The UAS selected for analysis is the Altura Zenith ATX8, developed by Aerialtronics.  It is a rotorcraft UAS designed to be lightweight in order to support extended flight duration applications.  It has a carbon fiber structure and 8 motors with 16 inch propellers.  The UAS has a flight time of 35 minutes, which supports its intended design to capture aerial imagery, high voltage inspections, search and rescue, and surveillance applications.  The UAS is delivered with a Radio Frequency (RF) handheld GCS, which is equipped with a conventional 1920 x 1080 screen, which can be augmented with a 7-inch tablet. 
The handheld control unit is modelled after the ones commonly utilized for remote controlled aircraft.  It is equipped with two main joysticks, one for motor power and another to control pitch, roll, and yaw.  Both joysticks are supplemented by fine adjustment potentiometers for accuracy.  There are 14 additional toggle switchers that can be programmed for different functions, including return to home.  Handling of the GCS is supported by a handle on each side of the unit.  RF transmission and reception is enabled by six antennas.  The main screen of the GCS is supplemented by a 7-inch tablet.  The tablet is connected to the right side of the main screen by a metal brace.  The intended purpose of the tablet is for flight planning utilizing an application provided by Aerialtronics.  The UAS supports an additional controller for imagery applications.  A secondary unit can be linked to the system in order to control the gimbal and the camera system.  This supports safe operation of the UAS, while enabling accurate control of the imagery system.
While the airframe has an impressive design, the GCS has human factor related shortcomings.  The first is the combination of a conventional screen and a touch screen (tablet).  This can cause confusion on the operator when telemetry data is shown on the conventional one.  In addition, the positon of the tablet to the right of the screen can distract the operator.  This would be critical for Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) operations when the video displayed on the screen can alert the operator of a possible threat.  In addition to the possibility of distraction, there is also the additional effort needed to handle a control system whose weight is unbalanced.  The weight of the tablet on the right hand side can make lone term operation of the UAS difficult and might result in mistakes from the operator.
Possible solutions to the human factors issues include a redesign of the display architecture.  Both screens can be combined into a larger one, which will result in a weight reduction by not including the weight of the tablet bezel, battery, and CPU; the battery and CPU can be integrated within the main control enclosure.  The information displayed in the tablet can be fused with the main display to ensure the operator can always see the video captured during BLOS operations.  The redesign of the GCS would include rows of Active-Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) strips that would replace the majority of the toggle switches.  These display strips, turned into controls, provide great sunlight readability and offer wide viewing angles (US Micro Products, 2016).  Not all toggle switches would be eliminated, as two would be needed for critical functions including return to home and gimbal power. 
A common human factor between the UAS and manned aircraft is the display architecture.  Manned aircraft can be equipped with an overwhelming quantity of displays that can result in a significant cognitive load on a pilot.  Incorporating large multi-function displays can provide relief, by utilizing information fusion and creating situation specific “scenes”.  Displays could provide sets of information for takeoff and landing, while providing different information while during cruise flight.  A human factors centric design for UAS GCS will drive operator efficiency while reducing cognitive load at the same time.

References

Aerialtronics. (2016). Altura Zenith. Retrieved from Aerialtronics.com: http://www. aerialtronics.com/altura-zenith-engels/control-functions/
US Micro Products. (2016). AMOLED. Retrieved from US Micro Products: http://www. usmicroproducts.com/displays/custom-amoled-displays