User-Centric Control Reduces Drone Accidents

User-Centric Control Reduces Drone Accidents

Capt. Richard Koll, left, and Airman 1st Class Mike Eulo perform function checks after launching an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle Aug. 7 at Balad Air Base, Iraq. Captain Koll, the pilot, and Airman Eulo, the sensor operator, will handle the Predator in a radius of approximately 25 miles around the base before handing it off to personnel stationed in the United States to continue its mission. Both are assigned to the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force/Master Sgt. Steve Horton)

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As the activity of flying drones becomes increasingly widespread, drone accidents are also increasing. Many of these accidents are related to operational issues and, therefore, it is urgent to improve drone controls. A new study evaluated the usability of a drone controller interface supporting an external pilot’s egocentric perspective.

The findings suggest that current user interfaces used in some drones make it difficult for pilots to perceive hazards and react appropriately. An overhaul of remote control methods ranging from joysticks to smartphone apps could reduce the number of drone accidents.

Previous research suggests that approximately one third of drone accidents are caused by user error, a number that the authors of this latest study believe can be significantly reduced by improving the control software.

Oxford University Press says that remote control of drones is prevalent particularly in low-cost devices currently on the market for novice pilots, and creates a misalignment of perspectives between the user and the drone. For example, when the drone is flying away from its remote controller, the left-right control directions are aligned with those of the device enabling the user to steer with ease: they steer to the right and the drone moves to the right. However, when the drone turns around and flies towards its remote controller, the left-right direction of the drone must be controlled from the opposite direction of its remote controller interface: the user must steer right to move the drone left. The need for the pilot to mentally rotate negatively impacts their performance, slowing down their response time, impeding hazard perception, and limiting spatial awareness.

According to Homeland Security Newswire, the study comprised two experiments wherein participants used flight simulators to compare the ease and safety of user-centric controls (such as those used by an airplane pilot) with external piloting (remote control methods ranging from joysticks to smartphone apps). The thirty participants had no prior experience driving drones or remote control cars, and were tasked with guiding their drone through an obstacle course. The study measured obstacle avoidance response time as well as avoidance success rate.

According to the article published by the researchers on the journal Interacting with Computers, the results revealed that the controller designed from the pilot’s egocentric point of view had a stronger performance regardless of the direction of drone flight.

Based on the results, implications are discussed.

External piloting is considered as one of the fundamental causes of frequent drone crashes.

External piloting causes a misalignment problem due to the difference between the drone-centric or allocentric perspective and an external pilot’s egocentric perspective.

On the other hand, the egocentric drone control interface outperforms the traditional, drone-centric control interface by removing the cognitive load of mental rotation generated by the process of aligning two different perspectives.