Survey of the human-centered approach to micro air vehicles

Abstract

A detailed overview of some of the Human Systems Integration (HSI) and Human Factors Engineering (HFE) issues involved with the newest and perhaps fastest growing research area in unmanned systems, micro air vehicles (MAVs), will be presented. This work will be useful to those studying MAV system concepts and designs, managers of HSI programs, users of MAV systems, and those who design MAVs and the resources to support them. The importance of a total systems engineering approach to MAV design, how MAVs fit into commonly accepted Human Systems Integration domains, and an exposure of some emerging issues with MAVs that require further research are discussed. The unique attributes of MAVs in terms of their size and control methods, combined with the challenges of the dynamic operational environments where they are deployed (such as the battlefield), represent HFE issues exclusive to the MAV platform that require special consideration. The importance of designing for the human operator is paramount for successful outcomes with MAV platforms. Literature currently addressing HFE issues with unmanned platforms generally lump all flying systems together, making no distinction between the large high-altitude platforms and smaller ones, despite there being a unique set of challenges that are specific to smaller platforms. Specifically highlighted are some areas where currently researched HFE issues are particularly applicable to MAVs as opposed to large-scale systems.