Drones on the Brain: UTSA to Study UAV-Human Interaction

Photo courtesy UTSA.

By Danielle Lucey



The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Unmanned Systems Laboratory has received $300,000 in funding from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to study how humans can optimally interact with unmanned aircraft systems. 



The project seeks the ultimate in heads-up, hands-free UAS technology — the ability of a soldier to control a small unmanned aircraft with his brainwaves. Right now, unmanned aircraft get their flying data relayed through a ground control station, but those stations are immobile and therefore limiting when it comes to where the UAS can fly. The research will be managed by Prof. Daniel Pack. 



UTSA’s approach will leverage new electroencephalogram equipment, which records the electrical activity along a person’s scalp, to try and extract the signals that tell a UAS where to go directly from brain signals. 



"As autonomous UAV technologies advance, it is critical that we understand the governing principles of man-machine interactions to utilize the complementary capabilities of man and autonomous machines," said Pack. "This research will be part of UTSA's efforts toward discovering those principles."