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Target Acquisition With UAVs: Vigilance Displays and Advanced Cuing Interfaces

Microsoft Game Studios, Redmond, Washington

Joel S. Warm

Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

W. Todd Nelson

Air Force Research Laboratory

Robert S. Bolia

Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

Donald A. Schumsky

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

Kevin J. Corcoran

University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

Vigilance and threat detection are critical human factors considerations in the control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Utilizing a vigilance task in which threat detections (critical signals) led observers to perform a subsequent manual target acquisition task, this study provides information that might have important implications for both of these considerations in the design of future UAV systems. A sensory display format resulted in more threat detections, fewer false alarms, and faster target acquisition times and imposed a lighter workload than did a cognitive display format. Additionally, advanced visual, spatial-audio, and haptic cuing interfaces enhanced acquisition performance over no cuing in the target acquisition phase of the task, and they did so to a similar degree. Thus, in terms of potential applications, this research suggests that a sensory format may be the best display format for threat detection by future UAV operators, that advanced cuing interfaces may prove useful in future UAV systems, and that these interfaces are functionally interchangeable.

Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Vol. 47, No. 3, 488-497 (2005)
DOI: 10.1518/001872005774859971


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