Use of intelligent controller nodes to augment human role-players in synthetic battlespace exercises

Distributed exercises, which combine live, virtual, and constructive entities, are increasingly used for training, readiness exercises, and CONOPS analysis. These exercises require the support of human controllers who monitor and control simulated entities to maintain realism of the exercise. The high cost in time, money, and personnel for supporting large exercises makes it important to reduce the number of role players required. In addition, the large volume of information flowing from the synthetic battlespace and the narrow window for response dictate a need for mechanisms to assist the human role players who control the simulated entities. The role player intelligent controller node (RPICN) uses intelligent agents to monitor and interact with the simulation environment. The agents can recognize significant events, make recommendations, and perform routine actions for the role player. By increasing situational awareness and automating routine tasks, the RPICN improves the efficiency of the human controllers.