Intuitive interface for optimal drone control

The app should cover several use cases: On the one hand, the drone should work automatically with the pilot as an active observer. At the same time, direct manual flights should also be possible. These include the automatic take-off and landing of the drone, status checks, or recording of photos and videos during the flight. The drone control user group is very diverse, ranging from construction engineers, land surveyors, and professional UAV pilots to people responsible for wind farm maintenance.

Although we started with the design of the app "on the green field", the different prior knowledge of the users and different requirements for the control system posed a particular challenge. Furthermore, the surfaces seen through the interface during the flight vary. A good interface must be well visible and operable on all backgrounds but at the same time not interfere with the focus of the application. Here, an adaptable concept had to be developed, displaying the content to the app operators in an optimal format for them.

We worked iteratively from start to finish: design variants and ideas were always analyzed, coordinated, and improved together. Our concept incorporates intuitive operating elements to include all users: For take-off and emergency landing of the drone, the drone's movements are intuitively simulated by gestures when operating the controls, making the effect of the operation clear to every user. In addition, parts of the drone control system are variable in position, allowing the user to adapt the interface to his requirements as measured by the visible camera image and the task at hand.

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