Cognitive Task Analysis for Developing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Wilderness Search Support

Abstract

Wilderness search and rescue (WiSAR) requires thousands of hours of search over large and complex terrains. Mini-UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) may dramatically improve WiSAR search efficiency. Early field trials in UAV-enabled WiSAR indicated a need to improve the human-UAV interaction, the coordination between the UAV and ground search resources, and the UAV technology. A cognitive task analysis was conducted to inform the design of the UAV technology, the associated interface, and the roles and responsibilities associated with effectively integrating the technology into the existing WiSAR response. Two cognitive task analysis techniques were employed: goal-directed task analysis and a partial cognitive work analysis that included a work domain analysis and a control task analysis. Early field trials and WiSAR search personnel informed the task analyses, which consequently informed the UAV technology design and integration. This paper (a) reviews how and why the task analyses were conducted, how the systems engineering process incorporated field trials to inform the task analyses and to guide the technology development; and (b) provides examples of how the analyses informed the resulting technology development with an eye toward providing insight into how such analysis techniques can be applied to developing UAV systems.