As technology advances, those that maintain and service them must be prepared for it, unmanned systems are proliferating and performing tasks that have historically been accomplished by humans. This blog serves as a repository of my work as I pursue my masters in unmanned systems. Perhaps one of the areas that requires the most research is the human factors associated with new and powerful technology, the human machine interface must be refined to the lowest common denominator to allow the most efficient operations with minimal input form the operator (Vasile, 2019). As the unmanned systems become more advanced, and their autonomy increases, the interface becomes simpler and more intuitive as developers and designers solve problems encountered during the previous generations development. Much like the development of aircraft instruments and their placement for easiest viewing by the pilot, control stations must also be configured according to the vehicle they are used with as a system originally designed for aircraft will not suffice for ground vehicles (Calhoun, 2018). With the speed at which the developments are occurring in unmanned systems, there will be growing pains as new technologies are attempted and discarded in favor other methods. A standardization must be developed to reduce the amount of training required to become proficient in the operation of these systems. Adopting interface standards across different platforms will allow more efficient operation and reduce the chances of errors.
Calhoun, G. L. (2018). Human-autonomy teaming interface design considerations for multi-unmanned vehicle control. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 321-352. doi:https://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/doi/abs/10.1080/1463922X.2017.1315751?tab=permissions&scroll=top
Vasile, P. C. (2019). Consideration about UAV command and control. Ground control station. 5th International Scientific Conference. Constanta, Romania: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series. doi:10.1088/1742-6596/1297/1/012007
Patrick Carroll 