A NATURAL HUMAN-DRONE INTERFACE FOR BETTER SPATIAL PRESENCE EXPERIENCES

Abstract

As many remote construction projects increase in size and complexity, being able to manage personnel schedules, delegate tasks, and check work progress can improve work efficiency and productivity. Hence, video conferencing and remote monitoring software have been attempting to pursue an immersive and intuitive experience, but with limited developments. To better achieve that, we propose a system with a natural user interface (NUI) that can offer a vivid experience, facilitating AEC personnel who is novice drone operator to interact with the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) by voice instructions and body posture to conduct remote site surveying, monitoring, and inspections instead of physical visiting. In addition, the proposed system is capable of on-demand path planning and camera movements for various tasks and enhances the spatial experience. We integrate these techniques to develop a human-drone interface, including a VR simulator and a haptic vest system, which offer a perceivable experience of spatial presence for different purposes. Compared with other relative works, the proposed system allows users to actively control the viewing angle and movements in the remote space more intuitively. Moreover, drones can augment human vision and let users gain mobile autonomy.