Evaluation of an Ecological Interface Designed for Military Command and Control

Since the inception of the Force XXI Digitization program, the U.S. Army has fielded numerous systems attempting to use computational technologies to improve command and control of tactical operations. In reality, designers have inadequately considered both the role of the human and the constraints of this complicated work domain in the implementation of these systems. A prototype interface (RAPTOR) was developed to leverage powerful perception-action skills, thereby providing improved decision making and problem solving support. A laboratory experiment was conducted using a synthetic task environment. Sixteen US Army Officers participated in a mixed design experiment that involved two interfaces (RAPTOR and Baseline) and two scenarios (attack and counter insurgency). Dependent measures included situation awareness, decision making, and workload. The results indicate that the RAPTOR interface produced significantly better performance; they provide a strong validation of the theoretical framework (Cognitive Systems Engineering and Ecological Interface Design) and design principles (direct perception and direct manipulation), that guided its development. Applications of this study include specific interface design strategies for military command and control work domains.