Human-robot interaction research for current and future military applications: from the laboratory to the field

Abstract

Unmanned air and ground vehicles are an integral part of military operations. However, the use of the robot goes beyond moving the platform from point A to point B. The operator who is responsible for the robots will have a multitude of tasks to complete; route planning for the robot, monitoring the robot during the mission, monitoring and interpreting the sensor information received by the robot, and communicating that information with others. As a result, the addition of robotics can be considered a burden on the operator if not integrated appropriately into the system. The goal of the US Army Research Laboratory's Human Robotic Interaction (HRI) Program is to enable the Soldier to use robotic systems in a way that increases performance, that is, to facilitate effective collaboration between unmanned systems and the Soldier. The program uses multiple research approaches; modeling, simulation, laboratory experimentation, and field experimentation to achieve this overall goal. We have basic and applied research in HRI to include supervisory control, mounted and dismounted robotic control, and mitigation strategies for the HRI environment. This paper describes our HRI program across these various domains and how our research is supporting both current and future military operations.