Exploratory results for a mission specialist interface in micro unmanned aerial systems

Abstract

This paper presents a human-robot interaction (HRI) exploratory study of a dedicated Mission Specialist interface for micro unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Current HRI findings from the micro UAS literature suggest that a Mission Specialist role requires a small, mobile, and visual interface that is dedicated and software-based. A literature survey of humanrobot team modeling, human-machine interaction technologies, and interaction principles applicable to micro UAS, resulted in an identified HRI investigation framework, five synthesized design guidelines, and a system architecture for a dedicated Mission Specialist interface. The interface was implemented and evaluated through an exploratory field study involving 16 specialized emergency responders. Observations from the study suggested that with refinements, a dedicated Mission Specialist interface could be a useful tool for future HRI studies to explore role performance in micro UAS.