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Title: An Integrated Framework for Automated Data Collection and Processing for Discrete Event Simulation Models.
Creator: Rodriguez, Carlos, Kincaid, John, Karwowski, Waldemar, O'Neal, Thomas, Kaup, David, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Discrete Events Simulation (DES) is a powerful tool of modeling and analysis used in different disciplines. DES models require data in order to determine the different parameters that drive the simulations. The literature about DES input data management indicates that the preparation of necessary input data is often a highly manual process, which causes inefficiencies, significant time consumption and a negative user experience.The focus of this research investigation is addressing the manual...
Show moreDiscrete Events Simulation (DES) is a powerful tool of modeling and analysis used in different disciplines. DES models require data in order to determine the different parameters that drive the simulations. The literature about DES input data management indicates that the preparation of necessary input data is often a highly manual process, which causes inefficiencies, significant time consumption and a negative user experience.The focus of this research investigation is addressing the manual data collection and processing (MDCAP) problem prevalent in DES projects. This research investigation presents an integrated framework to solve the MDCAP problem by classifying the data needed for DES projects into three generic classes. Such classification permits automating and streamlining the preparation of the data, allowing DES modelers to collect, update, visualize, fit, validate, tally and test data in real-time, by performing intuitive actions. In addition to the proposed theoretical framework, this project introduces an innovative user interface that was programmed based on the ideas of the proposed framework. The interface is called DESI, which stands for Discrete Event Simulation Inputs.The proposed integrated framework to automate DES input data preparation was evaluated against benchmark measures presented in the literature in order to show its positive impact in DES input data management. This research investigation demonstrates that the proposed framework, instantiated by the DESI interface, addresses current gaps in the field, reduces the time devoted to input data management within DES projects and advances the state-of-the-art in DES input data management automation.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005878, ucf:50861
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005878

Title: GPU Ray Traced Rendering And Image Fusion Based Visualization Of Urban Terrain For Enhanced Situation Awareness.
Creator: Sik, Lingling, Pattanaik, Sumanta, Kincaid, John, Proctor, Michael, Tappen, Marshall, Graniela Ortiz, Benito, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Urban activities involving planning, preparing for and responding to time critical situations often demands sound situational awareness of overall settings. Decision makers, who are tasked to respond effectively to emergencies, must be equipped with information on the details of what is happening, and must stay informed with updates as the event unfolds and remain attentive to the extent of impact the dynamics of the surrounding settings might have. Recent increases in the volumes of geo...
Show moreUrban activities involving planning, preparing for and responding to time critical situations often demands sound situational awareness of overall settings. Decision makers, who are tasked to respond effectively to emergencies, must be equipped with information on the details of what is happening, and must stay informed with updates as the event unfolds and remain attentive to the extent of impact the dynamics of the surrounding settings might have. Recent increases in the volumes of geo-spatial data such as satellite imageries, elevation maps, street-level photographs and real-time imageries from remote sensory devices affect the way decision makers make assessments in time-critical situations. When terrain related spatial information are presented accurately, timely, and are augmented with terrain analysis such as viewshed computations, enhanced situational understanding could be formed. Painting such enhanced situational pictures, however, demands efficient techniques to process and present volumes of geo-spatial data. Modern Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) have opened up a wide field of applications far beyond processing millions of polygons. This dissertation presents approaches that harness graphics rendering techniques and GPU programmability to visualize urban terrain with accuracy, viewshed analysis and real-time imageries. The GPU ray tracing and image fusion visualization techniques presented herein have the potential to aid in achieving enhanced urban situational awareness and understanding.Current state of the art polygon based terrain representations often use coarse representations for terrain features of less importance to improve rendering rate. This results in reduced geometrical accuracy for selective terrain features that are considered less critical to the visualization or simulation needs. Alternatively, to render highly accurate urban terrain, considerable computational effort is needed. A compromise between achieving real-time rendering rate and accurate terrain representations would have to be made. Likewise, computational tasks involved in terrain-related calculations such as viewshed analysis are highly computational intensive and are traditionally performed at a non-interactive rate. The first contribution of the research involves using GPU ray tracing, a rendering approach, conventionally not employed in the simulation community in favor of rasterization, to achieve accurate visualization and improved understanding of urban terrain. The efficiency of using GPU ray tracing is demonstrated in two areas, namely, in depicting complex, large scale terrain and in visualizing viewshed terrain effects at interactive rate. Another contribution entails designing a novel approach to create an efficient and real-time mapping system. The solution achieves updating and visualizing terrain textures using 2D geo-referenced imageries for enhanced situational awareness. Fusing myriad of multi-view 2D inputs spatially for a complex 3D urban scene typically involves a large number of computationally demanding tasks such as image registrations, mosaickings and texture mapping. Current state of the art solutions essentially belongs to two groups. Each strives to either provide near real-time situational pictures in 2D or off-line complex 3D reconstructions for subsequent usages. The solution proposed in this research relies on using prior constructed synthetic terrains as backdrops to be updated with real-time geo-referenced images. The solution achieves speed in fusing information in 3D. Mapping geo-referenced images spatially in 3D puts them into context. It aids in conveying spatial relationships among the data. Prototypes to evaluate the effectiveness of the aforementioned techniques are also implemented. The benefits of augmenting situational displays with viewshed analysis and real-time geo-referenced images in relation to enhancing the user's situational awareness are also evaluated. Preliminary results from user evaluation studies demonstrate the usefulness of the techniques in enhancing operators' performances, in relation to situational awareness and understanding.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0005115, ucf:50757
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005115

Title: Sustainability Assessment of a Municipal Utility Complex: a System of Systems Approach.
Creator: Fahmy, Tarek, Oloufa, Amr, Tatari, Omer, Al-Deek, Haitham, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Construction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal....
Show moreConstruction of municipal utility complexes has to support continuing population growth, economic development, and a widespread of social interest in environmental preservation. Municipalities face challenges in designing, constructing, and operating environmentally sustainable utility complexes, and their primary goal in developing such a complex is to minimize the environmental impact resulting from energy production and waste treatment (both liquid and solid), management, and disposal. However, decision and policy makers lack a system of systems approach that takes into account multiple interdependent systems comprised of the functional system (infrastructure, facilities, operations within the complex), the economic system, the social/cultural system, and the environmental system (environmental impact on air, water, soil). This research proposes a decision support system (DSS) with a new methodology using Vensim software and system dynamics methodology to assess the sustainability of a municipal utility complex system. This DSS incorporates 1) multiple interdependent systems, 2) multiple sustainability/performance indices, and 3) composite sustainability index. Engineers, managers, and researchers should benefit from a system of systems perspective, and from the application of a sustainability assessment method that is developed to provide an environmentally-conscious design, construction and management. Although a municipal utility complex is built with synergistic opportunities for integration of processes of a wastewater treatment plant, a resource recovery facility (aka waste-to-energy (WTE) or incineration facility), a material recycling facility (MRF), and a landfill; engineers tend to use the traditional sustainability assessment methods only to assess the life cycle (LCA) of each system's process over time. They might not necessarily incorporate an assessment based on system dynamics of the functional, economic, environmental, and social/cultural systems. Data from a case study is utilized in this dissertation based on the municipal utility complex in Pasco County in the western region of the State of Florida, USA.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005944, ucf:50809
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005944

Title: Examining the role of cardiovascular and cognitive fitness in goal-directed aiming across the lifespan.
Creator: Rupp, Michael, Smither, Janan, Mouloua, Mustapha, Mcconnell, Daniel, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Older adults experience more difficulties completing goal directed movements than younger adults. The reasons for this have not been completely elucidated within the research lit-erature; however, it is thought that age related movement differences are due to at least one of three possible reasons. The current study investigated the influence of these three hypotheses: (1) biomechanical changes (limbs, joints, or muscles), (2) sensory feedback processing ability, or (3) differences in overall...
Show moreOlder adults experience more difficulties completing goal directed movements than younger adults. The reasons for this have not been completely elucidated within the research lit-erature; however, it is thought that age related movement differences are due to at least one of three possible reasons. The current study investigated the influence of these three hypotheses: (1) biomechanical changes (limbs, joints, or muscles), (2) sensory feedback processing ability, or (3) differences in overall movement strategy on movement kinematics. Additionally, physical activi-ty is known to improve both physical and cognitive functioning and staying cognitively active may also attenuate age-related declines in cognitive ability; thus the current study also examined the impact of physical and mental fitness on movement performance across the lifespan. Both active and sedentary young and old adults completed different experimental conditions to de-termine how biomechanical ability, sensory processing ability, and individual differences impact different kinematic aspects of movement performance. Participants completed two different Fitts' pointing tasks where difficulty was manipulated by either increasing biomechanical effort and/or amount of feedback processing needed to complete each movement. Results indicated that distance impacted movement more than width for all participants indicated by a greater ID-MT slope. While increasing age was associated with an increases slope, the larger finding was that age increased the overall time. Thus, it was concluded that distance and width constraints are processed by similar processes regardless of age, but these processes slow with age. Cardio-vascular fitness attenuated declines in the distance condition while mental fitness attenuated those in the width condition. Further supporting a theory of differential movement constraints.
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Date Issued: 2017
Identifier: CFE0006787, ucf:51827
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006787

Title: Total Ownership Cost Modeling of Technology Adoption Using System Dynamics: Implications for ERP Systems.
Creator: Esmaeilian, Behzad, Karwowski, Waldemar, Mollaghasemi, Mansooreh, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Ahram, Tareq, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Investment in new technologies is considered by firms as a solution to improve their productivity, product and service quality and their competitive advantages in the global market. Unfortunately, not all technology adoption projects have met their intended objectives. The complexity of technology adoption along with little consideration of the long term cost of the technology, are among the factors that challenge companies while adopting a new technology. Companies often make new technology...
Show moreInvestment in new technologies is considered by firms as a solution to improve their productivity, product and service quality and their competitive advantages in the global market. Unfortunately, not all technology adoption projects have met their intended objectives. The complexity of technology adoption along with little consideration of the long term cost of the technology, are among the factors that challenge companies while adopting a new technology. Companies often make new technology adoption decision without enough attention to the total cost of the technology over its lifecycle. Sometimes poor decision making while adopting a new technology can result in substantial recurring loss impacts. Therefore, estimating the total cost of the technology is an important step in justifying the technology adoption. Total Ownership Cost (TOC) is a wildly-accepted financial metric which can be applied to study the costs associated with the new technology throughout its lifecycle. TOC helps companies analyze not only the acquisition and procurement cost of the technology, but also other cost components occurring over the technology usage and service stage. The point is that, technology adoption cost estimation is a complex process involving consideration of various aspects such as the maintenance cost, technology upgrade cost and the cost related to the human-resource. Assessing the association between the technology characteristics (technology upgrades over its life cycle, compatibility with other systems, technology life span, etc) and the TOC encompasses a high degree of complexity. The complexity exists because there are many factors affecting the cost over time. Sometimes decisions made today can have long lasting impact on the system costs and there is a lag between the time the decision is taken and when outcomes occur. An original contribution of this dissertation is development of a System Dynamics (SD) model to estimate the TOC associated with the new technology adoption. The SD model creates casual linkage and relationships among various aspects of the technology adoption process and allows decision makers to explore the impact of their decisions on the total cost that the technology brings into the company. The SD model presented in this dissertation composes of seven sub-models including (1) technology implementation efforts, (2) workforce training, (3) technology-related workforce hiring process, (4) preventive and corrective maintenance process, (5) technology upgrade, (6) impact of technology on system performance and (7) total ownership cost sub model. A case study of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system adoption has been used to show the application of the SD model. The results of the model show that maintenance, upgrade and workforce hiring costs are among the major cost components in the ERP adoption case study presented in Chapter 4. The simulation SD model developed in this dissertation supports trade-off analysis and provides a tool for technology scenarios evaluation. The SD model presented here can be extended to provide a basis for developing a decision support system for technology evaluation.?
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004836, ucf:49686
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004836

Title: A Program Manager's Dilemma: Measuring the Effect on Performance of Different Visual Modalities in Mixed Reality Aerial Door Gunnery.
Creator: Stevens, Jonathan, Kincaid, John, Shumaker, Randall, Karwowski, Waldemar, Mohammad, Syed, Sottilare, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The United States Army continues to develop new and effective ways to use simulation for training. One example is the Non-Rated Crew Member Manned Module (NCM3), a simulator designed to train helicopter crewmembers in critical, high risk tasks such as crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and sling load related tasks. The goal of this study was to evaluate visual modalities' effect on performance in mixed reality aerial door gunnery.There is a strong belief in the United States...
Show moreThe United States Army continues to develop new and effective ways to use simulation for training. One example is the Non-Rated Crew Member Manned Module (NCM3), a simulator designed to train helicopter crewmembers in critical, high risk tasks such as crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and sling load related tasks. The goal of this study was to evaluate visual modalities' effect on performance in mixed reality aerial door gunnery.There is a strong belief in the United States Army that the greater the degree of immersion in a virtual simulation, the more effective that simulation is. However, little scientific research exists that supports this notion. In fact, the true goal of training simulation is to optimize the degree of transfer to the trainee - not to create the most immersive experience possible. As a result, the Army Program Manager frequently faces trade-off dilemmas during the simulation design phase, balancing user desires with cost and schedule constraints. One of those trade-off predicaments, and the unscientific manner in which it was resolved, served as the motivation for this research.A review of the literature was conducted in order to investigate the benefits of simulation for training. The taxonomy of reality, as well as the training efficacy of virtual and mixed reality simulation, were examined. Major concepts, applications and components of virtual and mixed reality simulation training were studied. Prior visual modality research was reviewed and discussed. Two discrete groups of subjects, expert (n = 20) and novice (n = 76), were employed in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two visual modality treatments (Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) flat panel screen or Head-Mounted Display (HMD)) and executed three aerial door gunnery training scenarios in the NCM3. Independent variables were visual modality, trial, immersive tendency and simulator sickness questionnaire scores. Dependent variables included performance, presence and simulator sickness change scores. The results of the study indicate no main effect of visual modality on performance for the expert population while a main effect of visual modality on performance was discovered for the novice population. Both visual treatment groups experienced the same degree of presence and simulator sickness. No relationship between an individual's immersive tendency and their performance and level of presence was found. Results of this study's primary objective are conflicting, by expertise group, and thus both support and challenge the commonly held notion that higher immersive simulation leads to better performance.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005422, ucf:50427
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005422

Title: A Framework For Workforce Management An Agent Based Simulation Approach.
Creator: Marin, Mario, Rabelo, Luis, Lee, Gene, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In today's advanced technology world, enterprises are in a constant state of competition. As the intensity of competition increases the need to continuously improve organizational performance has never been greater. Managers at all levels must be on a constant quest for finding ways to maximize their enterprises' strategic resources. Enterprises can develop sustained competitiveness only if their activities create value in unique ways. There should be an emphasis to transfer this...
Show moreIn today's advanced technology world, enterprises are in a constant state of competition. As the intensity of competition increases the need to continuously improve organizational performance has never been greater. Managers at all levels must be on a constant quest for finding ways to maximize their enterprises' strategic resources. Enterprises can develop sustained competitiveness only if their activities create value in unique ways. There should be an emphasis to transfer this competitiveness to the resources it has on hand and the resources it can develop to be used in this environment. The significance of human capital is even greater now, as the intangible value and the tacit knowledge of enterprises' resources should be strategically managed to achieve a greater level of continuous organizational success. This research effort seeks to provide managers with means for accurate decision making for their workforce management. A framework for modeling and managing human capital to achieve effective workforce planning strategies is built to assist enterprise in their long term strategic organizational goals.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005375, ucf:50439
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005375

Title: Design of a Framework to Measure the Degree of Live Virtual Constructive (LVC) Simulation Interoperability.
Creator: Kim, Kiyoul, Lee, Gene, Rabelo, Luis, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Accomplishment of the Live, Virtual and Constructive simulation interoperability has been a major goal and a challenge in the Modeling and Simulation (M(&)S) community. There have been efforts to interoperate individual Live, Virtual and Constructive simulations within a common synthetic environment through suitable technologies such as interface specifications, protocols, and standard middleware architectures. However, achieving interoperability of LVC simulation is a technologically complex...
Show moreAccomplishment of the Live, Virtual and Constructive simulation interoperability has been a major goal and a challenge in the Modeling and Simulation (M(&)S) community. There have been efforts to interoperate individual Live, Virtual and Constructive simulations within a common synthetic environment through suitable technologies such as interface specifications, protocols, and standard middleware architectures. However, achieving interoperability of LVC simulation is a technologically complex since it is affected by multiple factors, and the characteristics are not yet satisfactorily defined and studied. A proper method is absent to measure the potential interoperability degree of LVC simulation. Therefore, there should be an appropriate systematic approach to measure the potential LVC simulation interoperability which includes technical, conceptual and organizational domains. This research aims to design a preliminary systematic approach to measure the potential interoperability degree of an individual Live, Virtual and Constructive simulation and a relevant organization which plans to use the simulation system for simulation interoperability. Specifically, a framework that contains components such as a) LVC simulation interoperability domains, b) interoperability domain factors, c) interoperability maturity levels, d) interoperability determination method is proposed. To accomplish the goal, a set of factors that determine the interoperability degree in LVC simulation environment are identified, and the factors are used to build the key elements of the framework. The proposed methodology for the framework design is based on systematic literature reviews and a survey involving a number of relevant domain experts. A case study is demonstrated to prove the validity and effectiveness of the developed framework. The case study illustrates how the interoperability levels of a simulation system and a relevant organization are effectively measured. This research potentially contributes by providing an understanding of the factors that determine the interoperability degree of LVC simulation, improvement of the LVC simulation interoperability measurement process, and consequently, accomplishment of more effective LVC simulation interoperability.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005818, ucf:50032
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005818

Title: Cooperative vs Competitive Goals in Educational Video Games.
Creator: Smith, Peter, Bowers, Clint, McDaniel, Thomas, Kincaid, John, Cannon-Bowers, Janis, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The concept of serious games, or using games and gaming technologies for purposes other than purely entertainment, became popularized with the creation of the Serious Games Initiative in 2002 and has continued to grow. While this trend may appear new, the use of games for learning has a rich history and the idea of using a game as a learning platform is an established concept that had has withstood the test of time. Research in this area must move from if games can teach, to how do we improve...
Show moreThe concept of serious games, or using games and gaming technologies for purposes other than purely entertainment, became popularized with the creation of the Serious Games Initiative in 2002 and has continued to grow. While this trend may appear new, the use of games for learning has a rich history and the idea of using a game as a learning platform is an established concept that had has withstood the test of time. Research in this area must move from if games can teach, to how do we improve games that do. Proponents of serious games suggest that they should improve motivation, time on task, motivation to learn, and a litany of other benefits based primarily on the thought that what works in an entertainment game will work in a learning game. Unfortunately, this might not always be the case. For example, a commonly held misconception in learning games is that competition will motivate learner to succeed, as it motivates players of an entertainment game to continue to play. This is, however, not well supported by the learning science literature. Cooperative goal structures commonly lead to increased motivation to learn as well as improved learning outcomes when compared to competition. This research seeks to provide a framework to view games for learning and more specifically explore the structure of challenge in the context of cooperative and competitive goal structures, as well as explore the use of the word game and how it could possibly modify the expectations of the learner.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004603, ucf:49913
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004603

Title: Instructional Strategies for Scenario-Based Training of Human Behavior Cue Analysis with Robot-Aided Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance.
Creator: Salcedo, Julie, Lackey, Stephanie, Reinerman, Lauren, Barber, Daniel, Kincaid, John, Matthews, Gerald, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The U.S. Army desires to improve safety during Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) operations by removing Warfighters from direct line-of-fire by enhancing ISR operational capabilities with unmanned systems, also known as Robot-Aided ISR (RAISR) (DOD, 2013). Additionally, RAISR presents an opportunity to fulfill ISR capability requirements of modern combat environments including: detection of High-Value Individuals (HVI) from safer distances, identification of baseline behavior,...
Show moreThe U.S. Army desires to improve safety during Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance (ISR) operations by removing Warfighters from direct line-of-fire by enhancing ISR operational capabilities with unmanned systems, also known as Robot-Aided ISR (RAISR) (DOD, 2013). Additionally, RAISR presents an opportunity to fulfill ISR capability requirements of modern combat environments including: detection of High-Value Individuals (HVI) from safer distances, identification of baseline behavior, and interpretation of adversarial intent (U.S. Army, 2008). Along with the demand and projected acquisition of RAISR technology, there is the added need to design training requirements for system operation and task execution instruction. While documentation identifying specific training standards and objectives for ISR tasks utilizing unmanned systems is limited (DOD, 2013), simulation-based training has been identified as a critical training medium for RAISR (U.S. Army, 2008). ISR analysts will primarily conduct RAISR tasks via Indirect Vision Displays (IVD) which transition well into multimodal simulations (Salcedo, Lackey, (&) Maraj, 2014). However, simulation alone may not fulfill the complex training needs of RAISR tasks, therefore, incorporating instructional support may improve the effectiveness of training (Oser, Gualtieri, Cannon-Bowers, (&) Salas, 1999). One method to accomplish this is to utilize a Scenario-Based Training (SBT) framework enhanced with instructional strategies to target specific training objectives.The purpose for the present experiment was to assess the effectiveness of SBT enhanced with selected instructional strategies for a PC-based RAISR training simulation. The specific task type was the identification of HVIs within a group through behavior cue analysis. The instructional strategies assessed in this experiment, Highlighting and Massed Exposure, have shown to improve attentional weighting, visual search, and pattern recognition skills, which are critical for successful behavior cue analysis. Training effectiveness was evaluated by analyzing the impact of the instructional strategies on performance outcomes, including detection accuracy, classification accuracy, and median response time, and perceptions of the level of engagement, immersion, and presence during training exercises. Performance results revealed that the Massed Exposure strategy produced significantly faster response times for one subtle and one familiar target behavior cue. Perception results indicated that Highlighting was the least challenging instructional strategy and the Control offered the preferred level of challenge. The relationships between performance and perception measures revealed that higher levels of engagement, immersion, and presence were associated with better performance in the Control, but this trend did not always hold for Massed Exposure and Highlighting. Furthermore, presence emerged as the primary predictor of performance for select target behavior cues in the Control and Massed Exposure conditions, while immersion and engagement predicted performance of select cues in the Highlighting condition. The findings of the present experiment point to the potential benefit of SBT instructional strategies to improve effectiveness of simulation-based training for behavior cue analysis during RAISR operations. Specifically, the findings suggest that the Massed Exposure strategy has the potential to improve response time when detecting both familiar and novel targets. The results also highlight directions for future research to investigate methods to alter instructional strategy design and delivery in order to improve trainee perceptions of the instruction.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005705, ucf:50151
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005705

Title: An approach to improve the failure rate model of a solid state laser by utilizing the Physics of Failure Methodology.
Creator: Thompson, Omar, Kincaid, John, Bass, Michael, Clarke, Thomas, Wiegand, Rudolf, Shumaker, Randall, Bass, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The ability to predict the failure rate of any military laser is very critical. In-field laser usage does not support the troubleshooting and repairing of a complex electro optical system. The only published laser failure rate model was last updated by the Department of Defense in 1975. Consequently, the failure rate predicted is inaccurate due to model deficiencies. This dissertatiodatn has developed a laser failure rate model for diode pumped lasers with improved failure rate prediction...
Show moreThe ability to predict the failure rate of any military laser is very critical. In-field laser usage does not support the troubleshooting and repairing of a complex electro optical system. The only published laser failure rate model was last updated by the Department of Defense in 1975. Consequently, the failure rate predicted is inaccurate due to model deficiencies. This dissertatiodatn has developed a laser failure rate model for diode pumped lasers with improved failure rate prediction accuracy. The model has surpassed the capabilities of the Department of Defense model by the inclusion of key performance attributes that are currently not taken into account. The scope of work completed was based on a tailored Physics of Failure methodology. The research approach implemented was: 1. Integration of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis to evaluate deployed laser failure. 2. Beam simulation for alignment tolerance analysis. 3. Thermal and vibration effects analysis on laser performance. 4. Analysis and development of a methodology to represent a resonator failure rate model. A secondary contribution of this research effort is supporting the update of the current laser failure rate model. The success of revising the current model relies on leveraging the work of other organizations in the area of failure rate modeling and reliability predictions.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004587, ucf:49214
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004587

Title: NEUROERGONOMICS STUDY: ANALYSIS OF BRAIN EEG's ACTIVITY DURING MANUAL LIFTING TASKS.
Creator: Aljuaid, Awad, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Karwowski, Waldemar, Hancock, Peter, McCauley, Pamela, Lee, Gene, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Electroencephalography (EEG) has been shown to be a reliable tool in neuroergonomics studies due to the relatively low cost of brain data collection and limited body invasion. The application of EEG frequency bands (including theta, alpha and beta), enjoyed a wide range of interest in physical and cognitive ergonomics. The psychophysical approach has been used for decades to improve safe work practices by understanding human limitations in manual materials handling. The main objective of this...
Show moreElectroencephalography (EEG) has been shown to be a reliable tool in neuroergonomics studies due to the relatively low cost of brain data collection and limited body invasion. The application of EEG frequency bands (including theta, alpha and beta), enjoyed a wide range of interest in physical and cognitive ergonomics. The psychophysical approach has been used for decades to improve safe work practices by understanding human limitations in manual materials handling. The main objective of this research project was to study the brain's EEG activity expressed by the power spectral density during manual lifting tasks related to: 1) the maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) and 2) isokinetic and isometric lifting strength tests measurement outcomes. The first study investigated the changes in EEG power spectral density during determination of MAWL under low, medium, and high lifting frequencies. A high-density wireless dry cell EEG device has been used to record EEG signals. Twenty healthy males participated in this study. Subjects repeated the same experiment after two weeks. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences in EEG power spectral density between different lifting frequencies at three main brain areas (frontal, central, and parietal). The second study revealed differences in brain activities during isokinetic and isometric strength measurements, based on the recording and analysis of EEG power spectral density. This research project is the first study of EEG activity during manual lifting tasks, including the assessment of MAWL by the psychophysical method, as well as the measurement of human isokinetic and isometric strengths. The results of this project are considered critical to our increased understanding of the neural correlates of human physical activities, and consequently should have a positive impact on workplace design that considers brain activity related to specific human capabilities and limitations in manual lifting tasks.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006067, ucf:50996
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006067

Title: Explicit Feedback Within Game-Based Training: Examining the Influence of Source Modality Effects on Interaction.
Creator: Goldberg, Benjamin, Bowers, Clint, Cannon-Bowers, Janis, Kincaid, John, McDaniel, Thomas, Sottilare, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: This research aims to enhance Simulation-Based Training (SBT) applications to support training events in the absence of live instruction. The overarching purpose is to explore available tools for integrating intelligent tutoring communications in game-based learning platforms and to examine theory-based techniques for delivering explicit feedback in such environments. The primary tool influencing the design of this research was the Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT), a...
Show moreThis research aims to enhance Simulation-Based Training (SBT) applications to support training events in the absence of live instruction. The overarching purpose is to explore available tools for integrating intelligent tutoring communications in game-based learning platforms and to examine theory-based techniques for delivering explicit feedback in such environments. The primary tool influencing the design of this research was the Generalized Intelligent Framework for Tutoring (GIFT), a modular domain-independent architecture that provides the tools and methods to author, deliver, and evaluate intelligent tutoring technologies within any training platform. Influenced by research surrounding Social Cognitive Theory and Cognitive Load Theory, the resulting experiment tested varying approaches for utilizing an Embodied Pedagogical Agent (EPA) to function as a tutor during interaction in a game-based environment. Conditions were authored to assess the tradeoffs between embedding an EPA directly in a game, embedding an EPA in GIFT's browser-based Tutor-User Interface (TUI), or using audio prompts alone with no social grounding.The resulting data supports the application of using an EPA embedded in GIFT's TUI to provide explicit feedback during a game-based learning event. Analyses revealed conditions with an EPA situated in the TUI to be as effective as embedding the agent directly in the game environment. This inference is based on evidence showing reliable differences across conditions on the metrics of performance and self-reported mental demand and feedback usefulness items. This research provides source modality tradeoffs linked to tactics for relaying training relevant explicit information to a user based on real-time performance in a game.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004850, ucf:49696
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004850

simulation (10)	+ -
Simulation (6)	+ -
Modeling (4)	+ -
System Dynamics (4)	+ -
modeling (4)	+ -

training (4)	+ -
Serious Games (3)	+ -
learning (3)	+ -
workload (3)	+ -
Army (2)	+ -
Instructional Strategies (2)	+ -
MBSE (2)	+ -
Simulation-Based Training (2)	+ -
ALEKS (1)	+ -
ARPA (1)	+ -
ATC (1)	+ -
Acquisition (1)	+ -
Action Games (1)	+ -
AddSIM (1)	+ -
Agent Based (1)	+ -
Agent Based Simulation (1)	+ -
Agent-Based (1)	+ -
Apache (1)	+ -
Arbovirus (1)	+ -
Army Acquisition Corps (1)	+ -
Army Officer (1)	+ -
Asperger's (1)	+ -
Attendance (1)	+ -
Autism Spectrum Disorder (1)	+ -
C.R (1)	+ -

University of Central Florida (53)	+ -
Kincaid, John (52)	+ -
Karwowski, Waldemar (9)	+ -
Lee, Gene (7)	+ -
Wiegand, Rudolf (7)	+ -

Rabelo, Luis (6)	+ -
Shumaker, Randall (6)	+ -
Elshennawy, Ahmad (5)	+ -
Proctor, Michael (5)	+ -
Xanthopoulos, Petros (5)	+ -
Hancock, Peter (4)	+ -
Mouloua, Mustapha (4)	+ -
Bowers, Clint (3)	+ -
Cannon-Bowers, Janis (3)	+ -
Mcconnell, Daniel (3)	+ -
Mohammad, Syed (3)	+ -
Reinerman, Lauren (3)	+ -
Smither, Janan (3)	+ -
Sottilare, Robert (3)	+ -
Ahram, Tareq (2)	+ -
Allred, Kelly (2)	+ -
Barber, Daniel (2)	+ -
Finch, Craig (2)	+ -
Geiger, Christopher (2)	+ -
Graniela Ortiz, Benito (2)	+ -
Lackey, Stephanie (2)	+ -
Maxwell, Douglas (2)	+ -
McDaniel, Rudy (2)	+ -
McDaniel, Thomas (2)	+ -
Mollaghasemi, Mansooreh (2)	+ -

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