Date: Jan 01, 2012 Source: DARPA Success Stories (
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VALUE PROPOSITION:
Neurophysiological tools deliver significant improvements in intelligence analysis and training systems by identifying cognitive information and visual interest.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGE ADDRESSED:
Intelligence analysts must sift through vast and complex information sources to identify suspicious patterns and evaluate key snippets of information. The analyst's ability to detect, identify, retrieve, store, correlate and interpret relevant intelligence information can be greatly enhanced by the use of neurophysiological systems that automatically select relevant information based upon the analyst's physical and cognitive state activity levels. Similar challenges in flight, dismounted, and cultural training applications require development of neurophysiological tools to measure trainees' task performance and provide feedback for improvement. The Design Interactive, Inc.(DI) intelligence and training systems correlate ocular measurements with event-related electroencephalography(EEG) signatures of the brain's electrical activity level to determine the analyst's level of interest and apply classifiers to distinguish correct responses from erroneous ones.
TECHNOLOGY DESCRIPTION:
DI developed the Advanced Neurophysiology for Intelligence Text Analysis (ANITA) system as a monitoring tool that observes and measures an analyst's physical and neurological functions during data gathering. ANITA uses a combination of eye tracking and EEG patterns to aid analysts in extracting and processing relevant data from digital files and repositories.
Neurophysiological measures are monitored during the first step of the analysis process - evidence gathering - and ocular fixation points are used to pinpoint visual attention. Cognitive interest is then identified by analyzing associated EEG data using a real-time classification algorithm. Information classified as "interesting" to the analyst is auto-extracted from reviewed documents and stored for further processing during sense making.
ANITA's patent-pending combination of EEG patterns time-synched to ocular fixation substantially enhances evidence gathering by capturing subconscious review of interest that is otherwise unavailable, thereby increasing an analyst's ability to capture more high-priority threats.
LESSONS LEARNED & BEST PRACTICES:
■ Keep project timelines flexible with Technical Point of Contact in the loop to allow for adoption of new, more optimal design solutions conceptualized throughout the project.
■ Use conferences, principal investigator meetings, and other gatherings of potential end users or transition customers to create visibility for an idea or product.
■ Evaluate the product for alternative applications domains and additional ways to apply the technology.
■ Focus on the big picture. Evaluate how the technology fits a company's strategic vision and how it can be applied to drive or complement other efforts.
ECONOMIC IMPACT:
DI's neurotechnology solutions have been supported by SBIR awards starting in 2005 with the first DARPA SBIR Phase I. The patent-pending combination of EEG patterns time-synched to ocular fixations developed under this DARPA award has advanced this technology from concept to adaptive solutions for intelligence and training. As a result of SBIR/STTR projects with Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Office of Naval Research (ONR) and program funds from Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), DI has three related patents pending. The DARPA SBIR was instrumental in developing DI's neurotechnology solutions and revenue generation of $1.2 million. DI is also expanding into a new 8,000 square foot lab and development space in 2009.
APPLICATIONS:
DI leveraged its DARPA SBIR and related training evaluation work on the Multi-Axis Performance Interpretation Tool for ONR by developing an aviation training simulation system which was delivered for commercial use in June, 09. This system incorporates DI's methods for eye tracking and behavior detection into the training simulation to assess a trainee's perceptual skills and weaknesses in search and scanning, and cognitive skills in recognition and detection.
In a project sponsored by IARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory, DI developed a system to enhance an analyst's effectiveness during imagery analysis by increasing both speed of image review and accuracy of threat detection. ANITA is also being transitioned into several military applications, including flight and mission trainers.
PARTNERING & COLLABORATION:
DI is partnering with Boeing and Lockheed Martin to transition ANITA to next generation adaptive training systems. A Boeing Flight Simulator used ANITA's neurophysiological measurement component to enable advanced performance measurement, root-cause analysis, and After Action Review resulting in a more thorough and targeted training system. Lockheed Martin Complex Mission Environment Test bed used ANITA to provide real-time cognitive state and performance feedback that enable learner-adaptive and customized training solutions.
DI has also evolved this technology into a real-time, closed-loop Auto-Diagnostic Adaptive Precision Training framework that has spawned SBIR efforts to further mature the technology and apply it to agency specific problems:
■ Perceptual-skills adaptive trainer for OSD
■ Decision-making adaptive trainer for ONR
