Initial performance assessment of a control interface for unmanned ground vehicle operation using a simulation platform

Abstract

The successful navigation of Unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) is important as UGVs are being increasingly integrated into tactical and reconnaissance operations. Not only is there the possibility of winding environments but also the narrow passage of obstacles. This study investigated a participant’s ability to navigate a maze environment incorporating narrow hallways, with two different user interfaces, using human in the loop simulation. Participants used a game controller and customized user interface to navigate a simulated UGV through a simulated maze environment. Results indicated that the video-plus-map interface displaying both video and LiDAR data required more time to complete compared to an interface displaying video-only data.