Combat Vehicle Training with Thermal Imagery

Three training effectiveness experiments were conducted on a computer-based, thermal combat vehicle identification program developed under the auspices of the Product Manager for Forward Looking Infrared. The program included real thermal imagery of vehicles. The first experiment compared part- task training schedules. The second compared a self-paced trial procedure, which incorporated side by side visual corrective feedback, to a timed trial procedure, which gave only knowledge of results feedback. The third examined the effects of training at near versus far ranges. Thermal training substantially improved scores on both thermal and visible images of vehicles that had been trained, but not for other vehicles. long vehicle sets led to learning plateaus; shorter and multiple sets worked better. learning was more efficient and transfer was enhanced when soldiers responded at their own pace and received corrective visual feedback. Soldiers learned to discriminate vehicles at far ranges, although it took them twice as long as soldiers who trained on near imagery. Even with extensive training, some vehicle confusions persisted, indicating great similarity in thermal signatures for some vehicles. The findings were applied to the program. Efforts are continuing to refine it and to field it throughout the Army.Army Research Inst for the Behavioral and Social Sciences Alexandria VA is the author of 'Combat Vehicle Training with Thermal Imagery', published 1997 under ISBN 9781423562900 and ISBN 1423562909.