Multimodal Interface Technologies for UAV Ground Control Stations

This paper examines different technologies that can be applied in the design and development of a ground control station for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) equipped with multimodal interfaces. Multimodal technologies employ multiple sensory channels/modalities for information transmission as well as for system control. Examples of these technologies could be haptic feedback, head tracking, auditory information (3D audio), voice control, tactile displays, etc. The applicability and benefits of those technologies is analyzed for a task consisting in the acknowledgement of alerts in an UAV ground control station composed by three screens and managed by a single operator. For this purpose, several experiments were conducted with a group of individuals using different combinations of modal conditions (visual, aural and tactile).