Gesture-Based Drone Swarm Control in Virtual Reality: A User-Defined Gesture Library and Prototype
摘要
Swarm robotics has gained prominence in high-stakes applications such as military operations and search-and-rescue missions, where intuitive and efficient human-swarm interaction is critical. Traditional control mechanisms often introduce cognitive load and operational delays, necessitating alternative interaction paradigms. This research explores the feasibility of using hand gestures in a virtual reality (VR) environment to control aerial swarm robots. An elicitation study was conducted to derive a user-defined gesture library for swarm control actions, including formation changes, navigation, and task allocation. The study identified intuitive gestures that align with natural human movements, minimizing the learning curve for operators. Based on these findings, a VR prototype was developed in Unity, integrating real-time gesture recognition and swarm response. The results demonstrate the potential of gesture-based control for enhancing situational awareness and responsiveness in dynamic environments. This research establishes a foundation for further development and refinement of human-swarm interaction techniques in VR-based simulations and real-world applications.