Examining the expectations of autonomy and human intervention in a multi-robot surveillance task

Abstract

Robotic systems using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming more practical in military applications. However, current systems utilize a one (or multiple) operator/one UAV interface and are difficult for inexperienced operators to use. In addition, systems that have an autonomy component create issues because operators tend to intervene more frequently if their expectations of the autonomy are not met. In this paper, we examine several approaches for cooperative surveillance using multiple UAVs. Additionally, we elucidate the role of human expectations in a surveillance task using a novel single operator/multiple UAV user interface.