ArduPilot Mission Planner interface showing flight displays, navigation, mission planning, and waypoint controls
Figure 1. ArduPilot Mission Planner ground control station, the basis for the interface variations evaluated in the study. Source: Zhang, Liu, and Kaber (2024).

Dr. Yunmei Liu co-authored “Effect of interface design on cognitive workload in unmanned aerial vehicle control” with first author Wenjuan Zhang and David B. Kaber. The paper was published online in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies on May 16, 2024.

Designing Interfaces with Operator Workload in Mind

The study evaluates how UAV interfaces developed using the Modified GEDIS-UAV design tool affect cognitive workload. By comparing baseline, enhanced, and degraded interfaces under different vehicle speeds, the research connects design guidance with operator responses under changing task demands.

The enhanced interface helped manage workload and moderate the effects of increased task demand. Combining subjective and physiological assessments, the findings support the use of structured interface-design guidance early in UAV system development and point to opportunities for further collaboration on human-centered unmanned systems.

Read the publication in the International Journal of Human-Computer Studies