Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN & MACHINE COGNITION 33 volume 4 issue 2 Featured Research Recent Lectures Happenings Human Centered Presentations hosted3653 by IHMC holds Annual Board Visualization…IHMC IHMC including0 Kathy of Directors Meeting... Ford researchers improve Sullivan, Jeff Parker, presents Vannevar Bush visual displays and Sandra Award...3 Recent Books by Blakeslee IHMC Authors 3 6 96 2 Director’s9 Letter IHMC and education 6 1 12 Funding 0 New Funding awarded to IHMC totaling more than $3.0 million 15 Local News I LOVE Science program begins… Baskerville- Donovan Sponsors Science Saturdays 30 2 27 24 21 TNT.9 18618 ©2006 IHMC Dear Friends of IHMC, It is well-known that IHMC’s research focus is on the relation- ship between humans and their machines. We have been recognized worldwide for our research accomplishments, however, less obvious is the work we are doing to improve the community in which we live and work through our volunteer initiatives. One area that deserves special notice is our education outreach. I’m proud of the fact that our staff includes some of the most remarkable scientists and engineers in the world. But I’m even more impressed that so many of them have agreed to give up some of their valuable time in order to share their passion for science with the next generation. Science Saturdays is a program that has developed a tremendous following here in Pensacola. One Saturday per month, in the fall and in the spring, we open our doors to children in grades three through fi ve and conduct hands-on scientifi c learning activities. These activities are free of IHMC charge and open to any children in the relevant age groups. Science Saturdays was launched by Florida Institute for Human & IHMC in the fall of 2003. This year, Baskerville-Donovan, a Pensacola-based engineering fi rm, Machine Cognition has joined us as a sponsor for the activity, contributing both funding and volunteers. Another effort we’re particularly excited about is the I LOVE Science (Increasing Local Op- A University Affi liated portunities for Volunteers Enthusiastic about Science) program. This effort was conceived in Research Institute the spring by State Rep. Holly Benson, in conjunction with IHMC, Gulf Power and the school systems of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties. In a nutshell, I LOVE Science is the “to-go” ver- sion of Science Saturdays. In this case, volunteers go to fi fth-grade classrooms in the two-county area once a month to offer a hands-on presentation that complements the current class studies. This is a tall order since there are more than 250 classrooms, but I’m pleased to announce that we have volunteers signed up for every one! I would be remiss if I didn’t congratulate IHMC researchers Greg Hill for his work with the Escambia County school mentoring program and Nate Chambers for his web assistance to teachers worldwide. Greg was recently honored with the Community Drug and Alcohol Coun- cil’s Spirit of Prevention Award for his volunteer efforts at Hallmark Elementary School. Nate recently created www.wetheteachers.com, an educational website to assist teachers nationwide. Talented, dedicated people are the lifeblood of IHMC. But these amazing individuals could not have joined our ranks if their passion for discovery and innovation had not been nurtured and encouraged when they were young. It is to their great credit that they are working now to instill that same passion in a new generation. We will all reap the rewards. Best Wishes, Kenneth M. Ford, Director IHMC BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mr. Dick Baker Dr. Akshay Desai Mr. Charles C. “Chris” Hart Mr. Eric Nickelsen Residential development American Family & Enterprise Florida, LLC John S. Carr & Co companies Geriatric Care Dr. Terry L. Hickey Mr. Jim Reeves Ms. Carol H. Carlan Dr. Sandra Flake University of Central Florida Reeves and Davis 40 South Alcaniz Street Wachovia Bank University of West Florida Pensacola, Florida 32502 Mr. Hal Hudson Mr. Ray Russenberger 850-202-4462 phone Mr. K.C. Clark Mr. Eugene Franklin Hudsco, Inc. Network Telephone Heritage Asset Management Premier Mortgage Funding 850-202-4440 fax Dr. Larry F. Lemanski Ms. Bev Seay www.ihmc.us Florida Atlantic University SAIC Page 3 Traditional cockpit display Human Centered Visualization 365 185 “Vision is the art of seeing things 800 800 0 3 6 9 12 15 18 invisible.” —Jonathan Swift 700 700 0669 0669 Initiating change, particularly remnants of these old display revolutionary change, is diffi cult devices still exist in modern cock- 600 600 010 010 in any environment. As a result, pits where we fi nd digital simula- change in almost all cases tends tions of the old steam gauges, to evolutionary rather than revo- sometimes even with little digital 365 185 lutionary. This phenomenon is screws, modifi ed only by the 0 33 30 27 24 25 18 Human Centered cockpit display especially true in those domains shape of the dial and the relative where a mistake can be costly in positions of the instruments. performance parameters of the and taking advantage of the way terms of money, but even more Flying a modern aircraft under aircraft being fl own to determine computers can translate and so when the mistake can cause instrument conditions (in clouds what, if any, corrections to the display digital fl ight information, injury or loss of life. Perhaps and/or in darkness) is a diffi cult- fl ight path need to be initi- IHMC has radically changed nowhere is this more true than to-learn skill that requires many ated. The sequence is repeated aircraft cockpit displays. in aviation; and specifi cally in hours of training. The pilot must continuously throughout the This new human-centered the realm of cockpit instrument fi rst learn and practice an “instru- period of instrument fl ight. One visual display takes all of instru- display technologies. ment scan” whereby he looks at a can clearly imagine that this is ment scan data and presents it in It is interesting that aircraft series of gauges in sequence, takes a rather intense cognitive task a way that is easy for the pilot to cockpit displays are still largely a piece of information (altitude, load that can become quickly process. The creators of this revo- living in the age of steam. This airspeed, wing attitude, heading, overwhelming in a high stress lutionary concept, IHMC’s Still is to some extent a historical etc.) from each gauge, then men- environment such as air combat. and Dr. Leonard Temme, for- accident. Early fl ight pioneers, tally combines that information At IHMC Dr. David Still, mally with the Naval Aerospace with no readily available means to create a picture of what the Tom Eskridge, and their cowork- Medical Research Laboratory’s, of instrumenting their primi- aircraft is doing. This mental ers have developed a cockpit that both have backgrounds in vision tive fl yers, modifi ed the gauges image is then compared with is truly revolutionary. Through a science and they have capitalized designed for steam engines and a set of numbers and diagrams new understanding of the physi- on the advantages of ambient, fi tted these to the aircraft. Today, specifi cally representing the ology of the human visual system non-focal vision to present Page 4 FLORIDA INSTITUTE FOR HUMAN & MACHINE COGNITION SCIENTIST PROFILE opportunity to know and work with too poor. The son of an optometrist, information to pilots in a more such a range of talented research- he decided to pursue optometry intuitive way. By presenting data ers. Tom has worked on several instead. graphically, this new display different projects, including Visual In the Navy, Dave served as clini- allows pilots to acquire and cockpit displays and CmapTools. cal optometrist initially. Eventually he One project he is working on now enrolled in graduate school while in process more information at a is the development of a new the Navy. His Ph.D. research was on glance. Now pilots can focus on a ontology extension for CmapTools. the physiology of the eye, particularly particular issue of interest, inside Outside of work, Tom is pursu- Tom Eskridge the peripheral vision system. He or outside the cockpit, while their ing his Ph.D. in philosophy from returned to regular Navy work as Binghamton University, where his peripheral vision monitors the Hometown: Mascoutah, IL a vision scientist. First he wanted to thesis work is on modeling human fl ight parameters of their aircraft. Education: B.S., mathemat- work on submarine systems, making analogical reasoning. He also is an ics and computer science, M.S., visual objects out of auditory objects. Researchers at IHMC are also avid sailor. When he, his wife, and computer science, Southern Illinois After being transferred to Pensacola, developing instrumentation for two sons moved to Pensacola, they University-Carbondale he joined the Naval Aerospace lived on their 30 ft boat for two helicopters and UAV’s using Medical Research Laboratory at Joined IHMC: 2001 months. If Tom had realized how similar principles to those Tom got into science almost by NAS Pensacola. While there he much they would enjoy that, they developed for the fl ight instru- default. His original plan was to play wouldn’t have bought the house. led, with Leonard Temme, the effort ment displays for fi xed wing tennis throughout university, then Eventually, they will move onto a which resulted in a visual system for teach at a local club. However, be- new boat. He also enjoys his neigh- fi xed wing. aircraft. For helicopters, the fore starting to play tennis for Illinois borhood and “goofi ng off” with his During his work with the Navy end result would allow pilots to State he was required to declare a family.