ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the innovative capabilities of shared lightweight annotation technology (SLATE). It outlines the collaboration and communication requirements of Special Operations Forces (SOF) operations. SLATE possesses two innovative capabilities to enhance shared situation awareness and tactical decision-making: methods for creating multimedia annotations and attention management tools to recover situation awareness following interruptions. Communications may also be distributed in time as well as space. While many communications occur in real time, there are many occasions when SOF teams are engaged in activities that limit communication. Supporting and improving transactive memory should improve knowledge interoperability. This capability should primarily benefit the macrocognitive processes involved in the knowledge construction and team problem solving stages of collaboration. SLATE construes annotations as messages that are shared with team members as they are created. This alternative concept of operations turns annotations from a spatial commenting tool into a dynamic spatial messaging tool.
