Discoveries from integrating robots into SWAT team training exercises

This research discusses the results of two field evaluations associated with the integration of a ground robot within SWAT team operations. The results indicate that officers preferred having the robot in a Point (first man in) role to having the robot located in the Rear-Guard (last man in) role. The results indicate that the officers reported the robot to be more appealing, trustworthy, cooperative, and helpful in the Point role. They also expressed that they felt less stressed and pressured when the robot was in this role versus having the robot following the team. The robot serving in the Point role was viewed as more integrated with the team and the team liked the robot more than when it was in the Rear-Guard role. The survey results indicate that there were no differences in responses when comparing two different ground robots in the Point role; however during debriefing discussions and from anecdotal comments made by SWAT team officers, a strong preference was expressed for the more rugged, reliable, slower paced Husky A200 robot.

[1]  Henrik I. Christensen,et al.  Assessment of man-portable robots for law enforcement agencies , 2007 .

[2]  J. Kumagai Techno cops [police robotic and electronic technology] , 2002 .

[3]  Hoa G. Nguyen,et al.  Robotics for law enforcement: applications beyond explosive ordnance disposal , 2001, SPIE Optics East.

[4]  Thomas B. Sheridan Task Analysis, Task Allocation and Supervisory Control , 1997 .

[5]  Glenn Taylor,et al.  A multi-modal intelligent user interface for supervisory control of unmanned platforms , 2012, 2012 International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems (CTS).

[6]  Wolfgang Fastenmeier,et al.  Driving Task Analysis as a Tool in Traffic Safety Research and Practice , 2007 .

[7]  Jessie Y. C. Chen,et al.  Human-Robot Teams Collaborating Socially, Organizationally, and Culturally , 2011 .

[8]  N A Stanton,et al.  Distributed situation awareness in dynamic systems: theoretical development and application of an ergonomics methodology , 2006, Ergonomics.

[9]  David Woods,et al.  Overcoming the Keyhole in Human-Robot Coordination: Simulation and Evaluation , 2005 .

[10]  Dirk Schulz,et al.  Real time interaction with mobile robots using hand gestures , 2012, 2012 7th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI).

[11]  Nikolaos Papanikolopoulos,et al.  Impact orientation invariant robot design: an approach to projectile deployed robotic platforms , 2006, Proceedings 2006 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, 2006. ICRA 2006..

[12]  K. Schreiner,et al.  Operation: microrobot , 1999, IEEE Intell. Syst..

[13]  S. Nahavandi,et al.  OzBotTM -haptic augmentation of a teleoperated robotic platform for search and rescue operations , 2007, 2007 IEEE International Workshop on Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics.

[14]  Rapid Thermal Multiprocessor,et al.  Supervisory Control of a , 1993 .

[15]  D O'Hare,et al.  Cognitive task analyses for decision centred design and training. , 1998, Ergonomics.

[16]  Clifford Nass,et al.  Computers are social actors , 1994, CHI '94.

[17]  MR Jones Autonomous Robots in SWAT Applications : Research , Design , and Operations Challenges , 2002 .

[18]  L.T.C. Blitch Semi-autonomous tactical robots for urban operations , 1998, Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE International Symposium on Intelligent Control (ISIC) held jointly with IEEE International Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Robotics and Automation (CIRA) Intell.

[19]  Qiang Huang,et al.  A throwable miniature robotic system , 2011, 2011 IEEE International Conference on Automation and Logistics (ICAL).

[20]  Manigandan M.,et al.  Wireless Vision Based Mobile Robot Control Using Hand Gesture Recognition Through Perceptual Color Space , 2010, 2010 International Conference on Advances in Computer Engineering.