Communication And Collaboration Cognition Systems: A Sociological Process For Integrating Standalone Technologies With The Global Information Grid

Abstract

This thought experiment discusses concepts that should be considered when performing systems integration and systems engineering efforts applicable to integrating standalone avionic and electronic cognition systems to attain complex adaptive communication and collaboration capabilities. The concepts are artificial sensory and cognition systems; biomimetics; engineering and systems engineering memes; and informational silos and their relationships to memes and memes integration problems. Put simply, from a problematic perspective, one problem is the following: Design and development teams oftentimes encounter technical challenges when attempting to integrate standalone, biomimetically-based, communication and collaboration cognition systems that were not designed to be integrated with other systems. A second problem is the following: Design and development teams oftentimes integrate systems based only on their machine-centered designs and functions and without consideration of human factor elements such as informational silos, memes and corporate cultures. A third problem is the following: Teams might encounter other systems integration and systems engineering problems and roadblocks too such as proprietary information; perceptual lenses; blind spots; and interdisciplinary and professional prejudgments, parochialisms and stereotypes. The latter can also interfere with efforts to integrate standalone systems (developed by different companies) and can also interfere with the systems being capable of providing individually attained information into command and control networks within required response times. Use of sociological processes related to holistic systems engineering, systems thinking and non-traditional professionals can be used to solve people-rated problems, to categorized unknowns for mitigating risks, and to then perform systems integration regarding communication and collaboration cognition systems.