METOC Human-System Information Interaction

The long-term goal of this effort is to improve the effectiveness of METOC information flow to the tactical users. This information flow includes both the data flow from the data sources to the METOC forecasters and the environmental impact information flow to the warfighters. As part of the 1 information flow, the project intends to understand how forecasters use complex visualizations to make a forecast, and to improve their workflow, visualization usage, and tools to increase the accuracy of their forecasts and decrease the time spent making a forecast. To achieve this goal, key components of a prototype system will be developed to test the hypotheses and refine theories of the information flow. Ultimately, the prototype of the information flow model will be transitioned to the METOC community for operational use and application in the warfare areas. This information interaction model can also be used by the research, development, acquisition, and training communities to identify where significant improvements can be made and to help identify metrics to evaluate the value of the improvements. Prepared in collaboration with University of Washington, Applied Physics Lab, Seattle, WA and San Diego State University, Cognitive Ergonomics Research Facility, San Diego, CA.