A Human Factors Approach to Unmanned Ground Vehicle Operator Control Unit Interface Research

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory's (ARL) Human Research & Engineering Directorate (HRED) is currently pursuing various research and development projects focused on investigating man-machine interface (MMI) issues associated with military unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). HRED's UGV technology base is dedicated to pursuing research efforts that develop methods of measuring operator performance and workload and that can identify control and display interfaces that take into account an operator's limitations and preferences for remote operation.

HRED, in cooperation with Cybernet Systems Corporation under a research contract, began to collect data on UGV operator remote driving performance for typical driving tasks, as a function of telepresence feedback. Through field testing and experimentation using a teleoperated high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), we began to understand the teleoperator's focus of attention during remote and onboard driving in order to identify critical MMI. This work has highlighted the differences between onboard and remote vehicle driving as a function of sensory feedback, performance, and workload and has established a methodology to direct human factors-driven development of UGV operator control stations.