Curtis Blais

Composability and component-based discrete event simulation

This work presents a framework and a graphical user interface, Viskit, for the creation and analysis of component-based discrete event simulation models. Two primary elements of the tool are discussed. In component design mode, a new component is created by drawing the event graph and filling in parameters, so that the simulation modeler need not be a sophisticated programmer. In component construction (assembly) mode, components are hooked together to create a model. In analysis mode, the models are exercised and run according to the desired experimental design.

Marine air ground task force (MAGTF) tactical warfare simulation (MTWS)

The Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Tactical Warfare Simulation (MTWS) is the next generation training system for the U.S. Marine Corps. MTWS is designed to support training of tactical commanders and their staff in Command Post Exercises, Field Exercises, and exercises involving a combination of live forces and simulated forces. This paper provides an overview of the MTWS system hardware and software, including basic design philosophy, exercise control concept, and combat modeling approach.

Scalability issues in enhancement of the MAGTF tactical warfare simulation system

The Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Tactical Warfare Simulation (MTWS) system is a computer-assisted, two-sided warfare gaming system designed to support training of U.S. Marine Corps commanders and their staffs. Primary requirements for the system were written in the early 1980s. Since then, a transition in training from uni-service to joint and coalition warfare scenarios has occurred. Primary use of MTWS will continue to be within the Fleet Marine Force and USMC University settings. However, there are growing demands for the system to participate in joint exercises involving other constructive simulations and diverse virtual simulations. Therefore, the requirement to support exercises from Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) through Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) levels is being extended to cover larger force structures with an order of magnitude increase in the number of game objects. The technical challenge is to significantly enlarge system capacity without sacrificing essential system performance and fidelity. Several issues are being investigated to achieve this expanded capability. The paper describes hardware and software approaches and alternatives relating to architecture and functionality. For each alternative, the current capability is briefly presented, followed by a description and analysis of scalability issues and alternatives.

Application of coalition battle management language (C-BML) and C-BML services to live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) simulation environments

Information sharing is a key requirement in Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) simulation environments. Operational plans, orders, and requests from live, virtual, or constructive command and control systems or simulations need to be received by and operated on by receiving LVC systems. Situational reports from the LVC systems need to be received and interpreted or displayed by receiving LVC systems. Many simulation systems have not been developed with capabilities for robust interactions with other simulations beyond federation capabilities obtained through such protocols as the High Level Architecture (HLA) or the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS). The Coalition Battle Management Language (C-BML) is an emerging standard from the Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) developed to address the need for such information sharing across real-world command and control systems and simulations in LVC environments. This paper provides an overview of the C-BML standard and describes its application to information interchange across LVC systems.

Using an Ontology for Entity Situational Awareness in a Simple Scenario

The use of ontologies to represent data and knowledge combined with service-based software provides new opportunities for the integration of command and control systems, simulations, and dynamic data. The U.S. Department of Defenses Global Information Grid (GIG) is envisioned to integrate complex communications networks, data from disparate sources, and services-oriented applications. The GIG will provide analysis, decision support, and information visualization to both human and automated users. This paper describes concepts and architecture for an experiment which demonstrates the use of knowledge-based technologies to support tactical maneuver. Open source and in-house software were linked together to conduct a simple simulation of a realistic mission (move from A to B along a “safe” route). Events which may affect the route are injected, reported, and stored in the knowledge base to simulate battlespace dynamics. Through the use of an automated reasoner, events which affect the route are identified and passed to the decision maker to stimulate possible replanning. Follow-on efforts will convert the maneuver related software into web services, moving closer to the GIG concept. Discussed is the value of a formal ontology within the domain of military maneuver, architectural approach, and lessons learned.

Prototyping advanced warfare gaming capabilities for the 21st century warfighter

The United States Marine Corps has a unique role in development of the next-generation warfare gaming system for command staff training. This system, titled the Joint Simulation System (JSIMS), is under development by the Department of Defense through a Joint Program Office acting to coordinate the activities of multiple DoD agencies and military services. The nature of operations conducted by the USMC requires modeling and simulation across all JSLMS domains-land, air/space, maritime, intelligence, and command and control. The Marine Corps requires the broadest reach across these domains to provide battlespace representations that will support staff training, from marine expeditionary unit through multiple marine expeditionary force operations. This paper describes the Marine Corps approach to ensure USMC requirements are achieved across the JSIMS enterprise. The paper also describes investigations into exercise control and exercise conduct capabilities for the USMC JSIMS product, working from the foundation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Tactical Warfare Simulation (MTWS), the USMCs fielded command staff trainer. Prototyping efforts include exercise analysis and review capabilities; an integrated command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) and exercise control workstation architecture; interoperability of real-world C4I systems with the simulation system; and exercise data preparation tools.

A use-case approach to the validation of social modeling and simulation

The modeling and simulation (M&S) community is faced with the task of informing public policy decision makers, from both the defense community and from the civilian sector, of the impact of their decisions on the beliefs, values and interests (BVIs) of the populations in their areas of influence. The M&S techniques used for these types of analyses by necessity challenge the traditional boundaries and methods regarding validation efforts. Given that the analysis of populations is largely intractable via reductionist methodologies, we posit that insight must be garnered through experiment and iteration using simulated societies. Further, the designs of these simulation experiments must be based on the information needs of the community. We discuss the concept of developing social simulations by use case, the validation of data sources for model development, validation techniques guided by usefulness, and a case study approach to validation of social simulations.

Composing behaviors and swapping bodies with motion capture data in X3D

This paper describes current work in the evolution of open standards for 3D graphics for Humanoid Animation (H-Anim). It builds on previous work to encompass plausible humanoids, humanoid behaviors and methodologies for composition with interchangeable and blended behaviors. We present an overview of the standardization activities for H-Anim, including a proposed extension for the H-Anim Specification which allows for interchangeable actors and dynamic behaviors. We demonstrate a standards-based approach to the complex work flow and data extraction for 3D optical motion tracking systems. We describe how to archive, annotate and transform the whole body and segmented performance data so that they can be used more widely and with less effort. The approach is compressible, streamable, scaleable, repeatable and suitable for large-scale training and analysis, entertainment and games. Often, X3D and VRML simulations lack the realistic representation of humans. They lack the direct flexibility of control required to build small, but meaningful, task-oriented training scenarios like deploying force protection assets in a busy commercial port. While high-value assets, defensive and offensive agents can be easily and realistically modeled using discreet event simulations, that realism is diminished by the lack of humanoid representations. The visualization is not as engaging and the training not as immersive. Including a rich set of characters with composable and swappable behaviors demonstrating intent of the agent entity heightens both the sense of realism and immersion. Deriving these behaviors is difficult and translating the data into custom applications is craftwork. We propose a standard, archival data format so that captured behaviors can be repurposed and reused, following the SAVAGE approach. This data format will include behavior information and skeletal information such that they can be retargeted and repurposed with a minimum of effort.

Challenges in Representing Human-Robot Teams in Combat Simulations

Unmanned systems are changing the nature of future warfare. Combat simulations attempt to represent essential elements of warfare to support training, analysis, and testing. While combat simulations have rapidly incorporated representations of unmanned systems into their capabilities, little has been done to distinguish unmanned systems from human systems in these simulations. This is making it difficult to impossible to consider questions of future manned/unmanned system mix, levels of unmanned system autonomy required for most effective operational success, and other relevant questions. One might think that replacing humans with fully autonomous unmanned systems, such as in unmanned convoys, results in identical mission performance with the added benefit of a decrease in loss of human life. However, this is a naive line of reasoning when one considers that unmanned systems cannot react to the battlespace environment with the same level of flexibility as humans. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to capture such distinctions in combat models. This paper discusses the challenges we face in developing improved models of human systems, robotic systems, and human-robot teams in combat simulations, with examples posed in the context of the Combined Arms Analysis Tool for the 21st Century COMBATXXI, a discrete-event simulation developed and employed by the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps to address analytical questions about future warfighting capabilities.

Best practices for US Department of Defense model validation: lessons learned from irregular warfare models

The US Department of Defense (DoD) requires all models and simulations that it manages, develops, and/or uses to be verified, validated, and accredited. Critical to irregular warfare (IW) modeling are interactions between combatants and the indigenous population. Representation of these interactions (human behavior representation (HBR)) requires expertise from several of the many fields of social science. As such, the verification, validation, and accreditation (VVA) of these representations will require adaptation and, in some cases, enhancement of traditional DoD VVA techniques. This paper suggests validation best practices for the DoD modeling community to address new challenges of modeling IW.