外媒报道，美国亚利桑那州大学的人机界面与控制实验室正在开发一种脑力控制的无人机导航界面，用脑电波来指挥一群无人机工作。
目前的无人机主要通过操纵杆或者手机操控，这意味着一位飞行员只能够同时操控一架无人机。借助脑机接口技术，一位飞行员就能够同时操控多架无人机，让它们形成一个编队，或者让它们分散在不同的飞行路线上。
根据美国国防部先进研究计划署（DARPA）提供的项目摘要，该研究的最终目的是找到人类大脑“感知多代理系统信息”的运行机制，继而从中提取“控制命令”。换句话说，科学家们正在试图建立一个系统，让一个人可以控制一群无人机，并且这些无人机还能接收不同的命令，做出不同的行为。
该项目的负责人Panagiotis Artemiadis介绍，该研究将分为几个步骤进行：“首先我们对人类进行训练，以便他们能够想象出这些行为。然后我们训练出一种算法，将这些行为与大脑不同部分的激活联系起来。”
Artemiadis认为，开发这套脑力控制系统有着很现实的优势，它可以让一个操作员同时控制多个看似独立的无人机执行不同的任务。大脑操控的无人机能够提升搜索和救援任务，能够比单一无人机更有效的搜索更大区域范围。
譬如，利用无人机同时检查100台风力涡轮机，或者更高效地进行搜索和救援任务；无人机机群或许也能够用于帮助人们扑灭野火，它们能够追踪大火的速度，并且为现场急救员和消防员提供大量的照片和数据，这是目前的技术无法做到的；在大型集会的现场，无人机机群能够进行实时监控，并且向监管部门发送更广区域范围内的实时视频记录。
Artemiadis称，这种“集群控制”的行动模式是从鸟类和鱼类等自然群体的行为中获得的灵感。“我们可以提取与所期望的集体行为相关的信息，比如以特定的编队飞行，这在普通的人工控制界面上是不可能实现的。”
据介绍，按照上述研究，无人机与人将通过脑电波的传送来实现通讯。
“只要有一个集中控制器可以将命令传达给无人机，脑群控制算法甚至可以扩展到同时控制成百上千的无人机。” Artemiadis说道，目前他已经成功完成了同时控制3台无人机的测试。
Artemiadis的无人机研究受到美国国防部先进研究计划署和美国空军科学研究办公室的资金支持。美国国防部先进研究计划署认为，脑力控制的无人机编队是相当安全的，它的实现只是个时间问题。
原文链接：https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/09/170929230433.htm
Brain-controlled drones are here: What’s coming in the next five years?
-
Date:
-
September 29, 2017
-
Source:
-
Arizona State University (ASU)
-
Summary:
-
Single unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) directed by joysticks, radio controllers, and mobile phones are already accomplishing a variety of useful tasks, such as aerial photography and security patrols. But using multiple drones requires multiple human operators, and this presents a coordination problem.
FULL STORY
Single unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) directed by joysticks, radio controllers, and mobile phones are already accomplishing a variety of useful tasks, such as aerial photography and security patrols. But using multiple drones requires multiple human operators, and this presents a coordination problem.
Now a single operator using emerging human-brain interfaces can control a swarm of drones, making possible new classes of applications, according to Panos Artemiadis, director of the Human-Oriented Robotics and Control (HORC) Lab at Arizona State University.
Artemiadis thinks it is likely that drone swarms using human-brain interface mechanisms will, in the next three to five years, make inroads where individually controlled UAVs cannot. Here are a few of the drone applications that are now within reach:
Search and Rescue Missions
Humans will collaborate with swarms of robots in search and rescue scenarios. The brain-robot interface enables control of many robots at the same time, and it scales the ability of a robotic team to cover larger areas in less time. If the controller detects something in the video stream that warrants closer surveillance, the swarm can be directed to close in on that area.
Fire Fighting
Armed with infrared imaging equipment, a drone swarm can be used to track the spread of a forest fire over large areas in real time, allowing firefighters to adjust their plans accordingly. The human controller can follow a reported change in weather conditions, such as a shift in wind direction, with a swarm of drones to determine if the fire has jumped to a new area.
Agriculture Analysis
Teams of drones will oversee and analyze large agricultural fields -- creating topographic maps for soil analysis and irrigation planning. In addition to being outfitted with cameras, aerial drones will use sensors to identify necessary irrigation adjustments and scanners that can identify crop infections or infestations. Some drone systems are already being used for crop spraying -- swarms will be able to accomplish the task more quickly and efficiently.
Entertainment
As drones enter the entertainment arena, we will begin to see mind-controlled drone swarms for events. For example, a single person could operate a fleet of drones shooting photos and videos at an outdoor concert or sports venue, narrowing in on spectator activities for display on the Jumbotron. And while Lady Gaga's Super Bowl drones were controlled by a central computer (and filmed in advance of the show), smaller swarms can be managed by a single human for smaller light displays or to drop gifts (t-shirts or CDs, for example) into a crowd.
Cyber-physical surveillance systems
Understanding brain-drone interfaces allows building cyber-physical surveillance systems that combine human intuition and experience with the sensing capabilities of multiple drones. This would allow more efficient and accurate surveillance systems than what is now available -- especially for large, security sensitive events like bowl games, marathons and political rallies.
Story Source:
Materials
provided by Arizona State University (ASU). Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
转自微信公众号儿"中外学术情报"
