SONALYSTS INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N171-035

Description

Surface ship ASW personnel will go for long stretches at sea without conducting ASW operations, which results in skill degradation. The Navy has embedded training in operational systems for decades but has never closed the loop between the training and operator performance. In order to address this need, Sonalysts, Inc. proposes to develop an innovative Gamification Training Architecture (GTA). The proposed GTA will be designed with flexibility and extensibility in mind. It will host existing gamified training content and will support investigation of future gamification techniques. Specifically, the G-API interface that we propose to build as part of the GTA will facilitate the hosting of third party developer content. The GTA will include a unique learner model for the shipboard sonar operator. The Learner Model in the GTA will be the first that we are aware of that is linked to a tactical system to capture on-watch performance. By mining the data stored across multiple operators, we will gain new insight into how a sailor generally learns aboard ship. This functionality will have a significant impact on the way training is designed and conducted. It will also impact the allocation of training topics between schoolhouses and ships.