The latest research bulletin by the Finnish Defence Forces Research Agency examines the factors affecting swarm operator performance.
The introduction of unmanned, remotely operated robots has revolutionised modern warfare in the recent years. These relatively inexpensive unmanned systems can effectively destroy extremely valuable enemy assets. The effectiveness of robots can be increased by building robot swarms. Previously, one operator has been responsible for one robot, but when robots are used as a swarm, a single operator can control several robots simultaneously. This bulletin examines the factors that affect operator performance when using a swarm and the means to circumvent the limitations of an individual's information processing capacity. The results can be used to create the most efficient swarms.
The major human factors challenges in human-swarm interaction are situation awareness, cognitive load and trust in automation. All of these have a significant impact on an individual’s decision-making and task performance. User interfaces also play a key role in the effective interaction between an individual and a swarm. Using technology should be as intuitive and effortless as possible, so that the operator can focus on the main tasks. Interfaces should be designed to be easily customisable based on the task, swarm or operator preferences. Taking all these factors into account, it is possible for one person to manage a heterogenous swarm as large as a hundred robots in optimal circumstances
In the future, research efforts should be focused on developing suitable interfaces, modelling cognitive load and conducting experiments in real-life settings instead of simulations.
2026:5 Human-swarm interaction
Additional information
Further information will be provided by Chief Scientist PhD (psychology) Lauri Oksama.
Previous research bulletins can be found here.
