Modelling Human Factors using the Systems Modelling Language

HFIDTC/2/WP2.8.9/1Version 2/ 24th September 2008Figure 7-16 - Block Definition Diagram showing a decentralised Social NetworkStructureThese diagrams have expanded upon Figure 7-13 using instances 1 to represent individualPosts, thus here we have three instances of the ‘Ground Commander’. This allows us tomodel how each Ground Commander will interact and model the wider social network.The connecting lines represent an association between each block and can be stereotypedin SysML to represent, in this case, the transfer of information including directionality.Figure 7-15 shows a hierarchical structure where each Ground Commander is stove pipedand has centralised command over a specific GD consisting of three sections. In turn theHQ Commander has centralised command over the three Ground Commanders. Usingpackages Figure 7-15 also shows the ‘physical’ location of each unit, with the HQCommander based at the ‘HQ’, each GCS in a ‘shelter’ and the GD ‘forward’. In contrastFigure 7-16 shows a more decentralised structure where information is shared betweenGround Commanders 2 , allowing collaboration and if necessary the ability to commandeach GD Unit. Figure 7-16 shows how this collaborative environment would be achievedwith information sharing via a ‘Virtual Environment’, i.e. with a common network,shared intelligence databases, collaborative tools and the ability to handover control ofassets.By representing the organisation in this way we can see the purpose of humaninformation manipulations, and the physical and virtual locations of humans, and start toderive requirements for technologies that facilitate these human interactions (set againstthe background of the concept of operations). From these beginnings questions about1 In this case instances are represented with a ‘:’ before the block identifier text, and represent theinstantiation of that Role. I.e. :Ground Commander is one ‘Ground Commander’, rather than an abstractionof the generic Role. Strictly speaking instances are not included in SysML, but are included in the originalUML and thus are being used pragmatically.2 This is for illustrative purposes; this may or may not be the best way to operate the H-Fly system.35