210 research outputs found
Characterization of Indicators for Adaptive Human-Swarm Teaming
Swarm systems consist of large numbers of agents that collaborate autonomously. With an appropriate level of human control, swarm systems could be applied in a variety of contexts ranging from urban search and rescue situations to cyber defence. However, the successful deployment of the swarm in such applications is conditioned by the effective coupling between human and swarm. While adaptive autonomy promises to provide enhanced performance in human-machine interaction, distinct factors must be considered for its implementation within human-swarm interaction. This paper reviews the multidisciplinary literature on different aspects contributing to the facilitation of adaptive autonomy in human-swarm interaction. Specifically, five aspects that are necessary for an adaptive agent to operate properly are considered and discussed, including mission objectives, interaction, mission complexity, automation levels, and human states. We distill the corresponding indicators in each of the five aspects, and propose a framework, named MICAH (i.e., Mission-Interaction-Complexity-Automation-Human), which maps the primitive state indicators needed for adaptive human-swarm teaming.</p
SERENITY: THE FUTURE OF COGNITIVE MODULATION FOR THE HYPER ENABLED OPERATOR
In the Special Operations community, cognitive enhancement and resilience is at the forefront of the 2035 Hyper Enabled Operator Program (HEO). The United States Special Operations Command’s vision is to combine cutting-edge communications and data capabilities into a next generation tactical system for the end user. Using algorithms and autonomous systems to enhance the ability to make rational decisions faster can ultimately determine life or death on the battlefield. Over the past several years, cognitive enhancement with the introduction of brain computer interface (BCI) technology has had major breakthroughs in the medical and science fields. This thesis looks to analyze BCI technology for future cognitive dominance and cognitive overmatch in the Hyper Enabled Operator. Machine-assisted cognitive enhancement is not beyond reach for special operations; throughout the research and after multiple interviews with subject matter experts, it has been concluded that interfaces using transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS), median nerve stimulation (MNS), or several other exploratory procedures have been successful with enhancing cognition and reducing cognitive load. Special Operations should not shy away from transformational innovative technology or wait for commercial or lab-tested solutions. To start, Special Operations should foster avant-garde theories that provide solutions and evolve ideas into unsophisticated prototypes that can be fielded immediately.Major, United States ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited
Mutual shaping in swarm robotics: User studies in fire and rescue, storage organization, and bridge inspection
Many real-world applications have been suggested in the swarm robotics literature. However, there is a general lack of understanding of what needs to be done for robot swarms to be useful and trusted by users in reality. This paper aims to investigate user perception of robot swarms in the workplace, and inform design principles for the deployment of future swarms in real-world applications. Three qualitative studies with a total of 37 participants were done across three sectors: fire and rescue, storage organization, and bridge inspection. Each study examined the users’ perceptions using focus groups and interviews. In this paper, we describe our findings regarding: the current processes and tools used in these professions and their main challenges; attitudes toward robot swarms assisting them; and the requirements that would encourage them to use robot swarms. We found that there was a generally positive reaction to robot swarms for information gathering and automation of simple processes. Furthermore, a human in the loop is preferred when it comes to decision making. Recommendations to increase trust and acceptance are related to transparency, accountability, safety, reliability, ease of maintenance, and ease of use. Finally, we found that mutual shaping, a methodology to create a bidirectional relationship between users and technology developers to incorporate societal choices in all stages of research and development, is a valid approach to increase knowledge and acceptance of swarm robotics. This paper contributes to the creation of such a culture of mutual shaping between researchers and users, toward increasing the chances of a successful deployment of robot swarms in the physical realm
Smart workplaces: a system proposal for stress management
Over the past last decades of contemporary society, workplaces
have become the primary source of many health issues, leading
to mental problems such as stress, depression, and anxiety.
Among the others, environmental aspects have shown to be the
causes of stress, illness, and lack of productivity. With the arrival
of new technologies, especially in the smart workplaces field,
most studies have focused on investigating the building energy
efficiency models and human thermal comfort. However, little has
been applied to occupants’ stress recognition and well-being
overall. Due to this fact, this present study aims to propose a
stress management solution for an interactive design system that
allows the adapting of comfortable environmental conditions
according to the user preferences by measuring in real-time the
environmental and biological characteristics, thereby helping to
prevent stress, as well as to enable users to cope stress when
being stressed. The secondary objective will focus on evaluating
one part of the system: the mobile application. The proposed
system uses several usability methods to identify users’ needs,
behavior, and expectations from the user-centered design
approach. Applied methods, such as User Research, Card
Sorting, and Expert Review, allowed us to evaluate the design
system according to Heuristics Analysis, resulting in improved
usability of interfaces and experience. The study presents the
research results, the design interface, and usability tests.
According to the User Research results, temperature and noise
are the most common environmental stressors among the users
causing stress and uncomfortable conditions to work in, and the
preference for physical activities over the digital solutions for
coping with stress. Additionally, the System Usability Scale (SUS)
results identified that the system’s usability was measured as
“excellent” and “acceptable” with a final score of 88 points out of
the 100. It is expected that these conclusions can contribute to
future investigations in the smart workplaces study field and their
interaction with the people placed there.Nas últimas décadas da sociedade contemporânea, o local de
trabalho tem se tornado principal fonte de muitos problemas de
saúde mental, como o stress, depressão e ansiedade. Os aspetos
ambientais têm se revelado como as causas de stress, doenças,
falta de produtividade, entre outros. Atualmente, com a chegada de
novas tecnologias, principalmente na área de locais de trabalho
inteligentes, a maioria dos estudos tem se concentrado na
investigação de modelos de eficiência energética de edifícios e
conforto térmico humano. No entanto, pouco foi aplicado ao
reconhecimento do stress dos ocupantes e ao bem-estar geral das
pessoas. Diante disso, o objetivo principal é propor um sistema de
design de gestão do stress para um sistema de design interativo que
permita adaptar as condições ambientais de acordo com as
preferências de utilizador, medindo em tempo real as características
ambientais e biológicas, auxiliando assim na prevenção de stress,
bem como ajuda os utilizadores a lidar com o stress quando estão
sob o mesmo. O segundo objetivo é desenhar e avaliar uma parte
do projeto — o protótipo da aplicação móvel através da realização
de testes de usabilidade. O sistema proposto resulta da abordagem
de design centrado no utilizador, utilizando diversos métodos de
usabilidade para identificar as necessidades, comportamentos e as
expectativas dos utilizadores. Métodos aplicados, como Pesquisa de
Usuário, Card Sorting e Revisão de Especialistas, permitiram avaliar
o sistema de design de acordo com a análise heurística, resultando
numa melhoria na usabilidade das interfaces e experiência. O
estudo apresenta os resultados da pesquisa, a interface do design e
os testes de usabilidade. De acordo com os resultados de User
Research, a temperatura e o ruído são os stressores ambientais
mais comuns entre os utilizadores, causando stresse e condições
menos favoráveis para trabalhar, igualmente existe uma preferência
por atividades físicas sobre as soluções digitais na gestão do
stresse. Adicionalmente, os resultados de System Usability Scale
(SUS) identificaram a usabilidade do sistema de design como
“excelente” e “aceitável” com pontuação final de 88 pontos em 100.
É esperado que essas conclusões possam contribuir para futuras
investigações no campo de estudo dos smart workplaces e sua
interação com os utilizadores
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