Drone safety: User-centric control softwareimproves pilot performance and safety4 October 2016

A new study into the safety of drone controlinterfaces suggests that an overhaul of remotecontrol methods ranging from joysticks tosmartphone apps could reduce the number ofdrone accidents. The findings, published this weekin Interacting with Computers, suggest that currentuser interfaces used in some drones makes itdifficult for pilots to perceive hazards and reactappropriately.

Advances in commercial uses of drones, in film-making and merchandise delivery, for example, aswell an increase in amateur interest, has led to asurge in drone related accidents causing damageto property as well as harm to humans. Previousresearch suggests that approximately one third ofdrone accidents are caused by user error, anumber that the authors of this latest study believecan be significantly reduced by improving thecontrol software.

Remote control of drones is prevalent particularlyin low-cost devices currently on the market fornovice pilots, and creates a misalignment ofperspectives between the user and the drone. Forexample, when the drone is flying away from its remote controller, the left-right control directionsare aligned with those of the device enabling theuser to steer with ease: they steer to the right andthe drone moves to the right. However, when thedrone turns around and flies towards its remotecontroller, the left-right direction of the drone mustbe controlled from the opposite direction of itsremote controller interface: the user must steerright to move the drone left. The need for the pilotto mentally rotate negatively impacts theirperformance, slowing down their response time,impeding hazard perception, and limiting spatialawareness.

The study was comprised of two experimentswherein participants used flight simulators tocompare the ease and safety of user-centriccontrols (such as those used by an airplane pilot)

with external piloting (remote control methodsranging from joysticks to smartphone apps). The 30participants had no prior experience driving dronesor remote control cars, and were tasked withguiding their drone through an obstacle course. Thestudy measured obstacle avoidance response timeas well as avoidance success rate, and shows theuser-centric interface improving performance onboth counts.

Findings support the conclusion that a user-centricinterface design significantly improves performanceof drone pilots, and resolves some of the usercontrol issues undermining drone safety.

Professor Kwangsu Cho explains "despiteincreases in drone-crashes, research anddevelopment on user-centered control interfaceshas been limited. The user interface of drones iscritical to safety, quality piloting, and satisfaction.We are developing other user-centered droneinterfaces especially for non-experts, and are eagerto collaborate with manufacturers to improvesafety".

More information: Kwangsu Cho et al, Fly aDrone Safely: Evaluation of an EmbodiedEgocentric Drone Controller Interface, Interactingwith Computers (2016). DOI: 10.1093/iwc/iww027

Provided by Oxford University Press

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APA citation: Drone safety: User-centric control software improves pilot performance and safety (2016,October 4) retrieved 7 July 2018 from https://phys.org/news/2016-10-drone-safety-user-centric-software.html

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