Integrating a military air traffic control simulator with an LMS

Tiago Ribeiro, Nuno Faria Dep. Engenharias, ECT

UTAD Vila Real, Portugal

ribtiago@gmail.com, nunofaria007@hotmail.com

Leonel Morgado GECAD UTAD

Vila Real, Portugal leonelm@utad.pt

Paulo Simões GAB

CIFFA Alfragide, Portugal pgsimoes@emfa.pt

Paulo Rodrigues, Luis Leite NCA

CFMTFA Ota, Portugal

parodrigues@emfa.pt, laleite@emfa.pt

Abstract—Many military training centers still use traditional means to train and practice air traffic control. To represent reality, they use physical models of an airfield and aircrafts, or advanced computer simulations. LMS systems are also frequently used for management of online contents of courses. We are connecting simulations with LMS systems, in order to support trainers’ tracking of trainees’ progress. This paper presents a technological architecture that allows a trainee to use a virtual air traffic control (ATC) simulator to practice exercises available at the LMS and updates the LMS with the trainee’s progress and actions within the simulator. It also presents details of a first approach to the implementation of this architecture.

Keywords-simulator; LMS; air traffic control; computer graphics; Web

I. INTRODUCTION Training of air traffic controllers for the military often

involves some degree of simulation technology. Trainees can use it to interpret the context in which command and control orders are issued, and their consequences.

Simulation technology can range from low-tech approaches, such as physical models of airfields and aircraft, as those used by the Portuguese Air Force Military and Technical Training Centre (CFMTFA), presented in Figure 1, to high-tech approaches. E.g., computer-based simulators are common, for personal computers or even resorting to large physical structures and haptic feedback, as explained in section III.

But simulation technology is typically not integrated with current software systems for management of trainees’ learning and the teaching process, known as “learning management systems” or LMS (including the well-known systems Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard, and others). Using these systems, trainers manage online content of courses, and interact with trainees. There is quite a gap in the level of content available in LMS systems, regarding simulators: training sessions, practice, and even assignments can be registered or scheduled, but, when executing an exercise on a simulator, the performance of the trainee and the outcomes are not recorded in the LMS system, as explained further ahead.

The purpose of the work in progress between UTAD and the Portuguese Air Force, described in this paper, is to allow data on simulation content and trainee performance and outcomes to be part of the data managed by an LMS (in this case, we selected Moodle, since it is the system used by the CFMTFA for learning management of its training courses). Specifically, the trainer should be able to place specific scenarios online, for trainees to simulate, and the events taking place during the simulation will be recorded in the LMS, so that the trainer can analyze each trainee’s progress and act accordingly.

II. LOW-TECH SIMULATION EXPERIENCE As mentioned earlier in this paper, military training centers

often use low-tech simulation technologies (Figures 1 & 2).

Figure 1. The airfield and aircraft models.

Figure 1 shows the airfield model currently used at CFMTFA. This airfield is a fictitious example called Mira’s aerodrome, designed by trainers at CFMTFA to support multiple situations that don’t coexist in a single airfield [1;2].

2011 Third International Conference on Games and Virtual Worlds for Serious Applications

978-0-7695-4419-9/11 $26.00 © 2011 IEEE

DOI 10.1109/VS-GAMES.2011.25

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Figure 2. Flight path marks on the ground

Figure 2 shows the flight path marks on the ground of the training room, alongside the airfield model. In real life aircraft have to follow certain routes and these marks are used to guide the supporting staff (typically, trainees not currently performing air traffic control practice) while they move the physical aircraft models over the model.

III. EXISTING COMPUTER-BASED SIMULATORS Currently, there are various computer-based simulators,

each with specific features. Large ones with a massive structure (Figure 3), light simulators for laptops, desktop simulators with great computer graphics and even collaborative simulators.

TSIM - 3D Tower Simulator Project overview Date:11/21/2008

Confidential Tern Systems, 2008 Page 3

19" Rack

22"

Student 1Tower

Student 2Ground

Strip Printer

5,00

4,50

Screen 240°

17"

Strip Printer

22"17"

22"

TWR Instructor

17"

Figure 1 System layout - Tower Control Room

Figure 3. Schema for a simulator with a large structure (TSIM, November 2008)

According to CFMTFA trainers and course designers, there is currently a problem using these computer-based simulators: the lack of connection to their LMS system, Moodle. These simulators are not integrated with LMS systems and aren’t able

to record the performance of a trainee in their exercises in association with the specific trainee’s records and learning context in the LMS. Specifically, trainers wish to be able to track on the LMS which exercises have already been tried and/or completed by a trainee, review a trainee’s actions during the execution of an exercise, and in general track in varying detail the way in which trainees tackle each exercise. This is in line with traditional military doctrine, which encourages performance assessment as part of trainee’s evaluation procedures and process, a concept commonly referred to as After Action Review or ARR. An overview of ARR was provided by Morrison & Meliza [3]; its application to simulations was discussed by Frank et al. [4], amongst others.

To practice their air traffic control exercises at home, trainees often use laptop simulators. Some of these simulators have the capacity to create new scenarios. However, in most cases, the level of detail of scenarios in laptop simulators is too high for use in early phases of an air traffic control course. Sometimes, specific learning-oriented support is also not available, such as having preset behaviors available for streamlined simulation specification, adjusted to the specific procedures used in each training academy.

Trainers at CFMTFA want to be able to create training cases and situations adequate for the contents of their course, distribute these by the trainees using the LMS and collect the results also in their LMS system.

IV. ARCHITECTURE OVERVIEW We are developing an architecture, presented in Figure 4, to

provide the intended connection between a simulator that runs on trainees’ computers, and an LMS system, that is used by the military training centre [5;6]. The simulator includes two modules: one that connects via Web with the LMS system, to download and upload simulation data and student progress logs (“LMS Sync Module”); the other to interpret the simulation data and render it as a simulation exercise (“Simulation Module”). Similarly, the LMS system requires the inclusion of two simulation-specific modules: one for the trainer to create scenarios (“Scenario Creation Module”), and another for providing that data to the simulator and receive information of trainees’ progress (“Simulator Sync Module”).

Figure 4. Overall architecture

The main function of the LMS Sync Module is to query the Simulator Sync Module of the LMS system, in order to retrieve

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data required for rendering and executing specific case scenarios for each trainee (it thus needs to provide LMS user login data in the process). For instance, data telling the simulator what exercises are available for the trainee, which aircrafts are part of each exercise, which actions are planned for them, and the role of the trainee, including the goals of the exercise. The simulator’s LMS Sync Module also uploads exercise results to the LMS systems’ Simulator Sync Module, including information about the trainee’s progress and accomplishments during each individual exercise.

The Simulation Module, besides its main task of rendering data a simulation exercise (actions of the aircraft involved, airfield wind and weather conditions, etc.), also ensures the consistency of the exercise according to trainees’ actions. This means that the scenario data must include either closed-loop events for non-trainee actions (e.g., “aircraft keeps performing a closed circuit if not instructed otherwise”), or end-game situations (e.g., “aircraft collide, simulation stops”).

The Scenario Creator can be part of the LMS system, as an interactive Web application, or as a standalone editing application (we are still in the process of specifying this module). Regardless of the actual implementation, trainers will create their exercises and save them in the LMS system (currently, the sets of scenarios and exercises exist as mere text-based or schematic description in non-executable document files – pdf, doc, docx, odt, etc). The scenarios built with a scenario creator will include both the simulation details, and the identification of goals for trainees to achieve, of events to record.

The Simulator Sync Module of the LMS system organizes the simulation data, which was created by the trainer, into readable data objects that can be provided to the simulation. It will also provide entry points for the simulation to send data about trainee’s progress.

V. DATA COLLECTION & REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS When conducting a simulation exercise in a physical room,

trainers and trainees use a document describing the exercise (Figure 5). These exercise documents have all the information about the aircraft involved and their behaviors.

Tecnologia Escolha da plataforma de desenvolvimento

Foi feita uma análise às diversas tecnologias que poderiam ser utilizadas no desenvolvimento do simulador.

Existem dois tipos de tecnologias que são as mais favoráveis: a utilização de mundos virtuais ou a utilização de tecnologias para o desenvolvimento de jogos.

Os mundos virtuais, em particular a plataforma OpenSimulator, permitiam a criação de um sistema com capacidade para ensino à distância.

Por sua vez, a utilização de tecnologias para desenvolvimento de jogos, proporcionam o desenvolvimento de um simulador com um ambiente virtual 3D imersivo.

Sendo assim, optou-se por utilizar tecnologias de desenvolvimento de jogos, sendo a escolha final a plataforma Microsoft XNA devido ao conhecimento da plataforma pelos intervenientes no desenvolvimento do projecto.

Moodle O CFMTFA utiliza a plataforma LMS Moodle para

disponibilizar os conteúdos das diferentes disciplinas do Centro de Formação.

Neste projecto pretende-se que o simulador seja sincronizado com o a plataforma Moodle para que um formador possa fazer a gestão da disciplina no Moodle como habitualmente, e ao mesmo tempo possa gerir os exercícios que os formandos podem praticar no simulador.

Análise de um exercício de formação A análise dos exercícios de formação começou com uma

assistência a uma aula no Núcleo de Controlo Aéreo (NCA) no CFMTFA. Os formandos seguiam o exercício através dos seus manuais enquanto os formadores davam novas instruções. Após a aula foi fornecido por um formador do CFMTFA um documento que descrevia um exercício básico de controlo aéreo (Figura 4). No entanto, o exercício presente no documento vinha descrito através de siglas e expressões usadas nas formações que tiveram de ser analisadas através da troca de informação entre a equipa da UTAD e a equipa do CFMTFA.

Figura 4: Exercício TWR 1 VMC

Como caso de aplicação, o guião da Figura 4 foi

analisado e convertido n uma linha de tempo onde constam as acções que cada aeronave tem de realizar (Quadro 1).

Quadro 1: Análise da aeronave F16 VIPER02 do

exercício TWR 1 VMC

Tempo Acção

00:00:00 Local de entrada (Redondo)

00:01:06 Passa pelo ponto inicial do circuito

00:01:42 Inicia a primeira meia volta

00:02:47 Ponto de Rotura – Início da final curta

00:04:04 Toca na pista e arranca para novo circuito (TG)

00:05:00 Início do SFO (Circuito de simulacro)

00:06:48 Aproxima-se muito da superfície da pista mas sem tocar (LA)

00:07:00 Início do primeiro circuito fechado (Closed)

00:07:50) Meia volta final

00:07:55 Toca na pista e arranca para novo circuito (TG)

00:08:10 Início do segundo circuito fechado (Closed)

00:09:00 Meia volta final

00:09:05 Aterra na pista (FS)

Modelação Um dos primeiros passos no desenvolvimento do

simulador é a modelação dos componentes/objectos 3D. Foram modelados vários objectos incluindo uma torre de controlo, um aeródromo e uma aeronave F16 (Figura 5).

Figura 5: Modelação de uma aeronave no Blender

Figure 5. Document of exercise TWR 1 VMC

However, the details in these documents are not a complete match to the phases a simulator must go to, in order to render the scenario – they assume specific items of knowledge which are known to human model aircraft operators. Such documents were converted into timelines and state diagrams, describing

the movements of aircrafts and the decisions and actions a trainee should perform (and their consequences).

This process will proceed and be complemented with the assessment of AAR requirements by the CFMTFA trainers, in order to ascertain the data exchange and storage requirments. This will take into account ongoing work by a study group of the IEEE standards committees that seeks “to investigate the potential of formalizing a standard set of technical specifications to allow simulations and/or games to be launched and managed through SCORM-conformant content and Learning Management Systems” [7].

VI. SCENARIO EXECUTION Simulation of an air traffic control exercise must be closest

to reality as possible. In a real scenario, a bad instruction from an air traffic controller may be catastrophic. To provide this on the simulator, it needs to both show the results of trainees’ decisions or inaction, and help them understand the overall context of the scenario (for instance, trainees are often unaware of differences between a pilots’ perspective and their own).

For the moment, we are simplifying trainee’s interface to a simple text-based command line. To send a command to an aircraft, a trainee simply writes in the desired command.

Real world scenarios must account for aspects such as weather conditions and wind. The simulator interface will shows that information to the trainee, and the virtual aircraft will also be influenced by those conditions.

Figure 6 shows the current interface of the simulator, still under development.

Figure 6. Current simulator interface (under development).

VII. LMS INTEGRATION Changes on the LMS system involved the creation of the

two modules mentioned earlier: the Scenario Creation Module and the Simulator Sync Module. These were added to CFMTFA’s current LMS system, Moodle.

The Scenario Creation Module currently simply allows trainers upload new scenarios for simulation and practice. At a later phase, as mentioned, this may be improved with an interactive Web application or with a standalone editing application. So, currently we added to Moodle, a new type of outline topic, the “simulation” (Figure 7), associated with a

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page where it can be defined (Figure 8). The creation of a new outline topic avoids the creation of a specific database for recording simulations exercises. In this way data from a simulation is stored in Moodle’s database as any other topic.

Figure 7. Moodle’s page for adding a new topic outline, with the new “simulation” topic.

Figure 8. Moodle’s page for defining a new simulation.

Associated with the outline topic were created other pages that allows trainers to assign new trainees to a simulation and consult their results.

The Simulator Sync Module is a SOAP Web Service that accesses the Moodle database, reads the simulation data and organizes them into data objects to send to the simulator. This module is also responsible for receiving the recorded exercises from simulator and saving them into the Moodle database.

VIII. FINAL THOUGHTS We are still developing a prototype to prove this

architecture. This prototype involves changes on our Moodle platform, as described in chapter VII, and the development of a computer simulator that interacts with the trainers. On Moodle, we are currently adding the Simulator Sync Module and, on the simulator, we just finished the interface design and we’re ready to start developing the Simulation Module.

To improve the actual developed system, we’re considering change the way scenarios are created. Creating scenarios by HTML forms are not the most accessible way to do it. Instead, an interface likely a Rich Internet Application interface will be more efficiently and pleasant.

As well, some characteristics on this architecture may be improved while the development of a prototype is in progress.

REFERENCES [1] CFMTFA – AFTO/NCA, Training Manual – TWR, 3rd ed., January

2006. [2] CFMTFA – NCA, Airfield Simulation Exercises, 3rd ed., November

2008, pp. 1. [3] G. Frank, B. Whiteford, R. Hubal, P. Sonker, K. Perkins, P. Arnold, T.

Presley, R. Jones, H. Meeds (2004).Performance Assessment for Distributed Learning Using After Action Review Reports Generated by Simulations. In Proceedings of the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference. Arlington, VA, USA: National Training Systems Association.

[4] J. Morrison, and L. Meliza (1999). Foundations of the After Action Review Process, Special Report 42. Arlington, VA, USA: United States Army Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.

[5] T. Ribeiro, L. Morgado, and P. Simões (2010). “OpenSimulator’s training environments for the CFMTFA,” Short Paper for Projecto I course, Master Programme in Computer Science. Vila Real, Portugal: UTAD.

[6] T. Ribeiro, L. Morgado, N. Faria, L. Leite, and P. Simões (2010). “Simulator for trainning air traffic control at CFMTFA,” Full Paper for Projecto II course, Master Programme in Computer Science. Vila Real, Portugal: UTAD.

[7] B. W. Dargue, B. Smith, K. L. Morse, G. Frank (2006). Interfacing Simulations with Training Content. In Transforming Training and Experimentation through Modelling and Simulation, Meeting Proceedings RTO-MP-MSG-045, Paper 15, pp. 15-1–15-14. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France: RTO.

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