Control Station Analysis
Unmanned systems require thoughtfully designed control stations that provide the operator with sufficient situation awareness and intuitive controls. Unlike a manned system, they can not rely on the human ability to freely sense the environment in a variety of ways, in all directions, and adapt to non-standard conditions. The following research activity will analyze the control station for an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and provide recommendations for improvement.
iRobot 510 PackBot
The iRobot 510 PackBot is a versatile UGV that is currently on the military, law enforcement, and disaster response markets. Its typical mission sets include building and route clearance, explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), and hazardous material detection and handling. The baseline vehicle has tracks and a modular payload frame that allows it to be quickly tailored to specific mission tasks or environments. The control station, referred to as the Operator Control Unit (OCU), is of ruggedized, all-weather construction and focused on portability (iRobot, 1012). It is capable of controlling the vehicle using a thin fiberoptic tether or radio link. The OCU features a 15.1 inch, 1024x768 pixel Liquid Crystal Display (LCD screen. Video from the Electro-Optical (EO) or Infrared (IR) sensors takes up most of the display. An active 3-D model of the PackBot is provided to visualize the robot’s “pose.” Gauges are provided for critical parameters such as battery power, fiber remaining, and signal strength. Still frames can be captured from the video feed, annotated, and exported using standard networking interfaces, enabling rapid dissemination of intelligence. The UGV can be controlled using the keyboard and dual joysticks on the OCU, or a video-game-style controller (iRobot, 2012).
Figure 1. 510 PackBot with control station. Adapted from iRobot 510 PackBot Multi-Mission Robot and Army-Guide.com. Copyright 2015 iRobot and ATEN 2008.
An improved PackBot interface has been fielded by the Army Research Lab, which increases the OCU portability so that it would be more compatible with fast-moving infantry units as part of the Future Combat Systems initiative. The improved OCU condenses the control station into a chest-mounted tablet computer, also with dual joystick or hand controller (Pomranky, R. et al, 2012). In order to provide more screen area for video display, the 3-D model has been removed, however critical parameter gauges remain.
Recommendation
Field testing of the improved OCU yielded mainly ergonomic problems with the display. For example, the tablet was difficult to hold while using a hand controller. The screen was also found to be unusable in bright sunlight due to glare, and at night because the screen glow gave away troops’ position. I would recommend integrating a display similar to L-3 Communications’ Tactical ROVER system (2013), which uses a clip-on helmet-mounted unit to display aircraft targeting pod video to ground parties. The display could be augmented with small critical parameter tape gauges and an artificial horizon to give the operator relative angle data. BlueTooth camera and vehicle controllers could be installed on an M-16 hand guard, which would enable essential vehicle control inputs while still holding a weapon.
References
iRobot. (2012). iRobot 510 PackBot Specificactions. Retrieved from http://www.irobotweb.com/~/media/Files/Robots/Defense/PackBot/iRobot-510-PackBot-Specs.pdf?la=en
iRobot. (2012). IRobot PackBot Accessories Manual. Retrieved from http://www.manualslib.com/products/Irobot-Packbot-2938203.html
Pomranky, R. A., Kovach, J. B., Winslow, C. H., & ARMY RESEARCH LAB ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND MD HUMAN RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING DIRECTORATE. (2012). General overview of the use of SUGV and centralized controllers type I and II during command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance on the move, event 08. (C4ISR OTM E08). Retrieved from http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA512533
L-3 Communications. (2013). Tactical ROVER-P Data Sheet. Retrieved from http://www2.l-3com.com/csw/ProductsAndServices/DataSheets/Tactical_ROVER-P_Sales-Sheet.pdf
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