Is More Information Better? How Dismounted Soldiers Use Video Feed From Unmanned Vehicles

Abstract

Operational tactics in urban areas are often aided by information from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A major challenge for dismounted soldiers, particularly in urban environments, is to understand the conflict area in general and particularly from the UAV feed. The UAV feed is usually used to enhance soldiers’ situation awareness abilities but less for identifying specific elements. A possible way to further enhance soldiers’ abilities is to provide them with multiple sources of information (e.g., aerial and ground views). This study examined the benefits of presenting video feed from UAVs and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) in a combined interface, relative to presenting aerial feed alone. Thirty former infantry soldiers with no experience in operating unmanned vehicles participated. Objective performance, subjective evaluations, and eye-tracking patterns were examined in two scenarios. In Scenario 1, performance scores in both identification and orientation tasks were superior in the combined configuration. In Scenario 2, performance scores in the identification tasks were improved, and the addition of the UGV feed did not harm performance in the orientation task. Eye movement scanning patterns reinforced that both UAV and UGV feeds were used for the mission. The combined configuration generated consistent benefits with regard to the identification tasks, perceived mental demand, and reduction of false reports without having any apparent cost on participants. Ground views may provide additional support to dismounted soldiers.

Is more information better for dismounted soldiers? Display-layout considerations of multiple video feed from unmanned vehicles

“…Measuring Method. Performance measures (i.e., degree of correctness of the response) were scored according to a predefined scoring index, see Ophir et al (2012).…”

“…In Ophir-Arbelle et al (2012) we examined the added value of using video feeds from both UAV and UGV simultaneously relative to using single UAV feed. Two scenarios in which there could be an advantage to adding UGV feed over UAV feed alone were developed.…”

“…Distribution of screen asset among video feed sources becomes an operational concern. Hence, it is not only what type of video feed to present (e.g., Ophir-Arbelle, et al 2012) but also how to present it. Hence, this study is a follow-up aiming to further examine possible layout configurations for identification and orientation tasks.…”

Interfaces for dismounted soldiers

“…The use of reconnaissance systems such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and Ground Vehicles (UGVs), embedded with Command and Control systems allow soldiers to receive accurate information on time from several sources. Till now, research focused primarily on evaluating interfaces that were removed from the soldier's hostile and exigent environment (e.g., Ophir-Arbelle et al 2012). The central motivation for the current study is the addition of attention-switching between the interface and the soldier's immediate environment, which could influence performance, decision-making and taskload in ways that are unobservable in lone interface studies.…”

Close Target Reconnaissance

“…It has been shown that dismounted soldiers prefer ground views over aerial ones when those can providethe necessary information (e.g., Oron-Gilad,Redden, & Minkov, 2011). They can also benefit from simultanous presentation of aerial and ground feeds (e.g., Ophir-Arbelle, Oron-Gilad, Borowsky, & Parmet, 2012). Based on postexperiment interviews with platoon leaders, Durlach (2007) found that the addition of tele-operated unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) lead to loss of attention of the immediate environment for the UGV operators who then needed to be supervised by others.…”