SUO Planning & Decision Aids
Austin Tate, AIAI, University of Edinburgh
David Wilkins, SRI International
• Capability to communicate, refine, execute and
repair plans across multiple echelons from company
level down to platoon and squad level.
• Two examples of COA plan generation and use:
– one offensive (MOUT);
– one defensive (protect pass in mixed terrain).
ARPI/PDA Goal, Themes & Participants
GOAL: Develop, demonstrate, and transition advanced knowledge-based
technology for automatic and interactive planning, scheduling, and decision
making to allow better, faster planning in complex, stressed situations
ARPI
DARPA
Planning Under
Uncertainty
Brown
University
Rockwell Int’l
U Washington
U Wisconsin
Workflow
Management &
Process Control
ISTI
U. Edinburgh
MCC
UCLA
Integrated
Planning &
Scheduling
Case-Based
Planning
CMU
ISX
Kestrel
CMU
Arizona St.
University
MITRE
Modeling
Simulation
& Evaluation
KB Planning
Systems
U. Mass
U. Edinburgh
Northwestern
University
Representation
& Intelligent KB
USC/ISI
SRI
GE CRD
U. Rochester
Loral
U. Maryland
U Oregon
BBN
Klein
Honeywell
Long-term Contributions of PDA to the Soldier
• Shared plan representations cognizant of military principles,
doctrine, SOPs and TTPs. Makes possible:
• Doctrinally correct plan usable by everyone.
• Fast generation of multiple distinct COAs, including ones the
commander may not have considered.
• Support commander creativity through human guidance.
• Uniformly high plan quality, even during high-stress crises.
• Continuous analysis of the plan using multiple metrics.
• Monitor plan execution and respond quickly to events,
helping the commander modify the plan appropriately.
• Provide relevant information to other echelons, allowing fast
communication while preserving bandwidth.
Key Issues for SUO
The underlying plan representations
must be done correctly to support the
desired command and control loop
Planner
Plans are:
 doctrinally correct
 uniform high quality
PLAN: Action Structure
Beliefs,
Resources,
Constraints
Operators
Goals
Advice
Rapidly respond to events, changing
actions and reallocating resources,
comms. to other echelons if necessary
Actions
Plan Manager
working with the
Commander
Soldiers and
sensors in the field
(apply SOPs)
Technical Contributions by SRI/AIAI to SUO
• Contribution to the representation of shared objectives, plans,
processes, SOPs and TTPs in SUO.
• Generation of multiple qualitatively distinct alternative COAs
dependent upon alternative assumptions and advice about the
situation.
• Support for mixed-initiative incremental plan development,
manipulation and use.
• Plan repair as situation changes.
• Systems integration framework for modular planning and
plan analysis systems.
• Management of planning and execution process - promotion
of intelligent process management and workflow concepts.
SUO/PDA Input to SUO/SAS Program
• Aim is to communicate and transfer some of the
relevant results of the ARPI/PDA work to SUO.
• To do this by joining in the SUO. Community and
understanding its requirements.
• To demonstrate some appropriate and relevant
Advanced Planning & Decision Aids Technology.
• To be helpful to the contracting teams.
• AIAI/SRI want to act as a conduit to the work of
others where they can see its potential relevance.
SUO/PDA Preliminary Workplan
Dec98--->Mar99 Apr99----------->Jun99 Jul99------------->Dec99 Jan00--->Mar00
Phase 1: Familiarization
& Domain Modeling
Phase 2: Demo Storyboard,
Concept Proofs & Further
Domain Modeling
Phase 3: System Adaptation
& Demo Production
Phase 4: Transfer
Of Results
More Detailed Slides
May not be necessary for
9-Feb-99 Briefing
SUO Planning & Decision Aids
SUO/PDA Objective
Capability to communicate, refine, execute and
repair plans across multiple echelons from
company level down to platoon and squad level.
Two examples of COA plan generation and use:
- one offensive (MOUT);
- one defensive (protect pass in mixed terrain).
Advanced Planning Technology
•
•
Use results of DARPA/AFRL Planning Initiative (ARPI)
and Planning & Decision Aids (PDA) work
Multi-Agent Planning Architecture (MPA) and O-Plan
Systems Integration Architecture
•
SIPE-2 and O-Plan Generative Planners
•
Mixed Initiative Planning Aids
•
Planning Domain Knowledge Acquisition Tools/Editors
•
Plan Repair Algorithms
•
Planning Process Panels
•
Rich Shared Plan Representations
Schedule
• 1QCY99 - Domain familiarization. Domain modeling. Create initial
plan and activity templates for offensive and defensive scenarios.
• 2QCY99 - SUO Scenario and storyboard/demo script
development. Walk through of technology requirements,
mockup of non-working parts. Produce demo script and
scenarios.
• 3QCY99 - Technology and demonstration development first pass,
mock demonstration.
• 4QCY99 - Full demonstration development.
• 1QCY00 - Transition and communication of results to SUO
contractor. Refinement of demonstration and technology.
Integration of further modules to support more effective
demonstrations.
Example of SRI ARPI/PDA Work
Giving Advice to a Planner
State of
the World
Heuristic search algorithm
Commander’s
 plans quickly
Guidance
 maintains all constraints
SIPE-2 Planner
Objective
s
Advice
PLAN: Action Structure
Actions One
Might Take
Beliefs,
Resources,
Constraints
Operators
Goals
Actions
SIPE-2
Execution Monitor
and Replanner
Integrating human judgement fixes many shortcomings of
automated planning technology
Advice:
 qualitatively different COAs
 “directed” search of options
Example of AIAI ARPI/PDA Work
Edinburgh O-Plan Project
CONCEPT
COA-1
COA-2
NEW IDEAS
Planning Workflow
Option: COA-2
Phase: Deployment
Criteria 1
Criteria 2
Criteria 3
World
View
...
...
Order Issued: ..
Option COA-2
Authority: ...
Plan View
Task Direction
& Plan Analysis
Plan Development
& Refinement
Task
Assigner
• Using domain constraints to support the
coordinated development of plans.
• Communication between users acting as Task
Assigner and Planner.
• Intelligent workflow model of planning based
on “issue” handling (agenda/to-do list).
• Simplified planner interfaces to allow ”plug
and plan” component integration.
Planner
IMPACT
• Generation of multiple qualitatively distinct
alternative COAs dependent upon alternative
assumptions concerning the emerging crisis.
• Support for mixed-initiative incremental plan
development, manipulation and use.
• Promotion of intelligent process management
and workflow concepts.
• Integration framework for large-scale modular
planning systems.
• Contribution to shared plan representations.
• Uniform manipulation of plans as a set of
constraints (<I-N-OVA> model).
MILESTONES (1996-98)
Q4/Y1 • MIP Demonstration in Pacifica NEO
• Initial Evaluation Matrix
• Demonstration scenario development
Q4/Y2 •
•
•
•
Workflow Planning Aid Experiments
TIE with Rochester on Tasking
Release of O-Plan Version 3.1
Evaluation Experiments Interim Report
Q4/Y3 •
•
•
•
Mixed Initiative Planning Demo.
TIE with USC/ISI on plan evaluation
Release of O-Plan Version 3.2
Final Evaluation Report
SUO/PDA Preliminary Systems Sketch
Knowledge Acquisition Stage
Modeler or
Knowledge
Engineer
Army CALL Bulletins
Doctrine, SOP, TTP
Subject Matter Experts
Process Modeling
Methods & Tools
Domain Model
Activity
Templates &
Constraints
SUO/PDA Preliminary Systems Sketch
Planning & Decision Aids Use Stage
Echelon N
Planning &
Execution System
Domain Model
Activity
Templates &
Constraints
OPORD
FRAGO
Echelon N+1
Other Modules
Planning-related
Support Modules
Reports
Echelon N+1
Planning &
Execution System
OPORD
FRAGO
Echelon N
Other
Modules
Planning-related
Support Modules
Company Level
Reports
Platoon/Squad Level
OPORD
FRAGO
Reports
SUO/PDA Preliminary System Sketch
Instantiation of Components
E.g., MPA, SIPE-2, O-Plan, ACP3
E.g., ModSAF,
Blue/Red Force Laydown
Echelon N
Planning &
Execution System
Echelon N
Other
Modules
Planning-related
Support Modules
Echelon N+1
Planning &
Execution System
Echelon N+1
Other Modules
Planning-related
Support Modules
Domain Model
Activity
Templates &
Constraints
E.g., Act Editor, CPF
E.g., Web O-Plan, O-P3
E.g., Plan Sketch Tool