Usability Assessment of Displays for Dismounted Soldier Applications

• Main Authors: Cosenzo, Keryl A, Stafford, Shawn
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cybernetics; DISMOUNTED ROBOTIC CONTROL; DISPLAY SYSTEMS; HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING; Human Factors Engineering & Man Machine System; INFORMATION TRANSFER; MANPORTABLE EQUIPMENT; ROBOTICS; SCALE; SKILLS; SKILLS RULES AND KNOWLEDGE FRAMEWORK; SOFTWARE ENGINEERING; TELEOPERATORS; UNMANNED

This report presents a usability assessment of scalable displays for dismounted robotic control applications. The assessment covered three components: display size, button features (e.g., size, location), and controllers for tele-operation. Twelve Soldiers participated in the assessment. Before the assessment, the Soldiers were trained on a larger version of the displays. They then used the three scalable display configurations to plan and execute a mission for an unmanned vehicle (UV). During the execution of the task, video was recorded and the experimenters asked scripted questions about the displays. Results showed that the Soldiers were successful in using the various display configurations to complete the UV task; however, all the Soldiers asked clarifying questions about how to plan the mission. These results suggest that the original and largest display design lacked design principles that were fully transferable to smaller displays. With respect to display size and button size, the interviews showed that a small display was preferred to the larger one used in training for dismounted operations. However, the buttons on the small display were difficult to use without a stylus. For mounted operations or during conditions when the Soldier would not have to be mobile, the larger display was preferred. This report discusses these results in detail, related theories, and the implications for designing effective scalable displays. Prepared in collaboration with the University of Central Florida. The original document contains color images.