Knowledge engineering for the Adaptive Tactical Navigator

The Adaptive Tactical Navigator (ATN) development draws on a broad range of expertise including; aircrew experience, maintenance, avionics system engineering, and design engineering. Obtaining needed knowledge from aircrews has presented problems not usually encountered in classical knowledge engineering. For example, no operational or test aircrews presently have experience with the multisensor navigation suite envisioned for 1990s tactical aircraft. In addition, the interview setting does not replicate the actual onboard environment in which decisions are made. These considerations strongly influence the interview approach, the information that can be obtained, and the confidence in the knowledge obtained. Knowledge-acquisition methods and experience in the ATN program are discussed. Methodologies for designing a stereotypical mission profile, `what-if´ scenarios, and interviewing techniques are considered. Necessary thought experiments to extrapolate interview findings to the envisioned 1990s tactical mission are described. Examples of knowledge codified from the ATN effort are presented