Get-in-the-Zone (GITZ) Transition Display Format for Changing Camera Views in Multi-UAV Operations

摘要

Control applications involving multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will require the operator to switch attention between UAVs, each potentially involving very different scenario environments and task requirements. A transition display format that employs synthetic vision technology designed to enhance an operator's situation awareness when switching between missions is under evaluation. Instead of discretely switching from the camera view for one UAV to the camera view for another, a transition format is presented such that the camera imagery seamlessly fades into a synthetic imagery correlate of the real video image and uses a fly-out, fly-in metaphor over several seconds, finishing with the transition back from synthetic to real video imagery at the new camera viewpoint. This report documents two pilot studies conducted to help design the transition format, as well as a full multi- UAV simulation evaluation. Results were promising: subjective data were favorable and some objective measures improved (none showed a decrement). Several potential enhancements to the transition format were identified, ranging from the speed of various segments of the transition to whether or not the operator has direct control over transition parameters.