ASCI 638, Module 2: UAV Factory Portable Ground Control Station

UAV Factory is a Latvian unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) developer founded in 2009, focusing primarily on building small composite fixed-wing aircraft such as the Penguin line of UAS. UAV Factory also features a line of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) payloads under the name Octopus ISR Systems (UAV Factory, 2016). They announced availability of a second-generation off-the-shelf portable ground control station (GCS) in January 2012 (Mortimer, 2012). The GCS is based in a ruggedized transportation case that opens to reveal a modular electronics compartment with a docking station for a Panasonic CF-31 Toughbook (not included), a second digital 17-inch touchscreen display, storage for accessories and peripherals, and power and connection ports for datalink equipment. An interesting feature is the various power supply options that accept between 10 and 32 volts DC, including two Makita BL1830 lithium batteries (yes, the power tool company) that can be swapped out without requiring the GCS to be shut down or restarted (UAV Factory, 2016).

Because the UAV Factory GCS is designed to be modular, portable, and customizable, some of the human factors concerns will depend on the user’s selection of hardware such as pointing devices (i.e. trackballs or touchpads) and aircraft or payload controls (i.e. joysticks or gamepads). This discussion will be based on two negative factors with the GCS itself, regardless of user configuration.

The first is an issue with the included 17-inch display. Technical documents and marketing material did not specifically mention the supplier. Images in promotional material show a very glossy surface of the display, which would lead to a high level of glare when used in an outdoor environment (see Figure 1). Glare can be caused by sunlight if used in an outdoor environment, and interior lights if used indoors. The worst effect of sunlight on flat panel displays is the “reduction of display contrast” when the light illuminates both the background of an image and the contrasted shade or coloring (Rash and Manning, 2003). To avoid glare from outdoor or indoor light sources, a recommended solution would be to install a simple folding glare shield made of dark material that could shield the displays from above and beside. Additional shading would likely be required if operating outdoors on a sunny day, but a dark glare shield would greatly reduce the amount of direct light on the screen.

Figure 1. UAV Factory GCS assembly, from http://www.uavfactory.com/product/16.

The second issue is the integration of the Panasonic Toughbook in an inset manner that places the keyboard on an even plane with the work surface. This places the keyboard in a vulnerable position for being bumped or accidentally pressed while moving around the workspace, especially when intercom or datalink cables are connected and routed around the GCS. In 2011, an MQ-8B Fire Scout UAS flying from Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD lost link with the GCS and began flying towards restricted airspace around Washington, DC. Control was regained before drastic measures were required, but the incident was traced to an accidental press of the keyboard spacebar from an operator’s headset wire, which initiated a self-destruct procedure (Fox News, 2011). A similar event could easily occur with the design of the UAV Factory GCS. A recommended measure would be to install a shield around the perimeter of the keyboard that would create an “inset” for the keys and provide a layer of separation between the keyboard and items that could accidentally rest on top of it (i.e. manuals, checklists, wires, operator’s arms, etc.).

A similar issue can be seen with the design of the Airbus A380 and A350 cockpits, which include a fold-out keyboard and trackpad (Ferhm, 2015). However, this issue is mitigated by delegating the functions of the keyboard to the electronic flight bag to access maps and charts, not essential aircraft functions. Input to the aircraft Flight Management System is made through a smaller keypad and trackball located on the center console (Ferhm, 2015).

References

Fehrm, B. (2015, June). Airbus A350 cockpit compared to A320/A330. Retrieved from https://leehamnews.com/2015/06/01/airbus-a350-cockpit-compared-to-a320a330/

Fox News. (2011, July). Single keystroke nearly self-destructs unmanned Navy copter. Retrieved from http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2011/07/18/single-key-stroke-nearly-leads-unmanned-navy-copter-to-self-destruct.html

Rash, C.E. and Manning, S.D. (2003, September). On the flight deck, lighting must satisfy a variety of needs. Flight Safety Foundation Human Factors & Aviation Medicine, 50(5). Retrieved from https://flightsafety.org/hf/hf_sept-oct03.pdf

UAV Factory. (2016). Portable ground control station. Retrieved from http://www.uavfactory.com/product/16