Introduction to Human Factors in UAS

According to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) any aircraft which is intended to be flown without physical human piloting is referred to as a “pilotless aircraft”, which is more commonly known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The UAV category includes aircraft as humble as meteorological balloons to aircraft that are piloted remotely by licensed individuals. A subset of UAVs which are piloted remotely are referred to as remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA). When referring to the system in which the RPA operates, the term remotely piloted aircraft system (RPAS) is used. RPAS refers to the system which comprises of the aircraft, it’s control station and controller, communication links between the aircraft and the ground-based controller and supporting equipment. UAVs and RPA are more commonly known as drones.
x

RPA are known to have a notably higher accident rate than conventionally piloted aircraft. The higher accident rate can be somewhat attributed to technological factors, however human factors have played a more significant role in this regard. The operation of RPA in airspace is known to naturally introduce issues associated with human factors. One of the issues includes reduced sensory cues which is caused by the inability of the pilot to appropriately utilize their sensory system while controlling RPAs. Another issue is brought to light by the control of RPA via radio link as the link has inherent limitations and can introduce latencies and interruptions in control. A loss of radio link during RPAS operations can affect the workload of both pilot and air traffic control (ATC), and can lead to a loss in voice communication.

For RPA to be safely integrated into airspace, they need to be able to detect and avoid other RPA and conventional aircraft. For this to be possible, pilots need to be presented with sufficient information to be able to exercise control of the RPA such that they remain well clear, failing which the RPA needs to have a collision avoidance system. The control of RPA can be transferred between control stations during flight, which introduces an increased risk of human error if not performed seamlessly. The environment in which a control station exists in an RPAS needs to be conducive to operations and maintenance therefore human factors needs to be considered. Human factors unique to RPAS also need to be considered in the design and placement of displays and controls. During emergencies, the flight of an RPA may need to be terminated which introduces complexity as there is no pilot on-board the RPA. There also exists a level of uncertainty regarding the qualifications that are necessary for an RPA pilot. Training that is specific to RPAS is surely needed for pilots and flight crew to perform all the tasks that are associated with controlling an RPA in airspace, safely alongside other RPA and conventional aircraft.