Potential applications of simulation modelling techniques in healthcare: lessons learned from aerospace and military

The Aerospace and Military areas are to do with complex missions and situations. Modelling and Simulation (M&S) has been applied in many areas of defence ranging from space sciences, satellite engineering to multi-warfare (air warfare, undersea warfare), air & missile defence, acquisition, tactical military trainings & exercises, national security analysis and strategic decision making & planning, etc. The application of simulation modelling techniques in healthcare would improve the provision of healthcare services; however, their application has been much relatively feeble in the healthcare sector as compared to the defence sector. This paper presents results from a systematic literature survey on applications of modelling simulation techniques in the Aerospace & Military. The knowledge gained or lessons learned from the survey were finally used to analyze the potential applications of the simulation modelling techniques to the healthcare sector. Results show that in the defence sector, Distributed Simulation has now become a widely adopted technique. However, System Dynamics (SD) and Discrete Event Simulation (DSE) have also gained relative attention. From this survey it becomes clear that various simulation modelling techniques are useful for specific purposes and have potential applications in the healthcare sector

Intelligent Agents for Disaster Management

ALADDIN [1] is a multi-disciplinary project that is developing novel techniques, architectures, and mechanisms for multi-agent systems in uncertain and dynamic environments. The application focus of the project is disaster management. Research within a number of themes is being pursued and this is considering different aspects of the interaction between autonomous agents and the decentralised system architectures that support those interactions. The aim of the research is to contribute to building more robust multi-agent systems for future applications in disaster management and other similar domains

ECDIS Development Laboratory and Navigation Technology Demonstration Center

The U.S. Navy is undergoing a major transition from traditional, paper chart navigation to computer-based electronic charting. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has mandated that all Navy ships will navigate strictly through electronic means by FY07. However, due to some recent groundings, the Navy is now striving to accelerate the full implementation of electronic navigation by FY04. The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) is making a concerted effort to support this transition with upgrades to state-of-the-art survey ships, instrumentation, and data processing equipment. NAVOCEANO is increasing its capability to rapidly collect and process hydrographic survey data, and to quickly produce new electronic navigational charts in co-production with MMA. In addition to ensuring safe navigation, these new products will include tactical digital overlays for bafflespace awareness. At NAVOCEANO, a new program is under development to expand these capabilities in a joint effort with University of Southern Mississippi\u27s new Hydrographic Sciences Research Program. In September 2001, an ECDIS Development Laboratory and Navigation Technology Demonstration Center will be established. This facility will conduct quality assurance (QA) and test and evaluation @&E) of electronic chart products from NAVOCEANO and other hydrographidoceanographic data providers. This facility will also assist Navy ship personnel in gaining a greater understanding of electronic charting, as well as increased technical proficiency in properly using these systems to safely navigate - particularly in the shallow littoral areas of the world. The ECDIS Development Laboratory is envisioned to become an information clearinghouse and demonstration center on electronic charting technological development. In addition to explaining the range of currently available government data products and services, The Navigation Technology Demonstration Center will showcase the use of electronic charts and its capability when used to avoid groundings and collisions at sea. The Center will The U.S. Navy is undergoing a major transition from traditional, paper chart navigation to computer-based electronic charting. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has mandated that all Navy ships will navigate strictly through electronic means by FY07. However, due to some recent groundings, the Navy is now striving to accelerate the full implementation of electronic navigation by FY04. The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) is making a concerted effort to support this transition with upgrades to state-of-the-art survey ships, instrumentation, and data processing equipment. NAVOCEANO is increasing its capability to rapidly collect and process hydrographic survey data, and to quickly produce new electronic navigational charts in co-production with MMA. In addition to ensuring safe navigation, these new products will include tactical digital overlays for bafflespace awareness. At NAVOCEANO, a new program is under development to expand these capabilities in a joint effort with University of Southern Mississippi\u27s new Hydrographic Sciences Research Program. In September 2001, an ECDIS Development Laboratory and Navigation Technology Demonstration Center will be established. This facility will conduct quality assurance (QA) and test and evaluation @&E) of electronic chart products from NAVOCEANO and other hydrographidoceanographic data providers. This facility will also assist Navy ship personnel in gaining a greater understanding of electronic charting, as well as increased technical proficiency in properly using these systems to safely navigate - particularly in the shallow littoral areas of the world. The ECDIS Development Laboratory is envisioned to become an information clearinghouse and demonstration center on electronic charting technological development. In addition to explaining the range of currently available government data products and services, The Navigation Technology Demonstration Center will showcase the use of electronic charts and its capability when used to avoid groundings and collisions at sea. The Center will The U.S. Navy is undergoing a major transition from traditional, paper chart navigation to computer-based electronic charting. The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) has mandated that all Navy ships will navigate strictly through electronic means by FY07. However, due to some recent groundings, the Navy is now striving to accelerate the full implementation of electronic navigation by FY04. The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) is making a concerted effort to support this transition with upgrades to state-of-the-art survey ships, instrumentation, and data processing equipment. NAVOCEANO is increasing its capability to rapidly collect and process hydrographic survey data, and to quickly produce new electronic navigational charts in co-production with MMA. In addition to ensuring safe navigation, these new products will include tactical digital overlays for bafflespace awareness. At NAVOCEANO, a new program is under development to expand these capabilities in a joint effort with University of Southern Mississippi\u27s new Hydrographic Sciences Research Program. In September 2001, an ECDIS Development Laboratory and Navigation Technology Demonstration Center will be established. This facility will conduct quality assurance (QA) and test and evaluation @&E) of electronic chart products from NAVOCEANO and other hydrographidoceanographic data providers. This facility will also assist Navy ship personnel in gaining a greater understanding of electronic charting, as well as increased technical proficiency in properly using these systems to safely navigate - particularly in the shallow littoral areas of the world. The ECDIS Development Laboratory is envisioned to become an information clearinghouse and demonstration center on electronic charting technological development. In addition to explaining the range of currently available government data products and services, The Navigation Technology Demonstration Center will showcase the use of electronic charts and its capability when used to avoid groundings and collisions at sea. The Center will have commercial-off-the-shelf ECDIS and other electronic chartbased systems. A major focus will be to provide a better appreciation of the limitations electronic chart data produced by both the government and private sector that are derived from century-old hydrographic source data. Another important aspect will be to explain the capability and limitations of using very precise electronic navigation positioning systems (e.g., GPS and Differential GPS) with electronic charting systems. The Navigation Technology Center will also demonstrate the use of tactical digital overlays to provide naval vessels with critical military information that contributes to both safe navigation and increased warfrghting mission capability

The Myth of the Learning Curve: Tactics and Training in the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 1916-1918

Canadian military historians generally accept that during the First World War the Canadian military improved over time. This idea of a “learning curve” suggests that Canadians began the war as inexperienced colonial volunteers and, as the Corps gained experience on the battlefield, commanders and ordinary soldiers alike learned from their mistakes and successes and improved combat tactics from battle to battle and from year to year.1 Several different approaches to this argument are evident in the literature. Tim Cook and Bill Rawling both published works in the mid-1990s that argue technology was the impetus behind this process of learning. On the other hand, Shane Schreiber, James McWilliams and R. James Steel have focused on what they see as the ultimate success of the learning curve: the August 1918 Battle of Amiens.2 However, while technology played an important role in the conduct of the war, and the Battle of Amiens was indeed a significant Allied victory, one question remains: where is the hard evidence that this learning curve exists? One of the best ways to find evidence of “learning,” a largely abstract process, is through an examination of training. Because training is meant to impart specific knowledge, during the Great War written training instructions and orders were spelled out in minute and explicit detail and the lessons that were to be learned from various exercises were highlighted. While many excellent works have been produced on the Canadian Expeditionary Force, there is still room for further scholarship. Until recently, training has been a sorely neglected subject in the historiography. In recent years historians such as such as Andrew Iarocci and David Campbell have begun to re-examine training as a means of measuring and evaluating the learning curve.3 This paper builds on the work of previous scholars and extends some of their arguments while challenging others. It examines the training of the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade for the battles of the Somme and Amiens, as well as the official training manuals, to look at tactical change over time. It argues that while combat became more complex and “all arms” oriented, the basic tactical concepts of 1916 essentially remained the same in 1918. Except for terminology and the addition of new weapons, little changed in how the 12th Canadian Infantry Brigade was taught to fight between the Somme and Amiens. Indeed, while new weapons were utilized and emphasized in training, they were merely integrated into existing tactical doctrine and had little appreciable impact on what was envisioned as the key to battlefield success

Identification and evaluation of educational uses and users for the STS. Educational planning for utilization of space shuttle ED-PLUSS

A planning and feasibility study to identify and document a methodology needed to incorporate educational programs into future missions and operations of the space transportation system was conducted. Six tasks were identified and accomplished during the study. The task statements are as follows: (1) potential user identification, (2) a review of space education programs, (3) development of methodology for user involvement, (4) methods to encourage user awareness, (5) compilation of follow-on ideas, and (6) response to NASA questions. Specific recommendations for improving the educational coverage of space activities are provided

US/UK Mental Models of Planning: The Relationship Between Plan Detail and Plan Quality

This paper presents the results of a research study applying a new cultural analysis method to capture commonalities and differences between US and UK mental models of operational planning. The results demonstrate the existence of fundamental differences between the way US and UK planners think about what it means to have a high quality plan. Specifically, the present study captures differences in how US and UK planners conceptualize plan quality. Explicit models of cultural differences in conceptions of plan quality are useful for establishing performance metrics for multinational planning teams. This paper discusses the prospects of enabling automatic evaluation of multinational team performance by combining recent advances in cultural modelling with enhanced ontology languages

Military Procurement and Technology Development

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that military and defense related research and procurement have been a major source of commercial technology development across a broad spectrum of industries that account for an important share of United States industrial production. I discuss the development of five general purpose technologies: (1) military and commercial aircraft, (2) nuclear energy and electric power, (3) computers and semiconductors, (4) the Internet, and (5) the space industries. The defense industrial base has become a smaller share of the industrial sector which is itself a declining sector in the U.S. economy. It is doubtful that military and defense related procurement will again become an important source of new general purpose technologies. When the history of U.S. technology development for the next half century is eventually written it will almost certainly be written within the context of slower productivity growth than the relatively high rates that prevailed in the U.S through the 1960's and during the information technology bubble that began in the early 1990's.Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,