Framework for a Common Instructor Operator System, Part 1: Enabling Scenario Development

The Navy Aviation Simulation Master Plan makes clear the need for a Common Instructor Operator System (C-IOS) that can support both distributed collaboration and multiple platforms. Numerous challenges face the creation of a C-IOS, however, because it must not only support instructors during all phases of scenario development and execution, it must also structure the interaction and flow of work between and among instructors and trainees in the various platforms. The present work outlines the initial development of a C-IOS that meets the top-level requirements for a distributed, collaborative system. By borrowing features common to the virtual worlds prevalent in the gaming industry’s products, the design enables a hierarchical and iterative, but also distributed, flow of control and communication throughout the scenario development process. The paper also provides an example of the C-IOS user interface and discusses potential roles for intelligent agents in the development process.