Supporting Flight Control for UAV-Assisted Wilderness Search and Rescue Through Human Centered Interface Design

• Main Author: Cooper, Joseph L.
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2007
• Subjects: UAV; WiSAR; GDTA; HRI; ecological design; 3D interface; situation awareness; human factors; Computer Sciences
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1217; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2216&context=etd

Inexpensive, rapidly deployable, camera-equipped Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems can potentially assist with a huge number of tasks. However, in many cases such as wilderness search and rescue (WiSAR), the potential users of the system may not be trained as pilots. Simple interface concepts can be used to build an interaction layer that allows an individual with minimal operator training to use the system to facilitate a search or inspection task. We describe an analysis of WiSAR as currently accomplished and show how a UAV system might fit into the existing structure. We then discuss preliminary system design efforts for making UAV-enabled search possible and practical. Finally, we present both a carefully controlled experiment and partially structured field trials that illustrate principles for making UAV-assisted search a reality. Our experiments show that the traditional method for controlling a camera-enabled UAV is significantly more difficult than integrated methods. Success and troubles during field trials illustrate several desiderata and information needs for a UAV search system.