Abstract
Flying an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is a challenging task, due to the absence of direct sensory information such as a view of surroundings, sound, vibrations, and motion. It is important to provide these sensory stimulations to an operator for better situational awareness and efficient control. In this research, we study the effects of incorporating haptic feedback in UAV flight control. We present an experimental evaluation of three flight control scenarios, that is, in the absence of haptic feedback, in the presence of realistic haptic feedback, and an exaggerated haptic feedback. These three conditions are tested for an altitude hold, gain, and descent task in the flight simulation environment. A linear mathematical model is used to simulate the flight dynamics of a UAV controlled by a 6 DOF Touch 3D Stylus haptic device. Fifteen untrained users are recruited to participate in the flight simulation experiment. The analysis of the results of the experiment indicates an improvement in the longitudinal flight control performance. Specifically, the altitude hold task is better performed with no feedback, the altitude gain with exaggerated haptic feedback, and the altitude descent with realistic haptic feedback. A subjective evaluation in the end corroborates these findings.
Highlights
Haptic aids in controlling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) and remotely operated vehicles are gaining interest
This research consists of two main parts, the first describes the flight simulation including the visual interface for the visualization of flight, the dynamic modeling of a UAV, and the rendering of haptic forces
A simulated haptic-aided flight control system of a UAV is developed that uses an aerodynamic model of the UAV to obtain forces acting on the control stick
Summary
Haptic aids in controlling unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS) and remotely operated vehicles are gaining interest. The provision of artificial stimulants in the control of UAV flight, remotely as well as in simulation environments, is vital for an increased sense of immersion. Such sensory stimulation is introduced artificially inside the flight simulator/ground control station (GCS) to make the operator experience more natural and realistic than with a visual display alone, due to its limited field of view being insufficient and often unsafe for achieving the flight objectives in flight simulation/teleoperation [1,2]. One of the most important stimulants that should be provided to a UAV operator at the GCS are the forces that are analogous to those acting on the control stick in a manned aircraft flight. The effect of haptic feedback on the operator and his/her behavior in controlling the UAV is explicitly investigated
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