Predictive Model for Human-Unmanned Vehicle Systems

Advances in automation are making it possible for a single operator to control multiple unmanned vehicles. However, the complex nature of these teams presents a difficult and exciting challenge for designers of human-unmanned vehicle systems. To build such systems effectively, models must be developed that describe the behavior of the human-unmanned vehicle team and that predict how alterations in team composition and system design will affect the system's overall performance. In this paper, we present a method for modeling human-unmanned vehicle systems consisting of a single operator and multiple independent unmanned vehicles. Via a case study, we demonstrate that the resulting models provide an accurate description of observed human-unmanned vehicle systems. Additionally, we demonstrate that the models can be used to predict how changes in the human-unmanned vehicle interface and the unmanned vehicles' autonomy alter the system's performance.