The goal of the Dronible workshop is to design and prototype interaction to fly and operate drones using tangible objects. This hands-on workshop will start with a video brainstorming for rapid and physical exploration of potential interaction. The workshop will continue with a digital prototyping phase with small-sized drones, motion sensors and haptic actuators. Finally, a presentation session will allow all participants to show off their prototypes and reflect on future Human-Drone Interaction perspectives.
•
Afternoon o Tutorial on the drones, sensors and actuators available (30 minutes) o Physical and Digital prototyping session (120 minutes) o Prototypes presentations and discussions (30 minutes)
We provided several small-sized programmable drones (BitCraze and Crazyflies). We also provided various physical prototyping material and inesensing modules from Bitalino RioT. The modules, which embed an inertial motion unit allowed the participants to retrieve acceleration or rotation data and other input data from external sensors such as force sensitive resistors or or potentiometers. For the haptic feedback part, we provided DFROBOT Bluetooth audio cards (DFR0720) and LRA vibrating motors. Programming sketcheswere provided in advance via GitHub2 to facilitate the workshop.
The afternoon prototyping session took place at the ENAC flight hall to ensure participants’ safety while testing their flying prototypes. The hall also features a recording system to document the results of the workshop.
The workshop started with a brief overview of Human Drone Interaction research before moving to the video brainstorming phase.
During this first part, we split into two groups to brainstorm on tangible interaction to operate drones
with vibrotactile feedback. We used video brainstorming techniques to record drone interaction
enaction with minimal prototype designing efforts [
After a quick demonstration of the available technologies for prototyping, participants voted for their favorite ideas from the video brainstorming sessions. The candidate ideas were: - A drone as a dance partner that would react to performed dance moves and be integrated to the choreography. The design envisioned that the dancer would drop a ball attached to her wrist to make the drone take off. Then rotation motions would influence the speed and altitude of the drones, or the circular motions performed by the drones near the dancer. - A physical remote controller using pressure and rotation to fly the drone. The two-pressure sensitive area controlled the lateral direction of the drone and its altitude. - A fitness assistant reacting to efforts from the user. The user receives vibrotactile feedback to give rhythm information for the gestures that must be repeated. According to the energy of the motions sensed in the weights, the drone would increase its altitude. At the end of the workout, the drone would slowly land to indicate the remaining time before the next exercise. The three groups managed to build physical prototypes but the digital prototypes using crazyflies were not very functional due to technical difficulties in operating the drones simultaneously.