User Interface for Unmanned Surface Vehicles Used to Rescue Drowning Victims

This work details the look and feel of a Graphical User Interface for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) used for marine mass casualty events based on feedback from the Italian Coast Guard, Los Angeles Country Fire Department (LACoFD), Pima County FD, Castrium Rescue Brigade, Department of Homeland Security, and Defense Research and Development Canada First Responders Groups. The current state of USV interface design centers on 1) ergonomic handheld devices, such as a Futaba, for teleoperation missions, or 2) non-ergonomic laptops with Mission Planner (MP) style of interfaces or teleoperation and autonomous missions. Pure, teleoperated USVs do not offer the operator needed information in terms of robot health or status. USVs with autonomous capabilities controlled and monitored via MP are not first responder friendly. Important artifacts as to the status of the vehicle are not always easily accessible. This work is a simplified, easy to use interface into the USV. This new interface combines the key artifacts in a user-friendly, tablet-based application, as well as facilitates the operator with the control and operation of the USV. This approach will first strengthen responder's trust in USVs. Second, this interface will facilitate responders during a rescue mission by simplifying the USVs control which will allow the responder to focus his or her attention to more pertinent tasks. A strengthened since of trust by first responders in using USVs will facilitate in the victim to lifeguard ratio that currently plagues responders today. The initial prototype and second version of the interface were critiqued by the Castrium Rescue Brigade and LACoFD Baywatch. The final version incorporated all feedback attained and was tested at the DHS CAUSE V Exercise in Bellingham, WA.