• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

US Military

  • Branches
    • Army
    • Navy
    • Air Force
    • Marine Corps
    • Coast Guard
    • National Guard
    • Air National Guard
    • Find A Recruiter
  • Find A Recruiter
  • Military Benefits
    • GI Bill
    • VA Loans
    • Military Scholarships
    • Military Friendly Colleges
    • Money
  • Jobs
    • Military Pay Chart
    • Veteran Jobs
    • Civilian Jobs
  • VA Loan Rates
  • Military News
    • Top News
    • Benefits
    • Careers
    • Education
    • Featured Columnists
      • Larry Fowler
      • Scott Ostrow
      • Kim Lengling
      • Dr. Sasha Toperich
      • Rick Stewart
  • USM Shop
  • GI Bill
  • VA Loans
  • Military Scholarships
  • Top Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities in America

New Study Will Help Researchers Change Face of Military Training

January 29, 2015 By admin

JANUARY 29, 2015, ARLINGTON, Va. (NNS) – The Office of Naval Research (ONR) this week launched a study that could lead to breakthroughs in creating the next-generation of avatars, robots and other human surrogates for military training.

The study is being carried out at the University of Central Florida (UCF), where a human surrogate will greet and interact with people passing through the lobby of the university’s Institute for Simulation and Training. The human surrogate will be controlled by a human operator in another location.

The “lobby greeter” study at UCF will last for several weeks. When it is over, researchers will use what they have learned to demonstrate the use of surrogates in more complex situations that require a greater amount of interaction.

The experiment is part of ONR’s Human Surrogate Interaction program, a three-year investigation into how humans interact with virtual (avatars), physical (animatronics), and other types of surrogates.

Findings will help officials determine how best to use these surrogates in military training systems, such as the Infantry Immersion Trainer, a former tomato-packing plant that ONR and the Marine Corps transformed into a state-of-the-art urban training facility at Camp Pendleton, California.

The program underscores the commitment of the Marine Corps to training and education as described in the service’s Science and Technology Strategic Plan. Training and education also are at the heart of research to enhance warfighter performance, one of ONR’s key technology focus areas.

“Marine Corps training concepts continue to merge virtual and live components to create the most realistic, effective and affordable training for Marines,” said Dr. Peter Squire, ONR program officer. “The way people react to and interact with the different surrogates in this study is crucial to understanding how we can improve our military training systems.”

As part of this research ONR is supporting the development of a system called AMITIES (Avatar Mediated Interactive Training and Individualized Experience System) a framework that enables actors to “inhabit” and control various types of surrogates. A combination of voice modulation, artificial intelligence, network protocols and human control opens up a world of training possibilities, researchers say.

With AMITIES, multiple surrogates can be controlled by a single human using a specialized handheld user interface and head-tracking software. The human controller can be anywhere, and can rapidly switch between characters and training sites as needed.

The technology helps reduce the cost and logistics burden of finding and hiring human actors to fill each individual role in training scenarios.

“If human role players are not available because of cost or other reasons, this research will help us understand the type of surrogate to replace them with so that the level of training is not diminished,” Squire said.

One example of a human surrogate is a humanoid robot. These types of surrogates can change facial appearance and behavior to represent people of different races, genders and personalities. During a recent demonstration, an actor used a robot with AMITIES to play the part of a local villager in Afghanistan seeking compensation for goats that had been killed. ONR’s technology has also been demonstrated in Sexual Assault Prevention and Response training scenarios, with a virtual surrogate taking on the characteristics of a victim or aggressor.

Experts will be on hand to discuss a range of ONR training technologies at the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 4-5.

The EXPO is the Navy’s premier event to share information, discuss research opportunities and build science and technology partnerships between the Navy and Marine Corps, industry and academia. Formerly titled the Science and Technology Partnership Conference, the biennial event draws thousands of attendees from around the world.

For more information about the Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO and to register, visit:

http://www.onr.navy.mil/Conference-Event-ONR/Future-Force-Expo.aspx .

ONR provides the science and technology necessary to maintain the Navy and Marine Corps’ technological advantage. Through its affiliates, ONR is a leader in science and technology with engagement in 50 states, 70 countries, 1,035 institutions of higher learning and 914 industry partners. ONR employs more than 1,000 people, comprising uniformed, civilian and contract personnel, with additional employees at the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C.

Filed Under: daniel articles, Navy, Top News

[related_posts_by_tax format="thumbnails" limit_posts="100" image_size="sidebar-thumbnail" public_only="true" posts_per_page="6"]

Primary Sidebar

USMilitary.com Career Guide

Sign up to receive USMilitary.com email updates and to hear what's going on with all military branches!

Featured Columnists

Larry Fowler

Larry Fowler is the publisher of USMilitary.com Network one of America's premier privately owned

Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Scott Ostrow

Lt Col (Dr.) Scott A. Ostrow retired from the Air Force in September 2005 and has been teaching

Must Read: The Truth About The ASVAB Test Prep From The Man Who Wrote The Book

Kim Lengling

Kim Lengling is a Air Force Veteran whose passion is to help support veterans and their

The Moving Wall: Women Who Paid The Ultimate Price For Their Country

Dr. Sasha Toperich

Dr. Sasha Toperich is the Senior Executive Vice President at Transatlantic Leadership

Sarraj’s Dangerous Dance With Power

Rick Stewart

Rick Stewart is a former United States Air Force Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

Announcing American Patriots Unsung Magazine

Nathan B. Nelson

Capt (ret) Nathan B. Nelson is the Director of Military Affairs for the 1st Congressional district

Three Critical Considerations for Every Veteran Prior to Leaving Active Duty

Laquan Daniels

Laquan Daniel is a military recruiting expert with over 17 years of specialized experience in the

Important News For Military Transitioning Veterans

Veteran Buzz

Hire Military Veterans

Which Companies Are Most Likely to Hire Military Veterans?

July 30, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

5 High-Paying Jobs for Military Veterans

July 2, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

High Paying Jobs Not Requiring a Degree

June 28, 2018 By Ben Ehinger

Footer

  • Advertise With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Write For US
  • Link to Us

Recent

  • The Unraveled Pandemic Of Navy SEAL Posers
  • Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot: To Maintain a Watchful Eye, “Above the Best”
  • A Few Benefits You May Not be Aware of As a Military Child
  • Experts Predict Artificial Intelligence Will Transform Warfare
  • Autobiography Compares Living Faithfully With Navy SEAL Training (BUD/S).

Search

© Copyright 2021 USMillitary
Web Design by Goebel Media Group


THIS IS A PRIVATE WEBSITE THAT IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, U.S. ARMED FORCES, OR DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS. U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT REVIEWED THIS INFORMATION. THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED WITH ANY GOVERNMENT AGENCY.

​Tips
Discounts
News

​

​

Join the USMilitary.com Newsletter Today!

By subscribing you agree to our terms & conditions

x