Chapter 18. Conclusions

This underlying report describes how HFM-170 successfully developed and demonstrated pertinent supervisory control human-system interface design practices and operator interface concepts for Uninhabited Vehicles (UVs) network-centric operations. In a series of 14 specific Technology Demonstrations (TDs) it was shown that the operator’s role is becoming more supervisory of nature since future UVs will be increasingly automated (e.g., autonomous capabilities, multiple systems, systems of systems), on the other hand it was demonstrated that new sensor and control technologies enable operators to be closer in the loop in a telepresence situation. The applications addressed varied in degree of autonomy from manual robotic control to highly autonomous, swarming UVs. A variety of critical issues were addressed including multi-vehicle control, manned-unmanned teaming, human-automation interaction, telepresence interfaces, delegation interfaces, vehicle hand-offs, operator workload adaptive systems, variable levels of autonomy, authority sharing, situation awareness aids, cognitive workload assessment, swarming interfaces, and dynamic mission management. HFM-170 also concentrated on the identification and demonstration of successful supervisory control methodologies and interface design practices for enabling single operator control of multiple UVs.