Beyond the Horizon: Exploring Human-Drone Symbiosis Through First Person View Piloting.

Abstract

This thesis investigates the embodied experience of First-Person View (FPV) drone piloting, focusing on the interplay between technology, the environment, and human sensory perception. It explores how these elements collectively influence pilot interaction and the subjective experience of FPV drone operation, using a practice-led research methodology that integrates a creative technologist approach with empirical data collection and auto-ethnographic methods.

The research was conducted through extensive FPV drone flights during which bespoke sensor arrays were used to capture synesthetic responses and physiological data. This data was then analysed to draw correlations between the pilot's physical responses and the drone’s manoeuvres. This iterative process of making, testing, and refining technology, characteristic of a creative technologist approach, has provided insights into the dynamic relationship between the pilot and the drone.

The synthesis and communication of data through creative maps and video narratives further highlight the intertwined nature of human and technological agency in FPV drone piloting. These narratives, informed by the principles of phenomenology and post-phenomenology, represent how technological mediation extends human capacities, facilitating a unique form of “embodied telepresence” that enhances sensory and perceptual experiences.

This study adopts the concept of volumetric thinking, which redefines traditional two-dimensional spatial understandings by integrating the 3-dimensional mobility of drones. This approach allowed for an expanded perception of space as it emphasises how FPV pilots navigate and interact with complex environments, thus offering an alternative approach to conceptualising spatial dynamics and pilot engagement.

This thesis contributes to the field of Human-Drone-Interaction (HDI) by emphasising the role of embodied experience and creative technological practice in enhancing understanding of these complex systems. It proposes new frameworks for understanding the impact of drone technology on human sensory experience and suggests pathways for future research that could further explore the integration of human sensory, technological, and environmental factors in drone piloting.