Human factors affecting safe operation of unmanned aerial vehicles

¶ … Human Factors Affecting Safe

Operation Of The UAV

Study of Selected Human Factors affecting safe operation of the UAV

In the history of mankind, pilots have asked to carry out dangerous tasks such as carrying dangerous mission at enemy airspace, or National Guard missions during natural disasters or earthquakes. Some of these missions have resulted in mortality of hundred or thousands of pilots, which lead to huge financial and emotional loss of the family of the pilots, and military. To enhance human safety during aircraft operations, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being developed to address the problems of loss of life during the manned aircraft operations. (Dixon, S. & Wickens 2003). Despite the significant steps implemented to enhance safety operations of UAV operators in the USAF, there are still significant aircraft mishaps since the development of UAV. Typically, UAVs have suffered a large number of mishaps, and one of the problems identified is that there are deficiencies of human system interface leading to the various UAVs' accidents. (Williams, 2006).

The findings of the thesis reveal the critical human related attributes to enhance safe operation of UAV. The findings reveal that human factors are among the critical attributes that affect the safety of UAV operations.

Sub-Problem Hypothesis Two

The findings of questions 4 and 5 are used to support the second hypothesis. The results of the question 4 show that 60% of the respondents agree that it is not important to have 3-year experience as a pilot to demonstrate effective aviation safety. The results of question 5 is surprising with large majority of respondents agree that it is very important for a pilot to possess computer skills to demonstrate aviation safety. Based on the findings, the thesis has been able to support the second research hypothesis that states "UAV pilots believe that lack of involvement in a "human related" aviation safety incident and possession of computer skills contributes to being a safe UAV operator in the USAF." Other criteria from the findings also assist the thesis to support the second research hypothesis.

First, the results of question 12 reveal that approximately 80% of the respondents possess computer skills. This finding shows that the respondents understand the importance of computer for the operation of UAV. Since the UAVs are generally being controlled by the automated computer system, it is essential to possess computer skills to enhance UAVs safety.

Moreover, over 70% of the respondents have had up to 5 years experience as pilots. Their experiences reveal that the respondents understand the overall safety operation of the manned and unmanned aircrafts. Their responses justify the findings

In addition, based on the results of question 15 where more than 70% of the respondents agree with the statement, the thesis has been able to support the second research hypothesis. Rutley (2010) argues that possession of computer skills is very important because it contributes to UAV safe operation in the USAF. Although, the UAVs are fully automated, the equipments still require the assistant of human for the take-off and landing. All these operations are being control through the automated computer systems. In the UAV operations, computer must suggest the operation, which human must approve. Thus, it is very important for a UAV pilot to possess computer skills since the efficiency of operators is very important for the safety of the UAVs.

Chapter VI: Conclusion

Based on the findings, the questions 3 supports the first research hypothesis because 40% of the respondents are able to agree than it is important have minimum of 100 flying hours for a pilot to demonstrate effective UAV operation. Although, unmanned pilots are controlling the UAV operation, there is still evidence that accidents still happen in UAV operation just like the manned aircrafts. Thus, the researcher supports the opinion of the 40% of the respondents of questions 3 because pilot experience could enhance UAV safety. Pilots could use the experience previously accumulated in the manned aircraft to enhance UAV safety operations.

Similarly, based on the findings of the second hypothesis, the question 13 supports the thesis with 100% certainty because the findings have revealed that 100% of the respondents have not been involved in human related aviation safety incidents. To look at the results from another angle, the respondents indicate "No" to questions 13 because none of them has had experience in the human related safety aviation. Having non-experience in human related aviation safety does not mean that lack of involvement in a human related aviation safety does not contribute to being a safe UAV operator in the USAF. The findings of the thesis are only based on the opinion of the respondents. Critical look at the findings reveals that there is still a need for further research on the human related aviation safety to justify its contribution on the UAV operations.

Essentially, overall safety requirements for the UAV system are equivalent for the safety requirements of a manned aircraft operation. To define the safety objectives of the UAV, it is essential to evaluate the current level of safety necessary for the human-piloted aircrafts. While manned pilot aircrafts consider the safety of the pilots and the people on board to be important, however, the safety of the UAV is considered relatively to the hazard that that it will cost to the community. Thus, the intervention of human related aviation safety is still critical to enhance overall safety of the UAV. Although, the UAV accidents may lead to the zero loss of pilot's life, nevertheless, the financial investments that the governments or private organizations provide for the development of the UAV is huge, and the implementation of maximum safety to realize the objective of UAV is very essential. The human related aviation safety is still essential.

The thesis investigates selected human factors affecting safe operation of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The thesis is divided into 5 chapters. Chapter one provides the introduction of the thesis which reveals the research objective, the research questions and the hypotheses that the thesis attempts to test to answer the research questions.

Chapter two provides the review of the previous literatures to enhance greater understanding on what other scholars have written on the subject. The review of the literatures is important to enhance the knowledge of the researcher on the human factors affecting the safe operation of UAV. Importance of literature review could not be overlooked in this research because the review of literatures is connected to the research already done to reveal overall research relevance and purpose. With the review of the literatures, the research has been able to explore the literatures relevant to the project.

Chapter 3 reveals the methodology use for data collection, data analysis and research findings. The quantitative technique is used for data collection, data analysis, and findings. The study employs quantitative method for data collection because it assists the researcher to collect and analyze data with overall simplicity.

Chapter four provides the findings of the thesis. Although, the findings has supported that the Undergraduate Pilot Training is not the critical attributes for all safe UAV pilots, however, the researcher still think that the skills and knowledge of pilots is important in UAV safe operations. A UAV pilot is responsible for the overall manoeuvring of the UAV. Understanding of the overall UAV mechanics could enhance safety of the UAV because the pilot will be in charge of aircraft manoeuvring from the take-off to the landing. The most important aspect of the first hypothesis is the possession of computer skills by the UAV pilots. In an aviation operation, computer technology has become the essential tool that enhances safety operations. With reference to UAV, computer automation is very important because it is an essential tool for the effectiveness of UAV operations. Thus, research is able to agree with findings because the possession of computer skills is critical for UAV operation. Automated computer tool used to direct all the UAV operations required a person that should possess computer skill to run UAV successfully.

Based on the findings, the thesis provides several contributions. First, the thesis enhances greater understanding of the government on the safety procedures for the UAV. Since the equal proportion of the accidents in the manned aircrafts also occurs on the UAV, the findings of the thesis will enhance greater understanding of the aviation authority on the level of human related safety procedures that needs to be implemented for the UAV.

Moreover, the findings also enhance greater understanding of the pilots on the human related safety procedures that needs to be undertaking for the UAV safety. The findings have revealed that possession of computer skills is the critical attributes that needs to enhance UAV safety. Although, there are 80% of the respondents who possess computer skills, the findings will enhance grater understandings of remaining 20% and the public on the importance of computer skills for the aviation safety. Typically, computer technology is very critical for UAV aviation safety. Since the overall objectives of the UAV are to eliminate the loss of pilots' life being experienced in the manned aircraft, computer technology is very important in the overall control of the UAV. Thus, automated computer is required to enhance the safety of the UAV.

The findings of the thesis will also inspire aviation authority to identify other aspects of human-related factors that could enhance UAV safety. For example, the UAV pilots still needs to have comprehensive knowledge on the UAV mechanics to enhance overall UAV safety. Having comprehensive understanding of the internal and external operation of the UAV will make the pilots to understand the critical stage that UAV could develop faults during the operations. Understanding the system will enhance safety of the UAV. With the identification of human-related problems that could jeopardize UAV safety, the paper provides recommendations for future research to enhance UAV safety operations.

Chapter VII: RECOMMENDATIONS

To enhance comprehensive research findings that would integrate diverse opinion of different experts, there is a need to include non-pilots in the survey. Typically, all the survey questions are only distributed to the pilots and the research findings are only based on the opinion of the pilots. Since the research is human-related factors on safe operation of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, there is a need to include non-pilots in the research. To enhance the improvement the research findings, other aviation personnel such as aeronautical engineers, experts in the aviation, and aviation industry top management needs to contribute to the survey. By allowing non-pilots to participate in the survey, the researcher will be able to provide findings that will integrate diverse contributions from different experts. By comparing the survey results of different experts for the aviation safety, the study will provide well-documented findings that will enhance UAV safety.

Moreover, there is a need for further researcher on how the UAV pilots could improve their knowledge to improve UAV safety. From the findings, it is revealed that UAV does not need to have 3 years of experience to enhance aviation safety. However, there is documented evidence that the number of UAV accidents that occur yearly is similar to the accidents that occur during the manned aircraft operations. The study suggests that the UAV pilots needs to go for special training on how to manoeuvre the remote automated computer for the UAV operation. With the improvement in the computer technology, it is possible to operate sophisticated UAV remotely with the aid of automated computer. Typically, flight operation of UAV is similar to the method pilots of manned aircraft operate the aircrafts. The only difference is that pilots of manned aircraft are inside the aircrafts while the pilots of the unmanned aircrafts are not in the aircrafts and the aircrafts are being controlled remotely. To enhance the safety operations of UAV, the pilots need to go for special training on UAV piloting. Although, operations of the manned aircrafts and the UAV could be similar, however, there is still a need for thorough understanding of UAV operations before a pilot could be allowed to operate the UAV.

Moreover, the study suggests that pilots should have some years of experience as pilots before being allowed to operate UAV because having years of experience as pilots will enhance safety operation of the UAV. For example, a UAV accident occurred at Arizona near Nogales in 2006. Upon investigating the cause of the accident, it was revealed that there was no clear plan to mitigate the accidents. One of the causes of the accidents was the operator did not have detailed knowledge of the spare parts that could be used to resolve the problems. Typically, the operators should be able to quickly identify the fault to assist the engineers to promptly respond to any failure that could have arisen. Thus, the UAV pilots needs to have undergone conventional method of aviation training to operate UAV successful. In addition, a UAV pilot needs to undergo training in the advanced UAV to assist the pilot to evaluate the UAV performances during operation. The pilot technical knowledge will assist the pilots to evaluate the system performance and this will help the pilots to responds promptly in case of system failures. Having competent knowledge of a UAV will enhance its safety operations.

The study also recommends that there is a need to implement federal regulations to monitor the operation of the UAV. Research conducted by the Weibel & Hansman (2005) shows that there is lack of federal and international regulations governing the UAV operations. In the recent years, there is significant growth of the civil and commercial application of UAV. Typically, there is a need for the United States to define the procedures that civil and commercial operators of UAV should follow to enhance UAV safety operations.

Moreover, there is a need for further research on the UAV risk assessment to justify the UAV operations. Although, questions related to the UAV risk assessment are not included in the survey, however, justification of the UAV application is very critical given lack of long-term operational experience of the UAV. There is a need for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of UAV risk assessment and the assessment should be based on the expert judgment to assess the overall UAV safety.

Based on the findings of question 1 where more than 34% of the respondents believe that it is very important to graduate from Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) for a UAV pilot to demonstrate effective aviation safety and 45.71% believe that it is important. However, 20% of the respondents are not sure. (See cumulative percentages in Table 1).

Table 1

Question 1:

Graduate from Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT)

Scale

Frequency

Cumulative Frequency

Percentage

Cumulative Percentages

Mean

Standard Deviation

1: Not Very Important

6

6

17.14%

2.914

1.40101

2: Not Important

10

16

28.57%

45.71%

3: Not Sure

7

23

20%

4: Important

5

28

14.29%

5: Very Important

7

35

20%

34.29%

From the findings of question 1,the statistical difference between the respondents who believe it is not important and the respondents who believe it is important are not big. Moreover there are 20% of the respondents are not sure. The finding of question 1 reveals that there is a need for further research on the correlation of graduating from the UPT to the safety operation of the UAV. While the further research may be implemented, the study suggests that there is a need for the UAV pilots to pass through UPT training before being allowed to undertake UAV pilot operations. Although, the main objective that leads to the development of UAV is to safeguard the life of the pilots. Based on recent development of UAV, there is recent significant growth of civil and commercial operations of UAV where some airline companies have started experimenting UAV for commercial purpose in order to cut costs. Typically, using inexperienced and ill-trained pilots to operate the commercial UAV could jeopardize the life of the passengers on board. Thus, the study recommends that UAV pilots should undergone Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) to enhance UAV safety operation.