Evaluation of New Visualization Approaches for Representing Uncertainty in the Recognized Maritime Picture

摘要

This report documents the literature review and experimentation used to develop and assess visualization options to represent uncertainty in the Recognized Maritime Picture (RMP), which is the visual representation of the surface vessel picture for the Canadian maritime Area of Interest (AOI). Specifically, visualization options for the uncertainty with regards to the identity, spatial position and time lateness of surface contacts and the quality and time lateness of the sensor coverage were developed and assessed using computer-based experiments at the Humansystems (HSI ) Test Lab. Two icons (Rectangle design and Lego design) were developed to display uncertainty related to the surface contacts, in addition to background swaths with two features (fill and border) to display sensor coverage uncertainty. Search times and accuracy were explored through 6 experimentation sessions with 11 participants. The results showed a small search time advantage for the Rectangle design and small performance differences among the different designs for sensor coverage. Participants rated the workload associated with using the designs as low. All of the design options evaluated are considered to be suitable candidates for future evaluation by the operational community. This work was conducted as part of the Information Visualization and Management for Enhanced Domain Awareness in Maritime Security Applied Research Project within the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) research thrust.