Student; f​/m​/x - Enhancing Situation Awareness in Drone Operations

The DLR Institute of Software Technology sees software as a catalyst for research and innovation. The institute's staff, currently numbering around 200, make a significant contribution to advancements in the fields of aviation, space, energy, transportation, and security through the development of state-of-the-art software solutions and innovative research.

Our areas of competence include reliable and safety-critical software systems, artificial intelligence, high-performance computing and quantum computing, human-system interaction and visualisation, software and systems engineering as well as digital platforms and digital twins.

The Visual Computing and Engineering department develops interactive visualization and modeling methods to collaboratively make digital twins and complex technical systems experientially accessible – from the early design phase to the analysis of large scientific datasets in immersive 3D environments. Among other aspects, Extended Reality group focuses on researching, developing and evaluating human-machine interfaces in extended reality environments for drone operations.

Maintaining situation awareness during drone operations is a constant challenge, especially in high obstacle environments. Traditional Ground Control Stations (GCS) often rely on 2D maps and/or single video feeds, which can limit operators’ spatial awareness. Mixed Reality (MR) offers new possibilities for presenting information in more intuitive ways, for instance, tabletop 3D maps can be combined with different views in front of the user, such as First-Person View (FPV), Third-Person View (TPV), and side perspectives.

These views can be arranged around the user’s field of view, including placement in the peripheral view, to better support operators’ mental model of the drone’s position and environment. Hence, the aim of this thesis is to explore how can different combinations of views (e.g., FPV, side view, top-down 3D map) be arranged in MR to best support situation awareness.

• Review literature on situation awareness needs in drone operations and XR visualization strategies
• Design a prototype MR interface (e.g., for Holo Lens or Meta Quest) showing multiple views of a simulated drone flight
• Implement view combinations like: FPV (drone camera), synthetic side views, and TPV
• Conduct an evaluation or pilot study to test the prototype
• Analyze user feedback to derive design insights and guidelines

• Currently enrolled in Computer Science, Aeronautics, Media Technology, Human-Computer Interaction or a related field
• Experience with Unreal Engine or Unity, preferably in XR development context
• Experience with C++ or C#
• Knowledge on GIS tools is desired
• Interest in XR, and/or human factors in aeronautics is desired

We look forward to getting to know you!

If you have any questions about this position (Vacancy-) please contact:

Andreas Gerndt

Tel.: