Multiple Autonomous Vehicle Extended Reality Immersive Control Systems: A Conceptual Exploration & Empirical Evaluation

This research investigates the potential impacts of extended reality technologies on ground control station (GCS) interfaces for multi-vehicle operations. To do so a prototype XR software was developed, designed for multiple autonomous vehicle extended reality immersive control (MAVERIC). A usability study was then conducted to determine the comparative usability of this prototype against VCSi, a modern commercial GCS software, for accomplishing tasks in a flight route planning scenario and multi-drone management scenario. Participants' usability evaluations and feedback revealed that the prototype's XR approach offered unique advantages in enhancing spatial awareness, task performance, and user satisfaction. For both scenarios, participants perceived the MAVERIC approach as generally more intuitive as well as easier and less frustrating to use. Participants found its hands-on spatial interactions offered a more natural and intuitive approach for placing route waypoints in 3D, which they generally perceived as being faster, easier to learn, and supporting better task success compared to VCSi's desktop-style interface. Many also reported its easily scalable immersive workspaces aided situational understanding during multi-drone management workflows while also making them feel more effective at handling its complexity with less cognitive effort. Despite these strengths, limitations such as increased physical demand, ergonomic discomfort, and precise waypoint placement challenges were noted, indicating the need for iterative design improvements. Some participant feedback also indicated that cross-reality GCS interfaces could be valuable to explore, as integrating the strengths of both conventional and XR approaches may help mitigate each other's weaknesses when used together. This work's findings are hoped to inform future research in the XR and MAVERIC research domains, especially those aimed at further exploring and refining our understanding of how XR technologies may be best used to benefit the diverse civilian applications of drones and other robotic vehicles.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MSc)

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Computer Science

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Graduate Studies

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Lawton, Bryson Robert Mitchell

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Maurer, Frank

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Costa Sousa, Mario
• Ramirez-Serrano, Alex

• extended reality
• virtual reality
• robotic vehicle
• drone
• control
• ground control station
• human-robot interaction
• human-computer interaction
• XR
• VR
• GCS
• HRI
• HCI

Statement dc:rights

• University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/PRISM/48355

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:ucalgary.scholaris.ca:1880/120746