Explanation systems for supporting IoBT-based C5ISR applications

Abstract

Continued advances in IoT technology have motivated new research on its applicability for military operations under the emerging Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT). Research on IoBT has sought to assess viability of both military and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) IoT technology to augment and complement existing military sensing assets, as well as support next-generation Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) systems. Such IoBT systems are also expected to operate in uniquely challenging conditions, featuring potential presence of adversaries as well as degraded/compromised support infrastructure. Under these conditions, transparency for IoBT-based systems becomes a key design consideration in establishing their fitness-for-mission-usage. Towards supporting increased transparency into IoBT-based applications, novel methods to support explanation of system activities become necessary. This work centers on two objectives: First, identifying a generalized set of components for supporting IoBT systems, to be accounted for in future IoBT explanation models and interfaces; Second, identifying follow-on research challenges faced in developing explanation functionality for these IoBT components. Here, focus is given to three identified generalizable IoBT components: (1) Mission Planning Systems, which aid in defining mission objectives, providing support for identification of mission requirements, and supporting allocation of assets for mission use; (2) Network Dissemination Systems, which support information delivery across potentially degraded or bandwidth-constrained networks; (3) IoT Asset Review Systems, which support review of IoT asset capabilities under known environmental and mission conditions to determine their fitness for operational use.