01 AUTONOMOUS FLEET CONTROL INTERFACE

Project Overview:

This project explores the design and behavior of interactive components within an industrial touch-based interface. The objective was to create a streamlined, operator-friendly GUI for managing a small fleet of drones or autonomous ground vehicles. The system focuses on providing clear situational awareness, lightweight device control, and intuitive navigation within a constrained operational environment.

Tools:

Adobe Illustrator
Blender
Figma

Challenges:

• Presenting sufficient operational data while avoiding visual overload or cognitive strain

• Establishing a clear information hierarchy adaptable to a wide range of operator skill levels

• Maintaining logically consistent interaction patterns that support rapid decision-making

Design Process:

A simplified terrain model was created in Blender to generate a clean topographic base for the interface map. The rendered terrain was converted into minimal contour slices, preserving key environmental information while maintaining visual clarity for navigation.

 

Custom icons were developed to represent the different autonomous units within the system. These simplified silhouettes allow operators to quickly distinguish between drone units and stationary supply platforms while maintaining consistency with the interface’s minimal visual language.

  

Primary command controls were designed with clear visual feedback to indicate active states. Each command is paired with a distinct color cue: Route highlights the selected unit’s path in neon green, Hold switches to orange to indicate a stationary command, and Recall activates in red to signal return-to-home behavior.



The final interface organizes operational information into two primary zones: a left panel containing device status cards and control actions, and a right-side terrain map displaying unit positions and routing data. This structure prioritizes rapid information scanning while maintaining an uncluttered navigation environment.

Result:

The final interface presents a clear and structured control environment designed for efficient fleet monitoring and device interaction. The simplified terrain visualization, grid-based navigation system, and modular device panels work together to provide operators with immediate situational awareness and accessible control options.

Below is an interactive prototype demonstrating the system’s primary features, transitions, and interface behaviors.