The operator control software demonstrated is the result of a multiyear research effort conducted by SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) investigating Human-Computer Interface (HCI) issues associated with operating unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). The primary focus of this effort was to implement and evaluate the effectiveness of HCI enhancements made to an existing control system, with the goal of supporting simultaneous operation of multiple USVs by a single operator. Design enhancements included; integrated video and graphics displays, synthetic speech output for alert messaging, and implementation of a hand-held (game-type controller) as the primary input device. Significant improvements in operator performance were observed with the enhanced design during a simulated mission scenario. While overall results were encouraging, the researchers conclude that improvements in on-board sensor capabilities and obstacle avoidance systems may still be necessary to safely support simultaneous operation of multiple USVs in heavy workload situations.
Unmanned Vehicle Control HCI for Amphibious Operations
2014
4 Seiten
Conference paper
English