Digital Commons Network^™

Developing Realistic Behaviors In Adversarial Agents For Air Combat Simulation, George S. Hluck

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes an initial effort into creating a rule-based, reactive system for air combat simulation. This program uses the object-oriented extension of the expert system tool known as the C Language Integrated Production System CLIPS. This effort rose out of the need for creating and integrating semi-autonomous forces for the Distributed Interactive System DIS. This thesis describes the basic maneuvers a pilot uses in present air-to-air combat. The methodology includes the design decisions, knowledge-base development, phase architecture, and maneuver architecture development. The actual implementation of the selected architecture is described. This thesis also discusses the results of experimental runs …

Developing Realistic Cooperative Behaviors For Autonomous Agents In Air Combat Simulation, Dean P. Hipwell

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated, developed and implemented cooperative decision-making behaviors in an air combat simulation by using a knowledge-based system. Knowledge-based systems were well suited for this task because of built- in features such as inference engines and rule-based constructs. This thesis addresses the specific problem of generating autonomous forces for inclusion in the Advanced Research Projects Agency Distributed Interactive Simulation program. Existing autonomous forces implementations lacked flexibility, realistic behaviors, real-time planning and other features. The simulation system in this thesis addresses the problem of realistic behavior by modeling pilot decision processes rather than aircraft platforms. The system is based on …

Performance Measurement Of Three Commercial Object-Oriented Database Management Systems, Timothy J. Halloran

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to study the performance of three commercial object-oriented database management systems. The commercial systems studied included Itasca, sold by Itasca Systems Incorporated Matisse, sold by Intellitic International and ObjectStore, sold by Object Design Incorporated. To examine performance of these database management systems two benchmarks were run the OO1 benchmark and a new AFIT Simulation benchmark. The OO1 benchmark was designed, implemented, and run on all three database management systems. ObjectStore was our top performer on all configurations of the OO1 benchmark. The AFIT Simulation benchmark was designed, implemented, and run on the ObjectStore database …

Strategic Minerals In The New World Order, Kent H. Butts

Books, Monographs & Collaborative Studies

The author discusses U.S. dependence on overseas sources of strategic minerals essential to sustain its economy and defense sector. U.S. vulnerability to a loss of access to important mineral supplies is more pronounced now than at any time since World War II. The uneven distribution of strategic mineral reserves and their concentration in a handful of politically unstable countries make it essential that U.S. policymakers ensure mineral availability in the new world order. The author considers the geographical imbalance of mineral trade patterns, evaluates the stability of the major strategic mineral producing countries, and assesses the potential for mineral supply …

Wright State University College Of Engineering And Computer Science Bits And Pcs Newsletter, Volume 9, Number 9, November 1993, College Of Engineering And Computer Science, Wright State University

BITs and PCs Newsletter

A fourteen page newsletter created by the Wright State University College of Engineering and Computer Science that addresses the current affairs of the college.

Proposal For A Dod Combined Battlefield Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Initiative, George H. Baker Iii

School of Integrated Sciences - Faculty Scholarship

The presentation emphasizes the growing importance of electromagnetic survivability and compatibility. Operation Desert Storm demonstrated the clear military advantage provided by sophisticated electronic weapon and communication systems. In addition, the offensive tactic of taking out the enemy's eyes and ears during the air war paid off, giving our military decisive air superiority. The lessons for the future are clear. High-tech electronics now so dominates the battlefield that the outcome of future conflicts could well be decided by electronics attrition rather than human casualties. Our Desert Storm experience thus accentuates the importance of guaranteeing that our electronic systems will not be …

Real Time Texture Analysis From The Parallel Computation Of Fractal Dimension, Halford I. Hayes Jr.

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

The discrimination of texture features in an image has many important applications: from detection of man-made objects from a surrounding natural background to identification of cancerous from healthy tissue in X-ray imagery. The fractal structure in an image has been used with success to identify these features but requires unacceptable processing time if executed sequentially.

The paradigm of data parallelism is presented as the best method for applying massively parallel processing to the computation of fractal dimension of an image. With this methodology, and sufficient numbers of processors, this computation can reach real time speeds necessary for many applications. A …

Building Community Around Water: The Shift From Icon To Substance In The Local Politics Of Water, Donald Snow

Water Organizations in a Changing West (Summer Conference, June 14-16)

11 pages.

Ua66/3/2 Computer Science Alumni Newsletter, Vol. 8, Wku Computer Science

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by WKU Computer Science for alumni of the program. This issue includes list of faculty research and scholarly activity and results of alumni survey.

Resource Law Notes Newsletter, No. 28, Spring Issue, Apr. 1993, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center

Resource Law Notes: The Newsletter of the Natural Resources Law Center (1984-2002)

No abstract provided.

Snapshot In Time, Repeat Photography On The Boise National Forest 1870-1992, United States Department Of Agriculture

Forestry

A forest health crisis of unprecedented proportions faced the Boise National Forest in the early years of the 1990's. Six years of drought set the stage for catastrophic outbreaks of insect and disease in the various tree communities of the forest, and wildfires burned hotter and more frequently than at any time in the past. In our often desperate search for ways to moderate the crisis, we turned to the notion of repeat photography to try to understand what happened in the past and how things are different now. We hoped to find some clues that would help shape management …

Ua35/11 Student Honors Research Bulletin, Wku Honors Program

WKU Administration Documents

The WKU Student Honors Research Bulletin is dedicated to scholarly involvement and student research. These papers are representative of work done by students from throughout the university.

• Anderson, R. Scott. Anglo-Italian Relations During the Unification of Italy, 1859-1860
• Clark, Anne. Can Extra Fat Make Healthier Hogs? The Effects of Dietary alpha-Linolenic Acid on Antibody Production in Swine Following Stimulation by Red Blood Cells and by Pasteurella Multocida (Serotype A)
• Gottfried, Victoria. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A New Look at an Old Problem
• Halbert, Christy. The Stereotype of the Female Athlete
• Hannah, Kathleen. Innocence and Corruption in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet …

Summer 1993, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Object-Oriented Analysis, Design, And Implementation Of The Saber Wargame, David S. Douglass

Theses and Dissertations

Saber is a two-sided, air and land war game that simulates decisions made of commanders at the theater-level. It is being developed by the Air Force Institute of Technology for the Air Force Wargaming center at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. Saber models conventional, chemical, and nuclear warfare between aggregated air and land forces. It also portrays the effects of logistics, satellites, weather, terrain, and intelligence which add to the realism of the Saber war game. The Saber war game has three main components, the preprocessor. which is responsible for scenario development and pregame activities, the simulation. the guts of the war …

Solution To A Multicriteria Aircraft Routing Problem Utilizing Parallel Search Techniques, James J. Grimm Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Pilots select routes based on factors such as threats, fuel, time on target, distance, and refueling points. This is a time consuming task. This thesis presents the software engineering synthesis of a software tool, based on a parallelized A* search algorithm, to select routes. For simplicity only threats and distance are used. A centralized open list is used with one processor managing the list while the other processors perform the node expansions. This decomposition result in a dynamically load balanced system. A number of parameters are changed to study their impact on the execution time. The use of a branch …

Management Of Simnet And Dis Entities In Synthetic Environments, Steven M. Sheasby

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis describes the techniques used to create an object manager utilized by an application program during a distributed interactive simulation. This work is currently utilized by a number of AFIT synthetic environment applications for use during a SIMNET exercise. An extensive review of distributed interactive simulations is presented. A discussion of the current distributed simulation protocol, SIMNET, is presented along with the future protocol standard, DIS. Finally, a brief discussion on dead reckoning and its importance during an exercise is presented. An analysis of the SIMNET and DIS protocols provided the basis for the creation of a series of …

Etann Hardware Implementation For Radar Emitter Identification, James B. Calvin Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated classification of 30 radar emitters with 16 signal features using Intel's 80170NX chip, the Electronically Trainable Analog Neural Network (ETANN). Software tools were developed to characterize the ETANN sigmoidal transfer function for use in a custom simulator, known as Neural Graphics. Neural Graphics operates on a Silicon Graphics workstation. The Intel Neural Network Training System simulators were used in early experiments, but were found to be inefficient in training on data used in this research. Using a modified Neural Graphics simulator, single chip and multi-chip experiments were performed to provide benchmark results prior to performing chip-in-loop training. …

An Enhanced User Interface For The Saber Wargame, Donald R. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is part of an on-going effort by the Air Force Institute of Technology to develop a computer-based, theater-level wargame for the Air Force Wargaming Center at Maxwell AFB, AL. The wargame, Saber, is intended to augment the education the students receive at the Air War College and the Air Command and Staff College in the employment of air and ground power. This thesis documents the integrated design and implementation of the two components of the Saber user interface: the pre-processor and the post-processor. Although previous thesis students designed and implemented substantial portions of the user interface, a fully …

Examination Of Psychological Type And Preferred Negotiation Tactics And Strategies Of Contract Negotiators, John P. Hebert, Alan J. Meade

Theses and Dissertations

This research identified the psychological types of government and industry contract negotiators and determined whether their preference for using negotiation tactics and strategies were correlated with their respective psychological types. A survey consisting of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and a questionnaire concerning use of negotiation tactics and strategies was mailed to 2,000 contracting professionals of the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). During May and June 1992, 627 usable surveys were received. The MBTI results were paired with the responses to the negotiation tactics and strategies questionnaire. These results were analyzed on a microcomputer using the DBase IV, Excel, and …

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal: Groundwater Contamination And Clean-Up Activities, Connally E. Mears, Elaine H. Heise

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

26 pages (includes illustrations and map).

The Profit Motive: The Bane Of Mathematics Education, Neal Koblitz

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 34 Number 3, Spring 1992, Santa Clara University

Santa Clara Magazine

12 - EAST L.A. STORY Jesuit-run Dolores Mission Alternative School is a last chance for East L.A.'s troubled teen-agers, many of whom are members of violent Latino gangs. By Rene Romo '86

20 - ONE IS TOO MANY TWO ARE NOT ENOUGH A personal account of one woman's struggle with alcohol addiction. By Lisa Agrimonti '87

24 - UP CLOSE: WITOLD KRASSOWSKI After five years in the Polish Underground Army during WW II, the founder of SCU's Sociology Department came to America and discovered teaching. His 40-year commitment to students has never waivered. By Christine Spielberger '69

28 - WORKING …

Mathematics From An English Major's Point Of View, Elizabeth Miller, Kathleen M. Shannon

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Back To The Future For Aphis's Vertebrate Pesticides, Craig A. Ramey, Edward F. Schaffer Jr., Kathleen A. Fagerstone, Steve D. Palmateer

Vertebrate Pest Conference Proceedings: 15th (1992)

Many vertebrate pesticides used by the Bureau of Biological Survey at the turn of the century were registered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) beginning in 1960 with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A review of archives and other documents at the Denver Wildlife Research Center (DWRC) has shown that a total of 72 federal registrations were established by the USFWS between 1960 and 1985. Because of increased regulation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), selective transfers from USFWS to USDA, voluntary cancellations, conversions to state local need registrations, and a reduced development pace, there are …

Transformation Of Combat Data In Support Of Battle Trace, Hyoung-Kyu Choi

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to find an appropriate way of characterizing battle data as a function of time. This study was initially designed to remove the numerical instability problem cited in Barr's battle trace methodology as suggested by TRAC-MTRY. The research focused on the instability problem and identifying/recommending a technique that improved the efficiency of computation, and enhanced an analyst's ability to meaningfully interpret the battle trace. Two Lanchester's Square Law based methodologies are introduced and analyzed. The results of this analysis indicate that the battle trace of a constant value generated by Lanchester's Square Law integration seemed …

Contemporary Piracy And Maritime Terrorism: Towards An Effective International Legal Response, David L. Scott

Marine Affairs Theses and Major Papers

Piracy at sea has been a threat which has plagued the mariner since the earliest trading vessels took to the sea more than two thousand years ago. to those outside of the maritime community, the notion of piracy likely conjures up visions of Captain Kidd and Blackbeard, the sort of lifestyle, popularized in the Errol Flynn movies of the 1930x, which has long since passed into history. In reality, violence and robbery at sea is alive and well in certain geographic locations around the globe. In the past decade, the problem of pirate attack upon merchant vessels has become especially …

A Comparison Of Text And Graphics As Effective User Interfaces In A Proposed Advanced Train Control System, Kenneth A. Organes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study tested the effectiveness of three screen interface formats for use in a proposed on-board computer to be used as part of an advanced train control system. One of the three formats contained only graphic depictions of the data, one contained only textual representations and the third had a mixture of graphic and textual data.

Twenty-eight subjects with varying railroad experience were recruited for the experiment. They were divided into three groups, each of which was presented with a simulation using one of the three interface types. The simulations depicted possible engine, track and train conditions that might be …

Ccis Networking - December 1991, Nova University

CCIS Networking / SCIS Networking magazines

No abstract provided.

Design And Implementation Of A Graphical User Interface And Database Management System For The Saber Wargame, Andrew M. Horton

Theses and Dissertations

Saber is a theater level, multi-sided, airpower employment computerized wargame that can be programmed to simulate any combat scenario. The model simulates theater level combat between air and land forces, and takes into account the effects of logistics, resupply, and both theater nuclear and chemical warfare. The major objective of the Saber model is to provide a suitable educational platform to allow users to apply basic, tactical employment concepts to multiple combat units, each having a specialized mission, and incorporating every branch of the armed services. This thesis documents a graphical user interface and data management system that has been …

A Case Study In Software Reuse: The Rntds Architecture, Barry J. Stevens

Computer Science Theses & Dissertations

It has been asserted that the most significant gains in software productivity will come from increased levels of software reuse. Some economic models for predicting savings through software reuse exist, but none are based on actual project experience. This paper surveys those models and presents the results of a case study, the Restructured Naval Tactical Data Systems (RNTDS) architecture, in the light of those models. According to the models, software reuse via the RNTDS architecture has enabled the production of fourteen major computer programs at five to twenty-one percent of the cost to create them without software reuse. Organizational characteristics …