Date of Award
Spring 2010
Document Type
Thesis - Open Access
Degree Name
Master of Science in Human Factors & Systems
Department
Human Factors and Systems
Committee Chair
Dahai Liu
Committee Member
Shawn Michael Doherty
Committee Member
Dennis A. Vincenzi
Abstract
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are being utilized at an increasing rate for a number of military applications. The potential for their use in the national airspace is also of interest to the Federal Aviation Administration, but there are some concerns about the safety of flying unmanned aircraft. The role of a UAS operator differs from that of a pilot in a manned aircraft, and this new role creates a need for a shift in interface and task design in order to take advantage of the full potential of these systems. This study examined the effect of time pressure and task uncertainty have on autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle operator task performance and workload. Thirty undergraduate students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University participated in this study. The primary task was image identification, and secondary tasks consisted of responding to events encountered in typical UAS operations. Time pressure was found to produce a significant difference in subjective workload ratings as well as secondary task performance scores, while task uncertainty was found to produce a significant difference in the primary task performance scores. The results were examined, and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Petersen, Trevor, "Effect of Time Pressure and Task Uncertainty on Human Operator Performance and Workload for Autonomous Aerial Vehicle Missions" (2010). Master's Theses - Daytona Beach. 165.
https://commons.erau.edu/db-theses/165
