Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: The way forward

ABSTRACT Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) research has been an ongoing effort for at least 50 years. The benefits of UAVs use include reduced cost, no warfighter risk, non-linear increase in performance due to synergy. Although UAVs use in increased by time, their level of automation and integration in current military operations is far from being efficient and, thus, widely accepted. Especially, under the concept of revolution in military affairs, and thus in network centric operations environment, SUAVs play a significant role in the battlefield forces performance. The goal of this report is to identify Human System Integration (HSI) and automation issues that contribute to improved effectiveness and efficiency in the operation of U.S. military Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (SUAVs). HSI issues relevant to SUAV operations are reviewed and observations from field trials are summarized. Short-term improvements are suggested, research issues are identified, and an overview is provided of research, design concepts, and automation technologies applicable to future SUAV design.

[1]  John D. Lee,et al.  Trust in Automation: Designing for Appropriate Reliance , 2004 .

[2]  Christof Koch,et al.  Visual attention and target detection in cluttered natural scenes , 2001 .

[3]  D. L. Simms,et al.  Normal Accidents: Living with High-Risk Technologies , 1986 .

[4]  David D. Woods,et al.  The price of flexibility , 1993, IUI '93.

[5]  Michael E. McCauley,et al.  Human Systems Integration and Automation Issues in Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles , 2004 .

[6]  Mica R. Endsley,et al.  The Out-of-the-Loop Performance Problem and Level of Control in Automation , 1995, Hum. Factors.

[7]  Thomas B. Sheridan,et al.  Telerobotics, Automation, and Human Supervisory Control , 2003 .

[8]  Nigel Shadbolt,et al.  Cognitive cockpit engineering: Coupling functional state assessment, task knowledge management and decision support for context sensitive aiding , 2001 .

[9]  Christopher D. Wickens,et al.  A model for types and levels of human interaction with automation , 2000, IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern. Part A.

[10]  Thomas B. Sheridan,et al.  Humans and Automation: System Design and Research Issues , 2002 .

[11]  Peter A. Hancock,et al.  Human-Centered Design of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles , 2003 .

[12]  Michael E. McCauley,et al.  Cybersickness: Perception of Self-Motion in Virtual Environments , 1992, Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments.

[13]  Nadine B. Sarter,et al.  How in the World Did We Ever Get into That Mode? Mode Error and Awareness in Supervisory Control , 1995, Hum. Factors.

[14]  Renwick E. Curry,et al.  Flight-deck automation: promises and problems , 1980 .