Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or more correctly unmanned systems, are growing in awareness and demand for applications in both the military and commercial worlds. As the technologies for unmanned systems continue to evolve, greater consideration must be given to the human element which is inherently connected to the specific unmanned system. While the reliability and confidence levels have risen tremendously in unmanned systems, humans remain prone to error. When considering flight, human factor related errors are still the cause of most aircraft accidents and mishaps. It is unrealistic to think that human errors can be totally eliminated; however, errors can be minimized or captured before they ultimately result in an accident or mission failure. This paper examines those human factors which are critical to a safe and efficient unmanned systems operation. By its nature, unmanned systems create a set of unique and sometimes unexpected challenges with respect to human factors. The biggest perhaps being that operators can be several thousand miles away from unmanned vehicles. The factors of remoteness and situation awareness are further complicated by reduced sensory information, resource limitations, task loading, interface complexities, and system design problems. Additionally, factors such as decision making, judgment, fatigue, visual illusions, stress, and complacency all play a pivotal role in the success or failure of task completion. As the complexity and usage of unmanned systems continue to grow, these challenges will increase. Operators must be trained and prepared for new and unique human factors in unmanned systems as well as the familiar set of human factors in aviation researched over the past many years. Understanding these human factors associated with the operation of unmanned systems will greatly increase the potential for success.
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