A Prototype Taxonomy of Training Device Visual Systems

Abstract

This paper describes and illustrates an aid (currently in prototype form) to communicate to designers and users of training devices what visual system types are currently available and appropriate for different training requirements. The aid is based on a taxonomy of visual imagery which addresses fidelity, cost and training effectiveness issues. The taxonomy includes a variety of visual scene generations from general purpose microcomputer-based imagery to dedicated state-of-the-art computer systems imagery. The scenes produced by these systems span a spectrum of video quality and costs. The aid, and the taxonomy on which it is based, is intended to help designers and the ultimate users to select relevant visual system characteristics, e.g., matching the visual system design to the training requirement. It is also intended to be useful for interdisciplinary discussion among visual engineers, computer scientists, educational specialists, human factors engineers/psychologists and program analysts. There are follow-up plans to refine the taxonomy and further develop and validate the aid.