DASA is seeking proposals that enhance innovations in Human-Machine Interaction (HMI); and interface technologies and approaches to support teamwork and collaboration. Defence wants to accelerate and de-risk the requirement specification and development of HMI technologies for future defence capabilities.
DASA will fund both seed projects (up to £50,000) and development projects (up to £150,000) under phase 1 of this call.
The call is focused on 2 different levels of maturity
- Supporting the development and exploitation of emerging low (TRL 2 – 4) HMI
- Harnessing higher maturity innovation – technologies that may have been developed at higher TRLs in other industry sectors which could be repurposed for a Defence environment up to TRL6
Technical Challenges
- HMI innovations with the constrained space environment – enhancing the interaction between people and systems within physically constrained and environmentally challenging environments. eg fold-up displays, rapidly deployable interfaces, wearable displays
- AI assistive task support, AI enabled decision support tools, and novel interface modalities – unlocking task performance improvements through the provision of novel interface technologies and interaction approaches and tools to support users in areas such as: control inputs, improving situational awareness, interacting with information, making decisions. eg contextually aware hardware and software which adapts to suit task and environment; multi-model interfaces especially natural dialogue or gesture based, interaction technologies that support mobile users
- Enhancing teamwork and Collaboration – tools which may benefit both co-located and distributed teams engaged in collaborative and co-operative working. Often teams operate within constrained systems, architectures, and workstations; where the introduction and implementation of new team aids is prohibitive. eg collaboration tools within virtual and augmented environments, technologies which work alongside, yet independent of core systems, support shared situational awareness.
Submissions are due 19 July 2023.
A Q&A webinar will be held 24 May 2023. Register here.
