RedDog: A Smart Sketch Interface for Autonomous Aerial Systems

Abstract

In order to decrease the number of casualties and limit the number of potentially dangerous situations that Soldiers encounter, the US military is exploring the use of autonomous Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to fulfill air support requests (ASR) from the field. The interface for such a system must provide interaction in modes that facilitate the completion of the support request in various scenarios, and it must be usable by operators of all skill levels, without requiring extensive training or considerable expertise. Sketches are a simple and natural way to exchange graphical information and ideas. In this paper we present the development of an interface that that allows the user to plan an ASR using sketch and other inputs while conforming to the user's mental model of natural interaction.