International Technology Alliance In Network & Information Sciences International Technology Alliance In Network & Information Sciences Paul Smart, Ali Bahrami, Dave Braines, Duncan McRae-Spencer, Jun Yuan, Nigel Shadbolt Semantic Technologies and Enhanced Situation Awareness

The Problem Challenges –increasingly diverse and sophisticated sensor systems –increasingly pervasive and complex information networks –mission-command philosophy distributed decision-making based on command intent Value –general recognition of importance of situation awareness to mission success Previous research –Bryant et al – C2 –Endsley et al – infantry situation awareness requirements (US/Europe)

Situation Awareness …the perception of the elements in the environment within a volume of space and time, the comprehension of their meaning and the projection of their status in the near future. (Endsley, 1988) Decision Making Performance of Actions Situation Awareness Level 1 Perception Level 2 Comprehension Level 3 Projection State of the Environment

Semantic Technologies Developed as part of Semantic Web initiative Knowledge representation –RDF/RDFS/OWL –semantic expressivity – derived from description logics –suited to distributed information environments –provide explicit semantics Query capabilities –SPARQL/RDQL –ability to query repositories at the semantic (rather than logical/structural) level –exploit semantic entailments Reasoning & inference –modelling axioms with accepted meaning permits automated reasoning –rule languages – SWRL, RIF

Semantically-Enabled Capabilities Situation Awareness Semantic Integration Information Filtering Information Aggregation Agent Collaboration Sense- Making Information Access Assistive Intelligence

Information Access Why is it useful? reduced processing How is it achieved? reduced processing Objectives enable rapid access to relevant information support search discovery and retrieval Relevance extended memory cognitive augmentation (?) Technologies ontologies, folksonomies semantic annotation semantic queries Issues network stability and performance information access cost Cognitive Potential Internal Memory External Memory

Information Access Why is it useful? reduced processing How is it achieved? reduced processing Objectives enable rapid access to relevant information support search discovery and retrieval Relevance extended memory cognitive augmentation (?) Technologies ontologies, folksonomies semantic annotation semantic queries Issues network stability and performance information access cost Internal Memory External Memory Cognitive Potential

Information Integration Why is it useful? reduced processing How is it achieved? reduced processing Objectives identification of mappings between the elements of disparate datasets support information exchange and interoperability Relevance reduced workload greater information reach improved information fusion Technologies ontologies – semantic enrichment supports integration semantic integration techniques Issues automation usability ITA Project 12, Task 1

Information Filtering Why is it useful? reduced processing How is it achieved? reduced processing Objectives attenuate information overload selectively filter information streams identify relevant information Relevance increased working memory capacity reduced info-smog Technologies ontologies semantic queries knowledge monitors Issues out-of-the-loop syndrome competition for limited sensor resources Sensor selection and orientation Semantic queries Event/contingency detection

AKTiveSA –UK MoD DIF DTC –enhanced situation awareness –humanitarian assistance missions –semantic filters –knowledge monitors monitor situation alert user to situation contingencies and events Smart, P. R., Russell, A., Shadbolt, N., schraefel, m. c., & Carr, L. A. (2007) AKTiveSA: A Technical Demonstrator System for Enhanced Situation Awareness in Military Operations Other Than War. The Computer Journal, in press.

InfoGlue Sensors Heterogeneous Databases Documents Video Audio Information Sources Profile Ontology Aggregation/ Integration Workflow Context Query Late Binding Change Detection Monitor InfoGlue –ITA Project 12 –information retrieval to support goal relevant processing Semantic technologies –ontologies –semantic integration –semantic queries Context-aware information retrieval –user profile –workflow Bahrami, A., Yuan, J., Smart, P. R., & Shadbolt, N. R. (2007) Context-Aware Information Retrieval for Enhanced Situation Awareness. Paper presented at the Military Communications Conference (MILCOM), Orlando, Florida, USA.

Summary Situation Awareness Semantic Integration Information Filtering Information Aggregation Agent Collaboration Sense- Making Information Access Assistive Intelligence

ITA Projects Links Situation Awareness P9P11P12P8 Semantic Integration & Interoperability Semantically-Mediated Data Fusion Sensor Mission Matching Cultural Modelling of Planning & Intent