Implementation of a Human Operator Math Model to Investigate the Feasibility of Minimum Throughput Analysis of Man-in-the-Loop Control System Simulation

Abstract

One of the first lessons learned from the Gulf War is that precision-guided missile warfare has come of age. The need for and effectiveness of this type advanced weapon system was dramatically demonstrated. This was reinforced by the accuracy with which weapons like the GBU-15 and the Standoff Land Attack Missiles (SLAM) struck their targets. They allow piloted systems to deliver munitions with a high degree of accuracy. This level of accuracy minimized the number of civilian casualties and level of collateral damage. The standoff weapon delivery technique also enabled pilots to deliver the weapon while reducing their exposure to enemy defenses by limiting the number of passes necessary to kill the target. Operator-guided weapons with a terminal sensor are released from an aircraft in the direction of the target, and communication between the weapon and the aircraft is maintained by means of a two-way data link. The terrain scene as viewed by the weapon seeker is transmitted by a video downlink and displayed to the Weapon System Operator (WSO) onboard the aircraft. As a result of data-link processing time the weapon operator views a video scene that is delayed. Since the operator cannot observe in real-time the results of his control actions, he may overcompensate. This can produce well-known operator-induced oscillations causing the weapon to be unstable and reduce terminal accuracy. One cost-effective way to address these issues prior to the design and fabrication of a breadboard data-link is to make use during system development of a digital simulation of the weapon system which includes a math model of the operator-in-the-loop. Use of a validated system simulation utilizing a human operator math model negates much of the requirements for expensive use of an actual operator-in-the-loop during systems development tasks. This study will advance the state of the art and extend the state of knowledge in man-in-the-loop control system simulations by: (1) Implementation of an improved, validated man-in-the- loop math model for accomplishment of tracking tasks, (2) identification and measurement of characteristic parameters used to describe the central nervous system and muscular functions of the human, as they pertain to the specific tracking problem under investigation, and (3) investigation of the feasibility of a model to evaluate the minimum throughput data rate for accomplishment of representative controlled weapon guidance.

Notes

This item is only available in print in the UCF Libraries. If this is your thesis or dissertation, you can help us make it available online for use by researchers around the world by STARS for more information.

Graduation Date

1991

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Swart, William W.

Degree

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Engineering

Department

Industrial Engineering and Management Systems

Degree Program

Simulation Systems

Format

PDF

Pages

174 p.

Language

English

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

Identifier

DP0027983

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Engineering; Engineering -- Dissertations, Academic

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS