There has been a great deal of human factors research on unmanned air and ground vehicles, but there is very little research examining the unique human factors problems associated with unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The lack of research is surprising considering the increased use and the envisioned future use of UUVs in military maritime operations. In this paper, it is argued that because the underwater environment is so harsh and challenging, operating UUVs presents human factors problems that are different from the challenges of surface unmanned systems. Several common human factors problems are discussed when using unmanned systems, including the loss of sensory cues and spatial awareness, the control of the remote vehicle, problems with situation awareness and workload, and problems with trust in automation. In each case, these issues are discussed with respect to underwater operations.
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