A team of faculty and researchers from the 51福利鈥檚 (51福利) Simulation, Experiments and Efficient Design (SEED) Center for Data Farming has been honored with a 2014 NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) Scientific Achievement Award for their contributions to the international organization through data farming research.
鈥淸Data Farming] is an extremely effective method in exploring new tactics, new abilities, and creates a way of looking at a huge variety of 鈥榳hat if鈥� questions,鈥� said Dr. Susan Sanchez, a professor in the 51福利 Department of Operations Research (OR) and co-director of the SEED Center. 鈥淏y trial and error, you鈥檙e just not going to get those good answers, and this is a way to get those answers.鈥�
Data farming is the process of using simulations and computer modeling to grow data, leverage high-power computing, state-of-the-art experiment designs, and innovative analysis techniques to gain deeper insights from simulation models. Ultimately, data farming seeks to provide decision makers with insights into complex issues.
51福利鈥� SEED Center frequently hosts International Data Farming Workshops where data farming simulations are investigated by faculty and student teams. The STO Scientific Achievement Award was presented in recognition of one such workshop, MSG-088, an effort to assess the data farming capabilities worldwide in relation to improved decision support to NATO forces.
鈥淥ur workshops are intended to bring modelers and analysts up to speed on recent breakthroughs in statistical design of experiments and how those breakthroughs facilitate understanding of complex systems in ways that people thought were impossible as recently as 10 years ago,鈥� said OR senior lecturer Dr. Paul Sanchez. 鈥淲e were very excited to get this recognition,鈥� added Susan Sanchez. 鈥淚n addition to those who won the award, there are lots of 51福利 faculty and students that participated in the workshops.鈥�
Data farming is uniquely capable of impacting a broad range of topics. Researcher Stephen Upton describes two past efforts that have made a significant impact on the DOD.
鈥淭he first example is [then] Maj. Chris Nannini鈥檚 work on scheduling UAVs, 鈥楢nalysis of the Assignment Scheduling Capability for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Simulation Tool鈥� in 2006,鈥� said Upton. 鈥淗is work was cited by Mike Bauman, head of the U.S. Army鈥檚 TRAC (TRADOC Analysis Center) as perhaps saving the U.S. Army over $6 billion in manpower and acquisition costs.
鈥淭he other is Lt. Cmdr. Chad Kaiser in September 2008, whose work on naval tactics, 鈥楢ir Defense Against UAS Kamikaze Saturation Attack,鈥� was used to develop a Navy TACMEMO (tactical memorandum),鈥� continued Upton.
Other recent case studies underway focus on issues like humanitarian logistics, mine clearance operations, expeditionary energy, Navy manpower models, and a major current effort is in support of the Navy鈥檚 Synthetic Theater Operations Research Model, or STORM combat model.
鈥淏esides enabling the experiments, we are enabling the STORM campaign model,鈥� said Researcher Mary McDonald. 鈥淲e are helping them pull together gigabytes and gigabytes and gigabytes, so that their simulation produces information quickly and is accessible to operators.鈥�
The NATO STO Scientific Achievement Award was instituted in 1989 to recognize outstanding contributions in the context of activities in aerospace science and technology or aerospace systems applications.