The human-machine interface (HMI) is a crucial yet often overlooked aspect in the design of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UASs). A properly designed HMI enhances situational awareness and reduces the workload of the ground pilot, thereby contributing to improving the overall mission performance. Typically, a Human Factors Engineering (HFE) program provides a methodological process to support good design. The program comprises three iterative stages: requirements analysis and capture, design and evaluation. A number of approaches can be adopted in the HFE program but given the wide range of applications and missions that are being undertaken by different types of UAS, it is advantageous to adopt a functional approach towards HMI design, where the HMI is designed around specific functions to be performed by either the human user or the system. The typical UAS functions include mission planning, sensor operation, data analysis and sense-and-avoid (SAA), and can also extend to multi-platform coordination and collaborative decision-making. The human factors considerations and the associated HMI elements supporting these functionalities are discussed.

Chapter Contents:

• 2.1 Introduction
• 2.2 UAS HMI functionalities
• 2.2.1 Reconfigurable displays
• 2.2.2 Sense and avoid
• 2.2.3 Mission planning and management
• 2.2.4 Multi-platform coordination
• 2.3 GCS HMI elements
• 2.4 Human factors program
• 2.4.1 Requirements definition, capture and refinement
• 2.4.2 Task analysis
• 2.4.3 Hierarchal task analysis
• 2.4.4 Cognitive task analysis
• 2.4.5 Critical task analysis
• 2.4.6 Operational sequence diagram
• 2.4.7 Systems design and development
• 2.4.8 Design evaluation
• 2.4.9 Verification and validation
• 2.5 Future work
• 2.6 Conclusions
• References

Inspec keywords: aerospace engineering; control engineering computing; human factors; decision making; human computer interaction; autonomous aerial vehicles; data analysis; groupware

Other keywords: collaborative decision-making; HMI; situational awareness; mission planning; sense-and-avoid; human factors engineering; human-machine interface design; sensor operation; unmanned aircraft systems; data analysis; UAS human factors

Subjects: Control engineering computing; User interfaces; Mobile robots; Aerospace engineering computing; Game theory; Aerospace control; Groupware