Saab is taking the opportunity of the DSEI 2023 exhibition, held in London from 12-15 September, to unveil a new immersive, intuitive user platform concept it is calling the Future Operator Workspace.
Speaking to journalists on 5 September, Johan Hägg, product manager for combat system solutions within Saab, said the Future Operator Workspace was designed as a “revolutionary combat console on the cutting edge” that had gone from concept to reality in eight months. While early work of the concept took place in both Sweden and Australia, the Future Operator Workspace was ultimately developed by Saab’s Australian business, given the available capacity there and the fact that Saab had relevant in-country expertise after being selected as the sovereign combat management system (CMS) provider to the Royal Australian Navy in September 2022. While the concept has wider potential applications, it is currently naval focused.
The premise for the development of the Future Operator Workspace was Saab recognising that its naval CMS clients were having to deliver capability with smaller crews facing more tasks and a burgeoning number of potential threats. The Future Operator Workspace was therefore developed to provide a clear and distinct presentation of the tactical and operational environment. Saab says it optimises the operator’s ability to process complex cognitive decisions in an instant, while its characteristics combine to reduce operator mental load and fatigue, enabling increased reaction times and saving valuable seconds in critical situations.
Featuring its own floor to insulate the console and its operator from any shocks suffered by the vessel in which it is installed, the Future Operator Workspace has an ergonomic design that accommodates fifth percentile female through to 95th percentile male operators. Its main features are a 700 mm (diagonal) main display flanked by two vertically oriented 556 mm displays, along with user interfaces that include a number of input options: a 610 mm touch input display, a split keyboard with backlighting, two trackballs and a touchpad. The workstation also features stereo audio and an integrated communications system.
While the concept was built on the legacy of Saab’s widely adopted 9LV CMS, there were software teams working on it that were not used to the limits of the 9LV architecture and who therefore had a fresh approach.
Following its development and unveiling at DSEI 2023, the next milestone for the Future Operator Workspace prior to securing a contract, said Hägg, will be to have what he referred to as a “productified” unit. The workstation prototype was produced using aluminium, although Hägg said Saab would probably look to produce it in carbon fibre at some stage.
A key future requirement for the concept is that it can be produced in different parts of the world.
Peter Felstead
