Improving target acquisition performance by integrating human behavior models and unmanned aerial vehicle control automation

Abstract

In pursuit of adaptive automation methods, the objective of this research was to develop a reliable Integrated Human Behavioral Model and Stochastic Controller (IHBMSC) that could be coupled to the vehicle assignment, scheduling and path planning automation. The effort developed a human operator model that represents an individual’s performance tendencies and biases across a range of target acquisition and workload situations (e.g., arrival rate at POIs, dwell time over POIs, etc.). The idiographic-based model was integrated with the stochastic controller (SC) and cooperative control algorithm, leading to a more “closed-loop” form of problem-solving that not only accounts for the vehicles’ capabilities but also the individual operator’s behavior and performance in the uncertain environment.