For survivability, future command posts will be established and operate in a dispersed configuration. Each commander and staff officer will operate from a small, highly mobile command element. Current C3 systems based primarily on voice and text transmission will not adequately support such a command environment. The proposed effort will result in a videoconferencing demonstration system that support unlimited dispersion by providing new levels of face-to-face communications capability and a wide range of cooperative multimedia decision making tools. The demonstration system will apply state-of-the-art virtual reality techniques to create a "virtual command post" (VCP) for each dispersed command element. Each user's VCP will resemble a virtual meeting room, with incoming video and audio from other conferences located at consistent positions in the user's virtual environment. Each local VCP will also display auxiliary video and pen tablet graphics input from other conferences, as well as a synthetic or real-time 3D view of any selected battle zone, including intelligent graphical overlays, real-time annotations, and fused real-time sensor data. The system will emulate a man-portable architecture using a head-mounted display and a body-mounted miniature camera.
Benefits: The proposed effort has a wide range of applications, including all levels of command at all branches of the military. In addition, a wide range of private sector applications are foreseen, including police/fire/rescue, telepresence surgery, hazardous material handling, virtual conferencing for sales and marketing, and other activities involving virtual worlds and access to online information.
