Use of Immersive Virtual Environments for Measuring and Training Situation Awareness

Our paper describes the development and preliminary testing of three systems for unobtrusively measuring situation awareness (SA) during dismounted infantry squad-level exercises conducted with immersive Virtual Environment (VE) simulations. The SA measurement systems employ probes administered in the guise of normal radio communications, and systematic subjective ratings of squad leader behaviors and communications. Trials of the systems were conducted with three squads that differed in the experience level of the squad members and whether they had previously functioned together as intact squads. Results indicated that the measurement systems were unobtrusive and measured what they were designed to measure: squad leader SA. Ongoing modifications to the systems are described. Planned applications to other training domains are outlined. See also ADM002075., The original document contains color images. Prepared in collaboration with SA Technologies, Marietta, GA and North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.