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The increased use of unmanned vehicles (UVs) in military environments requires development of guidelines to enable maximal compatibility between those technologies and users’ needs. Specifically, the way video feeds are delivered to dismounted soldiers may affect the utility of such information. This work follows previous studies on the type (e.g., size) of displays required by dismounted soldiers to process video feed from UVs in a variety of operational situations. Sixteen former infantry soldiers with no experience using UV video feed participated. Three display types were examined using color or B/W video feeds in three different operational tasks (identification, orientation and movement detection). Performance and subjective data were collected. Results showed some effects for display type, no significant effect for feed color and an interaction for display type and feed color only in response time.

This study investigated the scalability of unmanned vehicle displays for dismounted warfighters. Task performance, workload, and preferences for three display devices were examined in two operational settings: teleoperation of an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) and intelligence gathering from a remote unmanned vehicle. Previous research has demonstrated variability in operational needs with regard to active teleoperation versus passive intelligence gathering. Thus, it was important to identify whether there was actually a dichotomy between the two in terms of screen space requirements and whether this difference stems from task differences or other factors. Thirty-one soldiers participated in a field study at Fort Benning, Georgia. They were required to perform teleoperation and intelligence-gathering tasks. Results reconfirmed the hypothesis that display type influences performance in intelligence-related tasks that require the use of video feed and digital map. No significant differences among display types were found in the UGV teleoperation task. Dismounted warfighters can adequately perform both active and passive duties with a handheld device on which the video window is as small as 4.3 inches in diameter. However, monocular helmet-mounted displays for robotic displays can be problematic and should be carefully assessed before use in dismounted warfighters’ missions.

The increased usage of new technologies in combat requires measuring tools and guidelines that will enable maximal compatibility between technology and users' needs. Specifically, using video feeds retrieved by dismounted soldiers from different types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) may affect the efficiency level of using such machines. This work follows our previous studies on the type (e.g. size) of displays required by dismounted soldiers to process video feed from UAVs. Twenty two former infantry soldiers with no experience using UAV video feed participated. Three displays were examined using two video feed types (MALE and Mini UAVs) in four different task types (description, direction, orientation, and response). Performance and subjective data were collected. Results show no effect (only some trends) for display type, but significant effect for the interaction between video feed type and task type and display type.

Employing advanced technology in combat can be helpful, but should be done with caution. Specifically, the use of video images retrieved from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by dismounted soldiers can be beneficial for presenting tactical and geographic information, when properly displayed. This work follows our previous studies on the type (e.g. size) of displays required by dismounted soldiers to process video feed from UAVs. Sixteen former infantry soldiers with no experience using UAV video feed participated. Four displays were examined in two scenarios (urban and rural) and in three different task domains (interpretation, orientation and response). Performance and subjective data were collected. Results show trends for differences between displays, scenarios, and task domain dependency. The most consistent trend marks the smallest display (personal digital assistant - PDA) to be unsuitable for this type of tasks.

The user-Interface of military dismounted systems has extreme influence on soldiers' ability to complete their missions and to protect themselves during combat. This work focused on the type of displays required to retrieve information from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in operational situations. Twenty IDF soldiers with limited experience in operating UAVs, participated in this simulated study of display-size preferences. In the 3 × 2 within subject design, participants used 3 types of displays on two missions: navigation and target detection. Performance data was collected for both tasks. Participants also completed the NASA-TLX and a closing questionnaire. Statistical analyses showed that performance differences between displays were task dependent. Thus, some tasks can be performed with a smaller display at the same level of performance by exerting more mental effort. Furthermore, sensitivity to task difficulty was evident.