Research

This page features current research I’m working on during my PhD studies at Tufts.

Subterranean warfare has become a major focus area for the Department of Defense. However, besides the experiences in the caves of Afghanistan and Iraq, the DoD has not had to engage in subterranean warfare since the Vietnam era.

Our near peer competitors have major metropolises featuring vast subterranean spaces. If the DoD is ever required to operate in these spaces, we will quickly find that our technological edge diminishes rapidly. We do not have access to our space based resources such as GPS and imagery satellites. We don’t have our drones. All we have is soldiers with what they can carry in.

There are numerous efforts to help give us an advantage in subterranean environments. One is the DARPA Sub-T challenge. Another is the Army’s IVAS system, which provides augmented reality displays for soldiers. However, all these efforts don’t answer a fundamental question…what information do operators need in a sub-t environment? My research is looking at what information operators need in sub-t spaces, when they need it, and how best to present it.

UPDATE (4/15/2020): I am pleased to announce that the Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences has awarded me a grant for ~$250K to work on this effort. We will be conducting numerous experiments over the coming year to further understand how AR can be utilized in sub-t spaces.

UPDATE (9/28/2020): I presented my first paper at the HFES 2020 Conference. This was for work done prior to receiving funding from the CABCS but was instrumental in getting the funding. You can download the paper below.