Applying Coherent Design to Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Operations and Control Stations

Abstract

This paper addresses principles of coherent design in the design of operational procedures, control systems and ground control stations for uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs). Creating a coherent set of operating procedures, automatic functions and Ground Control Stations (GCS) requires a systematic design approach that creates a consistent conceptual thread between these elements. Following this approach, Cognitive Work Analysis was used to develop procedures, automatic functions and ground control stations for continuous target surveillance using a UAV. The importance of the coherence was subsequently analyzed through human-in-the-loop simulation. The results indicate that UAV controllers, using coherent designs, achieve significantly higher mission performance and experience lower workloads than those using incoherently matched procedures, automatic functions and GCS.