Input Device Characteristics Contribute to Performance during Training to Operate a Simulated Micro-Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Abstract
Our previous research demonstrated that for teleoperation of a simulated micro-unmanned aerial vehicle (MAV), flight skill missions were completed faster using a game controller than a mouse as the input device (Billings & Durlach, 2008; Durlach, Neumann, & Billings, 2008). The present experiment examined three factors that may have led to this advantage: attention (focused vs. divided), control of vehicle speed (user controlled vs. system), and movement ability (one direction vs. multiple directions at a time). Fifty participants were randomly assigned to one of five input device configurations and underwent operator training, which included simulated flight skill and reconnaissance missions in two synthetic environments. Movement in multiple directions yielded significantly faster mission completion than single direction movement in flight skill missions. User-controlled speed yielded significantly faster mission completion in reconnaissance missions. The attentional manipulation failed to influence performance. Workload was rated lowest when the user had focused attention, control of speed, and multiple directions of movement simultaneously. The results suggest that various features of the input device contribute differently to performance and perceived workload, depending on the required task, and demonstrate the importance of matching input device characteristics to task characteristics for human-computer interaction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA531635
Entities
People
- Deborah R. Billings
- Paula J. Durlach