Towards a query assisted tool for situation assessment

A critical problem when designing systems to support interpretation of real-world situations is how to handle possible alternative world views. This is especially true in situation assessment (SA) where the complexity of the task often requires the use of many diverse methods. If combined in an ad-hoc way, there is little or no chance of finding alternative solutions in a structured and reliable way. To overcome this problem a novel framework for SA, capable of exploring alternative interpretations in cooperation with a user is proposed. The specific problem addressed in this framework is compilation of a tactical ground picture in a situation with sensor observations that are highly discontinuous in space and time. A query language for multiple heterogeneous data sources is attached to the framework to assist users. The query language includes methods for target recognition and for fusion of the information acquired. Terrain information in both high and low resolution will also be available. Finally, it will be demonstrated how information acquired from the query language can be used to support the analysis in the situation assessment process with the aid of the proposed framework.