Research of uncertainties in situational awareness systems and methods of their processing

Abstract

Situational awareness as the understanding of the system environment is a mandatory part of any decision support system. Formation and maintenance of situational awareness is a complex process. It comprises the stages of sensor data collection and interpretation, as well as updating of knowledge about the current situation for making correct decisions. However, all stages of this process are subject to various uncertainties and errors. They affect the knowledge about the environment and correctness of decision making using this knowledge. Various types of uncertainties have been researched and formalized. The work deals with the study and formalization of uncertainties that arise at different stages of situational awareness formation and reduction of adverse effects. The paper analyzes various models for defining and presenting the situational awareness formation process in order to find a common platform and mechanisms related to different process stages. Existing classifications, manifestations and influence of uncertainties on situational awareness at various stages of its formation are also discussed. The paper proposes methods to reduce the impact of uncertainty at all stages. The results of the analysis are appropriate for use in intelligent decision support systems for reducing the impact of different types of uncertainties in the process of situational awareness formation. Applying the ontological modeling methods as a basis for analysis provides a holistic view of the causes of uncertainties for various stages of the SA formation process, makes it possible to analyze their interdependence, create and re-use knowledge about the causes of uncertainties for specific application areas.