Cognitive Engineering in Algorithm Development for Multisensor Data Fusion in Military Applications

摘要

In battlefield situations, human operators are bombarded with substantial amounts of information and expected to make near-instantaneous decisions. The large amounts of information, coupled with short decision times and the need to reduce the potential of making incorrect decisions, create the possibility for information overload. This problem is especially prominent in military applications involving imagery from multiple sensors. Computer-based algorithms for fusing pertinent sets of imagery have proven somewhat useful for alleviating this problem. However, little research has been done on designing multisensor data fusion systems using principles of cognitive engineering, which involves the consideration of human cognition during the design process. The design of a sensor fusion system using principles from cognitive engineering would create a more natural relationship between human and machine, and would thus be extremely effective in reducing operator error in military situations. This paper explores the need for integrating human reasoning and cognition in algorithm development for multisensor fusion applications.