Universal Voice Control for Launched Effects

Primordial Labs will use Anura, our natural language command and control (NLC2) software, to provide a next-generation human-machine interface (HMI) for advanced teaming of launched effects (LEs) in the Future Vertical Lift (FVL) portfolio. Anura allows warfighters to command and control uncrewed systems (UxS) via conversational, mission-type orders, resulting in less cognitive burden than legacy manual controllers or ground control stations. Our approach for this Phase II effort is to enhance, package, and integrate Anura with the Army’s Uncrewed Vehicle Control (UVC) architecture to enable NLC2 of LEs. This will provide a critical component to the Army’s larger vision for Human-Machine Integrated Formations and Robotic Enabled Maneuver.   We plan to formally measure cognitive burden and mission efficiency of a dismounted soldier in control of an LE team. This will provide an objective, side-by-side comparison of a traditional touch-based HMI interface and an Anura adapted NLC2. These measurements will be collected via a software service running in the background of our prototype system. We will expand our Phase I proof-of-concept demonstrator. We believe that the impact of NLC2 goes beyond just the user’s experience in executing the mission. NLC2 directly affects how tasking is executed by the LE team and thus highlights the need for trust within the human-robot team. To establish trust with the system, it is imperative to study the interpretability of decisions made by the LE team when given verbal tasking orders. At the conclusion of our Phase II effort, we will deliver a quantification of overall utility for NLC2 of an LE team, focusing on two aspects: (1) cognitive burden and ease of use and (2) mission effectiveness and trustworthiness of the LE team.