Investigating UAS Operator Characteristics Influencing Mission Success

The two objectives of this study were to 1) evaluate how specific operator characteristics (prior experience in manned and unmanned flight, teamwork, and gaming) influence mission success in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations; and 2) evaluate the potential utility of a performance assessment tool. Mission success was assessed using a modified version of the Situation Awareness Linked Indicators Adapted to Novel Tasks (SALIANT) methodology. Eighteen participants completed a UAS scenario (port security) as part of 9 two-person crews (pilot and sensor operator). Results showed that the SALIANT measure was able to discriminate differences in performance among the UAS crews. Results also revealed significant correlations between the targeted operator characteristics and several of the SALIANT indicators. Findings from this study will be used to refine the SALIANT measure to support future research on how to optimize human performance in this domain