Data and Event Visualization

The increasing complexity of today’s information environment is reflected in the increasing complexity of military operations. A brief look at the evening news reveals organizational and technological complexity that was unheard-of even a generation ago: Improved explosive devices detonated via cel phones; unmanned vehicles both ground and air; handheld communication devices on virtually every combatant; ubiquitous and near-instantaneous media coverage of even the smallest military actions. All of these factors, and more, can critically impact the success of military operations. Understanding this new environment to facilitate mission success is truly a challenge. Just as with operations in the real-world tactical environment, our ability to test military equipment depends critically on our ability to rapidly understand causes and effects among numerous variables represented by extremely high-volume data of several types (such as numerical, visual, boolean, and textual). Traditional analysis methods, which often center on very efficient mining of single data sources, are increasingly inadequate to meet this challenge, and advanced means of visualization and understanding are required. While our initial focus was on analysis—understanding data produced by test events—we have quickly come to the realization that operational test and evaluation will use visualization technologies not only for analysis, but for planning and control of test events. This control is not only of live operations, but increasingly of sophisticated federations of models and simulations that support the conduct of our tests. The ability to develop, integrate, and operate these federations directly reflects the complexity of actual military operations, and depends on our ability to understand the relationships among multiple software applications, each of which is extremely complex in its own right. Hence, technical control—such as of the simulation federation, of test and evaluation networks, or of data collection applications—becomes increasingly challenging, yet potentially tractable due to the use of visualization technologies similar to those in use in the commercial world. Report Documentation Page Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number.