S. Yamamoto (Ed.): HIMI 2014, Part II, LNCS 8522, pp. 273–283, 2014. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014 Advancement and Application of Unmanned Aerial System Human-Machine-Interface (HMI) Technology Brent A. Terwilliger 1 , David C. Ison 1 , Dennis A. Vincenzi 1 , and Dahai Liu 2 1 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Worldwide, Daytona Beach, FL, United States {brent.terwilliger,david.ison,dennis.vincenzi}@erau.edu 2 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach, FL, United States Dahai.liu@erau.edu Abstract. Interface designs native to handheld control and feedback devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) are becoming more accessible within the small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) community due to increased usage in remote control (R/C) model aircraft platforms [33], improved processing to cost [4], and increased interoperability supporting custom development and programming [2], [33]. These smaller, power efficient control systems have the potential to change the paradigm of sUAS control to be more aligned with semi-autonomous operations based on their innate ability to provide intuitive user interactions [44], low cost, reduction of latency effects on control, and improved real-time configuration and data measurement [33]. The objective of this study is to identify common themes in the advancement and application of human-machine- interface technologies in UAS control. This paper proposes to review available literature, associated technology designs, and identify how the UAS community can best leverage this technology and interaction concepts to support safe and efficient operations of UAS. Keywords: Human-Machine Interface, HMI, Unmanned Aerial System, UAS, sUAS, UAV, Intelligent, Intuitive, and Innovative (I 3 ) design. 1 Introduction 1.1 Current State of UAS HMI The unmanned systems industry, specifically the UAS market, has been experiencing significant growth in the last three years due to maturation and advances in related technology, increased application opportunities, and availability of key components and materials [18], [48], [49]. Historically, this market has been supported by military/DoD needs [1], [6], [48]. However, with the Congressional mandates identified in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, opportunities for civil and commercial use have begun to increase [6], [14], [48]. The domestic economic impact of integration of UAS into the National Airspace System (NAS), as mandated by Congress, is expected to exceed $13.6B between 2015 to 2017, reaching more than $82.1B by 2025 [5]. While government customers are anticipated to continue providing the largest source of economic support and growth in the near term, the