UAV Haptic Interface for Dynamic Obstacle Avoidance

Abstract

Teleoperation is by nature a deprivation of the senses, which can pose a handicap when operating in an unknown and even dynamic en- vironment. Noticing moving obstacles in such a situation can prove to be quite difficult and the UAV runs the risk of colliding with them. Previous work designed a shared control haptic interface based on the artificial forcefield method to help navigating in a static environment. This interface was evaluated for its usability in a dynamic environ- ment where linearly moving obstacles were present. Offline simulations showed that the previous interface would have difficulty in preventing collisions with moving obstacles. A new method was developed based on the velocity obstacles method. The new design supports the opera- tor by using the haptic side stick to guide the operator out of a socalled forbidden velocity zone. After offline tests showed that the developed algorithm was capable of avoiding both static and dynamic obstacles, it was implemented in a real-time simulator and investigated further with human-in-the-loop experiments. An initial test in a simulator with five participants shows promising results in avoiding sudden appearing ob- stacles and moving obstacles in the open field. The controller however makes maneuvering in tight spaces hard for the operator.