UI for Remote Operation of Drones - Designing a user interface for simultaneously operating multiple automated drones remotely in support of sea rescue missions

Abstract

Drones are increasingly used as tools across various domains, and the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) sees potential in utilizing them to aid sea rescue missions. Their Eyes-On-Scene project aims to streamline their rescue missions by deploying a drone immediately upon receiving an alarm, providing real-time footage of the site to the crew who can prepare according to the situation. In cases where multiple alarms are received simultaneously, it would be advantageous if a single remote operator could manage multiple drones – a possibility explored through this thesis. In response, the project followed an iterative design and evaluation process, incorporating interaction design methodology within phases of research, analysis, synthesis, and realisation. Findings from the process resulted in a set of nine key considerations, highlighting factors of user control, customisability and personalisation, cognitive load, situational awareness, and system transparency and feedback. The considerations are a product of the design process, which additionally produced a high-fidelity prototype of an interface adhering to these principles. The prototype is paired with annotations and is a direct deliverable to SSRS as well as a contribution to design practitioners. Additionally, this thesis provides valuable insights for researching or developing a multi-control drone UI in a sea rescue context. Potential future work is discussed in the report, highlighting the need to further evaluate the considerations.