Multimodal UAV ground control system

As unmanned units become more capable of self-control, and as their integration into our military forces increase, the role of the operator of these units is going to change. Current UAV ground control systems typically require to much of the operator’s attention per unit, and the role of the future operator will be more like that of a manager than that of a pilot. This paper describes research being done on a user interface for a future ground control system. Beginning with a visualization of a virtual battlefield, this next-generation UAV ground control system incorporates all available information and analyses in combination with a synthetic battlespace in a context-relevant manner. This marriage of synthetic and real information feeds, within a single visualization space, is designed to increase the situational awareness of a single operator. This virtual battlefield provides the operator with the information necessary to accomplish their task, with multiple modes of interaction for the user. The UAV Ground Control System detailed here utilizes a speech command interface, a wireless joystick interface, as well as a tablet-based direct manipulation interface similar to those used in general air unit ground control systems. Through these different types of interactions, an operator is presented with various sources of data to manage and command military units as clearly and simply as possible