Adaptive Gravitational Gossip in Monitoring the Joint Battlespace Infosphere

Future USAF operations will be heavily dependent on having the right information at the right time, and Joint Battlespace Infospheres (JBIs) are poised to fill that role. To do this, JBIs must be ubiquitous -- always accessible, secure and responsive. Of all the literature written regarding JBIs, the most important problem to solve in order to make JBIs work in mobile scenarios are scalability, reliability and adaptability to changing battlefield conditions. This paper explores the use of SBCast, a novel adaptive probabilistic protocol and a delivery mechanism for JBI updates and as a possible solution towards guaranteeing these qualities. It documents tests of SBCast within a simulation environment configured with parameters based on actual military field operations. From these tests, the paper examines SBCast as an enhancer to JBI\u27s ability for overcoming transient network failures while managing different classes of subscribers by available bandwidth and priorities. By using the feedback from SBCast as a middleware layer controller, JBIs would be able to dial up traffic for parts of the network and dial down traffic in others based on dynamic changes in network congestion or traffic demands

Implementing an Information Retrieval and Visualization Framework for Heterogeneous Data Types

In today\u27s information focused world, there is no lack of entities focused on information gathering. However, there is still a widespread epidemic of information starvation in the Department of Defense (DoD). This starvation is attributed to the lack of interoperability between information gatherers and information consumers. To alleviate this problem, the DoD has put forth a vision of a Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI). This research proposes a framework for sharing and finding resources in a JBI. The framework uses an extensible metadata specification, agent technology, and the Control of Agent Based Systems (CoABS). It provides several tools for publication and subscription of resources, including a visual query wizard and a visualization of the results. This framework and tools provide visual query capability for the heterogeneous resources within the JBI

Automated Agent Ontology Creation for Distributed Databases

In distributed database environments, the combination of resources from multiple sources requiring different interfaces is a universal problem. The current solution requires an expert to generate an ontology, or mapping, which contains all interconnections between the various fields in the databases. This research proposes the application of software agents in automating the ontology creation for distributed database environments with minimal communication. The automatic creation of a domain ontology alleviates the need for experts to manually map one database to other databases in the environment. Using several combined comparison methods, these agents communicate and negotiate similarities between information sources and retain these similarities for client agent queries without the manual mapping of different data sources achieving an average accuracy of 57% before leader negotiation and an average accuracy of 61% after leader negotiation. The best matching accuracy achieved in a single test is 79%. This is directly applicable to the Department of Defense (DOD) that possesses many systems, which share information that enables the military to achieve their objectives. The DOD created an environment called the Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) to solve this integration problem. This research improves upon the JBI\u27s use of exact matching of field names for integrating the information within the environment. It simulates this type of interaction by demonstrating agents wrapped around different databases negotiating and generating an ontology. An agent-generated ontology is compared with an expert generated ontology and testing uses a set of queries run against the ontologies show that this technique can be useful in a distributed information environment

Extended MAGTF operations - tactical chat

Naval Research Program ProjectThe relatively new MV-22 Osprey has significantly extended the range Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) forces can deploy under the cover of a single period of darkness. Unfortunately, this extended range has strained the effectiveness and reliability of the MAGTF's communications capabilities. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a proof of concept for an economical, easily manufactured, reliable, low bandwidth, communications system capable of passing data over hundreds of kilometers through vertical terrain. In the course of this study, a successful communications system is created, utilizing COTS radios and hardware to circumvent vertical obstructions. Digital text messages are successfully transmitted through an analog radio signal over a distance of 170 miles. The transmissions pass through a relay radio attached to a high-altitude balloon. The system proves sufficiently speedy and reliable despite utilizing disparate end-point radios. This thesis successfully demonstrates the potential this system has to extend United States Marine Corps communications. Further research should focus on the system's capability over a larger range and the effects of system configuration settings on transmission speed and reliability.http://archive.org/details/extendedmagtfope1094553052Lieutenant, United States Coast GuardApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

A JBI Information Object Engineering Environment Utilizing Metadata Fragments for Refining Searches on Semantically-Related Object Types

The Joint Battlespace Infosphere (JBI) architecture defines the Information Object (IO) as its basic unit of data. This research proposes an IO engineering methodology that will introduce componentized IO type development. This enhancement will improve the ability of JBI users to create and store IO type schemas, and query and subscribe to information objects, which may be semantically related by their inclusion of common metadata elements. Several parallel efforts are being explored to enable efficient storage and retrieval of IOs. Utilizing relational database access methods, applying a component-based IO type development concept, and exploiting XML inclusion mechanisms, this research improves the means by which a JBI can deliver related IO types to subscribers from a single query or subscription. The proposal of this new IO type architecture also integrates IO type versioning, type coercion, and namespacing standards into the methodology. The combined proposed framework provides a better means by which a JBI can deliver the right information to the right users at the right time

A Flexible Framework for Collaborative Visualization Applications Using Java Spaces

The complexity of modern tasks is rising along with the level of technology. Two techniques commonly used to deal with complexity are collaboration and information visualization. Recently, computer networks have arisen as a powerful means of collaboration, and many new technologies are being developed to better utilize them. Among the newer, more promising of these technologies is Sun Microsystems\u27 JavaSpaces ™, a high-level network programming API. This thesis describes a tool for developing collaborative visualization software using JavaSpaces-an application framework and accompanying toolkit. In addition to a detailed description of the framework, the thesis also describes an application implemented using the framework, discusses the benefits of development under the framework, evaluates the performance of JavaSpaces in the context of the framework, and addresses the issue of network bandwidth limitations, which are a concern when developing visualizations that deal with large data sets

Expanding the targeting process into the space domain

The current targeting cycle used by the services relies heavily upon the use of space assets. The Global Positioning System (GPS) and satellite communications are just a few of these assets accessed thousands of times a day. With technology growing by leaps and bounds, it is a challenge for tactical and operational commanders to keep up with the growing capabilities offered by space-borne platforms. Having this in-depth knowledge can assist in all facets of combat, from the best time to attack, to acquiring and relaying battle damage assessment (BDA) and combat assessment (CA). One of the most vital roles for the warfighter is targeting. Effective targeting, with the right munitions on the right target at the right time, can make a difference in the battle and the overall war. Just as one misplaced or inaccurate bomb can fall on a peaceful village resulting in unwanted collateral damage and bad publicity immediately fed back to the U.S. impacting public opinion. Properly placed effects can shorten the span of a conflict, save lives, and satisfy strategic requirements. Space is a critical link in this process and is not being effectively used to its utmost capability. This thesis will discuss methods and databases through which space capabilities can be better integrated into the current targeting cycle.http://archive.org/details/expandingtargeti109454061US Marine Corps (USMC) author.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Integrative Use of Information Extraction, Semantic Matchmaking and Adaptive Coupling Techniques in Support of Distributed Information Processing and Decision-Making

In order to press maximal cognitive benefit from their social, technological and informational environments, military coalitions need to understand how best to exploit available information assets as well as how best to organize their socially-distributed information processing activities. The International Technology Alliance (ITA) program is beginning to address the challenges associated with enhanced cognition in military coalition environments by integrating a variety of research and development efforts. In particular, research in one component of the ITA ('Project 4: Shared Understanding and Information Exploitation') is seeking to develop capabilities that enable military coalitions to better exploit and distribute networked information assets in the service of collective cognitive outcomes (e.g. improved decision-making). In this paper, we provide an overview of the various research activities in Project 4. We also show how these research activities complement one another in terms of supporting coalition-based collective cognition

Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2001

This report summarizes the research activities of the Air Force Institute of Technology’s Graduate School of Engineering and Management. It describes research interests and faculty expertise; lists student theses/dissertations; identifies research sponsors and contributions; and outlines the procedures for contacting the school. Included in the report are: faculty publications, conference presentations, consultations, and funded research projects. Research was conducted in the areas of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Electro-Optics, Computer Engineering and Computer Science, Systems and Engineering Management, Operational Sciences, and Engineering Physics