Moving-Target Intelligent Tutoring System for Marksmanship Training

Abstract

Intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs) may augment military training systems and mitigate existing limitations in training personnel and resources. A study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of an embedded rifle marksmanship ITS for Moving Targets (MT-ITS). MT-ITS has two main components: (1) a Smart Sight System that provides a perceptual cue to help trainees adjust their point of aim to account for a target’s speed, direction of movement, and distance, and (2) a performance-based algorithm that delivers shooting performance feedback to trainees. The MT-ITS was tested in an experiment where participants engaged moving targets in a virtual shooting range. Moving targets were presented at different speeds, direction of movement, and distances. Two types of marksmanship training were compared: with ITS and without ITS (a standard training). The ITS training group produced better hit rate and aiming accuracy scores than the standard training group, requiring less practice to achieve asymptotic results. Implications for the design of embedded trainers with ITS for marksmanship specifically and for training motor skills in general are discussed in the context of future research directions.