A Stereoscope Display for On-line Monitoring of Simulated Terminal Engagements

This document describes an on-line facility developed by the Psychology Group at M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory, designed to provide a stereoscopic, dynamic display of reentry bodies for use by systems analysts. The facility utilizes an IBM 7094 to perform calculations, which are then transmitted to a PDP-1 computer to drive a Type 340 CRT display.

The primary objective of the project is to replace existing, inefficient batch-processing methods for system analysis with an interactive, on-line facility. This allows analysts to monitor programs in real-time, intervene if errors occur, and gain a more rapid, profound understanding of system parameters and hypothesis testing. The stereoscopic display provides an immediate perception of depth, which is critical for interpreting the complex, three-dimensional movements of reentry bodies and interceptors. The document also details the system's hardware configuration, the display techniques (including off-centering and magnification), and plans for using the facility to evaluate terminal defense doctrines.