On the one hand, based on the ideas of user-centered design that seek to achieve a good user experience (UX), a platform will be created that allows analyzing Human-Drone Interaction in a realistic way, but with the security that it offers a simulated environment which allows not putting the user at risk and, in turn, through the analysis of physiological signals, it Will allow to know how the user feels about different behaviors of the drone, contributing that information to the physical design process of said assistance drone. On the one hand, based on the ideas of user-centred design that seek to achieve a good user experience (UX), a platform will be created that allows the analysis to the Human-Drone Interaction in a realistic manner, but with the security that it offers a simulated environment that avoids putting the user at risk and, in turn, through the analysis of physiological signals, it will allow to know how the user feels about different behaviors of the drone, contributing that information to the physical design process of said assistance drone. On the other hand, the behavior of the drone in the real world, this is its design characteristics, force to establish a series of restrictions in the simulated virtual environment so as not to create false expectations of unattainable behavior with current technology. In turn, these systems developed to manage the behavior of a real drone and created by considering the design recommendations obtained from the simulated environment, will be analysed and checked again in the simulated environment, in order to demonstrate their correct operation before moving on to the production process.

But to bring these new Drones assistants to homes, it is necessary to face different challenges, some more technical, others more human and social, and in this project several objectives are proposed on these two fronts in order to move towards a future that makes them feasible and practical. Within the scope of Human-Drone Interaction, we want to advance in the knowledge about the perception of potential users towards Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, UAVs), or the influence of the appearance and behavior of these machines in their acceptance; and the communication and interaction between assistant and assisted. For all this, the use of simulators is very relevant to understand how different scenarios can affect people even before they can become a reality. These simulated environments will be created using Virtual and Augmented Reality, thus facilitating an evaluation with high levels of realism, which will guarantee that the results obtained are quite close to the real system to be implemented in homes. Likewise, progress will be made in the design of systems that allow monitoring the user’s state of mind to know in real time how they feel about the actions of the drone. On the other hand, on the side of the assistant drone design, it is proposed to advance in the development of stabilization algorithms for the drone when it is subjected to disturbances of different nature (endogenous and exogenous), the navigation of the drone in closed environments with static and/or dynamic obstacles. On the other hand, as we saw previously, these movements designed for the drone must also be capable of transmitting certain attitudes or social behaviors that help their acceptance and understanding of the type of action they are performing within the context of Human-Drone Interaction.

Therefore, as a result of this project, a user-centered methodology and a tool will be created to facilitate the development of assistance drones, allowing to accelerate this process where the human factor is so relevant and, in many cases, so little considered. At the same time, progress will be made in solving some technical problems derived from the use of the drone in this type of space and associated with the performance of healthcare tasks. With this, the project will help to consolidate a sector with that of Drone companies that in our country is made up of approximately 2,500 companies, which mainly make use of these devices but, with a tool of this type, could give way to design and creating their own drones with custom behavior.

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