Research associated with this Phase I Small Business Innovative Research proposal, and its possible Phase II follow-on, are expected to demonstrate the feasibility and practicality of use of affordable info-geometric instrumentation technology for accurately integrating real and virtual forces, crews and advanced weapons systems in combined laboratory (trainer) and field (operational maneuvering) tactical engagement simulations. In addition, the potential will be demonstrated for info-geometric field/trainer instrumentation to support human factors experiments and crew performance evaluation/modeling. Two powerful info-geometric (IG) approaches to be employed in the subject research are the SESCO, Inc. "Smart Weapon Adjustable Aspect and Ranging Microinterceptor" (SW&RM) and the Info-Geometrics, Inc. "Organic Self-organizing Information- and Range-based IFF System" (OSIRIS). The two complementary, proprietary, info-geometric technologies can be employed in common, low cost 'open architecture' hardware. Harris Technologies, Inc. holds application licenses for both patent-pending technologies. The proposed six month Phase I research consists of a two month application requirements analysis task - including attendance at one or more Simulations Standards Compatibility Workshops, followed by an additional two month info-geometric instrumentations application system architecture definition phase. Application requirements analyses would include consideration of such PM-TRADE future application technology requirements as those associated with Battlefield Distributed Simulator Development (BDSD) and Mobile Automated Instrumentation Suite (MAIS). The final report, which will be submitted in the fifth month, will analyze expected technical merits and cost benefits to be derived from an application of the proposed research, together with the definition of an eight-to-ten month SBIR Phase II info-geometric instrumentationsystem feasibility demonstration.
