members, so no single approach would be appropriate. Advances in technology are expected to continue at an increasing rate and spur both sustaining and disruptive innovation in military organizations. It is to be expected that this COBP will need to be periodically revisited in light of these developments.https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/msve_books/1012/thumbnail.jp

Controller Synthesis of Multi-Axial Robotic System Used for Wearable Devices

Wearable devices are commonly used in different fields to help improving performance of movements for different groups of users. The long-term goal of this study is to develop a low-cost assistive robotic device that allows patients to perform rehabilitation activities independently and reproduces natural movement to help stroke patients and elderly adults in their daily activities while moving their arms. In the past few decades, various types of wearable robotic devices have been developed to assist different physical movements. Among different types of actuators, the twisted-string actuation system is one of those that has advantages of light-weight, low cost, and great portability. In this study, a dual twisted-string actuator is used to drive the joints of the prototype assistive robotic device. To compensate the asynchronous movement caused by nonlinear factors, a hybrid controller that combines fuzzy logic rules and linear PID control algorithm was adopted to compensate for both tracking and synchronization of the two actuators.;In order to validate the performance of proposed controllers, the robotic device was driven by an xPC Target machine with additional embedded controllers for different data acquisition tasks. The controllers were fine tuned to eliminate the inaccuracy of tracking and synchronization caused by disturbance and asynchronous movements of both actuators. As a result, the synthesized controller can provide a high precision when tracking simple actual human movements

DEVELOPING AN ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR DOD DEMAND REDUCTION INITIATIVES

The DOD developed a new Joint Warfighting Concept (JWC) to address how the United States will confront the nation’s most pressing national security challenges. The focus of the JWC was the importance of logistics during combat operations and the ability to sustain a large force over strategic distances. The DOD’s shift of focus to near-peer threats requires sustainment demand reduction across the services. Many demand reduction initiatives (DRI) are under consideration to lessen the burden of logistics at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Due to the relative newness of the JWC, the LOG FCB does not have a quantitative, credible, repeatable process to effectively assess, compare, and prioritize implementation of demand reduction initiatives. This study implemented several systems engineering (SE) concepts that include the completion of stakeholder analysis, functional analysis, mapping of function to form, creating a top-level and detailed systems design, the use of value modeling, and the application of sensitivity analysis. The use of these SE tools and processes resulted in the development of a DRI Assessment System which includes instructions for use of the system, questionnaire for data collection, Excel calculation sheets, and the metrics and definitions for the selected attributes. These products provide the logistics functional capability board (LOG FCB) the capability to objectively prioritize current and future DRIs to implement across the DOD.Major, United States ArmyMajor, United States ArmyCaptain, United States ArmyMajor, United States ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Design of Multi Agent Based Crowd Injury Model

A major concern of many government agencies is to predict and control the behavior of crowds in different situations. Many times such gatherings are legal, legitimate, and peaceful. But there are times when they can turn violent, run out of control, result in material damages and even casualties. It then becomes the duty of governments to bring them under control using a variety of techniques, including non-lethal and lethal weapons, if necessary. In order to aid decision makers on the course of action in crowd control, there are modeling and simulation tools that can provide guidelines by giving programmed rules to computer animated characters and to observe behaviors over time in appropriate scenarios. A crowd is a group of people attending a public gathering, with some joint purpose, such as protesting government or celebrating an event. In some countries these kinds of activities are the only way to express public\u27s displeasure with their governments. The governments\u27 reactions to such activities may or may not be tolerant. For these reasons, such situations must be eliminated by recognizing when and how they occur and then providing guidelines to mitigate them. Police or military forces use non-lethal weapons (NLWs), such as plastic bullets or clubs, to accomplish their job. In order to simulate the results of such actions in a computer, there is a need to determine the physical effects of NLWs over the individuals in the crowd. In this dissertation, a fuzzy logic based crowd injury model for determining the physical effects of NLWs is proposed. Fuzzy logic concepts can be applied to a problem by using linguistic rules, which are determined by problem domain experts. In this case, a group of police and military officers were consulted for a set of injury model rules and those rules were then included in the simulation platform. As a proof of concept, a prototype system was implemented using the Repast Simphony agent based simulation toolkit. Simulation results illustrated the effectiveness of the simulation framework

Incorporating Physical Fitness Through Rushing Can Significantly Affect Tactical Infantry Simulation Results

Physical fitness is accepted as an influence on the outcome on the battlefield; yet, research indicates that it has not been incorporated into tactical infantry simulations. Including physical capabilities may have a significant impact upon the results of a tactical simulation. Several battlefield tasks were reviewed, and rushing was selected to implement in tactical infantry simulations. A preliminary spreadsheet model was created that indicated rushing velocity would impact a tactical simulation. Two tactical infantry simulations were created: a helicopter extraction scenario where 13 soldiers rushed to extraction site while two enemies were shooting and a rushing scenario that consisted of three consecutive short rushes by two soldiers to throw a grenade while one enemy was shooting. Rushing input data were collected via an ODU IRB approved study, which also collected data for physical fitness components such as strength, aerobic fitness, flexibility, and body composition. Four rush times (3 meter rush kneeling to kneeling, 6 meter rush kneeling to kneeling, and a 15 meter rush standing to standing) were selected from participants who scored high enough to pass the Marine Corps Physical Fitness Tests and Marine Corps Combat Fitness test. The rushing velocities were used as input for a total of over 160,000 simulation runs which varied the enemy shooting accuracy from 10–30% and varied the enemy shooting cadence from .5 to 3.5 shots per second. Logistic regression was used to analyze the output results. Rushing velocity had a significant impact upon the probability of success (casualty limit or accomplish task) of the soldiers proving that including physical capabilities may have a significant impact upon the results of a tactical simulation

Cognitive work analysis: Extensions and applications in command and control

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.'Complex sociotechnical systems' are systems made up of numerous interacting parts, both human and non-human, operating in dynamic, ambiguous and safety critical domains. The system design, and representation, has significant implications for the usability of the system, its performance, errors and reliability. Due to its formative constraint-based approach, Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) has been frequently proposed as a framework for modelling these complex systems, further it is contended that the approach can be extended to design for interaction without significant deviation from the accepted framework. This thesis presents a number of applications in complex military domains to explore and develop the benefits of CWA. Unlike much of the previous literature, particular attention is placed on exploring the CWA framework in its entirety. This holistic approach focuses on the system environment, the activity that takes place within it, the strategies used to conduct this activity, the way in which the constituent parts of the system (both human and non-human) interact and the behaviour required. Each stage of this analysis identifies the constraints governing the system; it is contended that through this holistic understanding of constraints, recommendations can be made for the design of system interaction; increasing the ability of users to cope with unanticipated, unexpected situations. This thesis discusses the applicability of the approach in system analysis, development and evaluation. It provides process to what was previously a loosely defined framework.This work is part-funded by the Human Sciences Domain of the UK Ministry of Defence Scientific Research Programme

Cyber Security of Critical Infrastructures

Critical infrastructures are vital assets for public safety, economic welfare, and the national security of countries. The vulnerabilities of critical infrastructures have increased with the widespread use of information technologies. As Critical National Infrastructures are becoming more vulnerable to cyber-attacks, their protection becomes a significant issue for organizations as well as nations. The risks to continued operations, from failing to upgrade aging infrastructure or not meeting mandated regulatory regimes, are considered highly significant, given the demonstrable impact of such circumstances. Due to the rapid increase of sophisticated cyber threats targeting critical infrastructures with significant destructive effects, the cybersecurity of critical infrastructures has become an agenda item for academics, practitioners, and policy makers. A holistic view which covers technical, policy, human, and behavioural aspects is essential to handle cyber security of critical infrastructures effectively. Moreover, the ability to attribute crimes to criminals is a vital element of avoiding impunity in cyberspace. In this book, both research and practical aspects of cyber security considerations in critical infrastructures are presented. Aligned with the interdisciplinary nature of cyber security, authors from academia, government, and industry have contributed 13 chapters. The issues that are discussed and analysed include cybersecurity training, maturity assessment frameworks, malware analysis techniques, ransomware attacks, security solutions for industrial control systems, and privacy preservation methods