Publications / 2024 Proceedings of the 41st ISARC, Lille, France
In post-disaster scenarios where on-site operations are unfeasible, remote operation of robots or drones by human operators presents an effective and promising solution for survey and search-and-rescue missions. This method necessitates rapid processing of extensive visual data and allocating attention to multiple details of dynamic, complex, and perilous environments. Analysis of operators visual attention can identify factors affecting focus and explain mechanisms of attention shifts. Previous research has primarily examined the influence of salience and meaning in routine environments and tasks, often neglecting the study of semantics and task-related aspects. Our work quantitatively assesses the roles of salience, meaning, task demands, and object relevance in unique post-disaster environments, exploring their interrelationships. We compared the impact of these factors on attention allocation. Results show that task demands and object value significantly influence visual attention, yet this influence is not independent of factors such as salience and meaning. Furthermore, meaning continues to play a predominant role in the guidance of visual attention.