ABSTRACT

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel are some of the most highly trained people in the military, with a job description that spans defusing unexploded ordnance to protecting VIP’s and state dignitaries. EOD are also one of the first military groups to work with robots every day. These robots have become an increasingly important tool in EOD work, enabling people to work at safer distances in many dangerous situations. Based on exploratory research investigating interactions between EOD personnel and the robots they use, this study richly describes the nuances of these reciprocal influences, especially those related to operator emotion associated with the robots. In particular, this book examines the activities, processes and contexts that influence or constrain everyday EOD human-robot interactions, what human factors are shaping the (robotic) technology and how people and culture are being changed by using it. The findings from this research have implications for future personnel training, and the refinement of robot design considerations for many fields that rely on critical small group communication and decision-making skills.

part I|30 pages

Narratives

chapter 1|24 pages

Learning by Experience

chapter 2|4 pages

Explosive Ordnance Disposal Stories

part II|28 pages

Metaphors

chapter 3|8 pages

Our Emotional Engines

chapter 5|8 pages

Robot Design as Rhetoric

part III|74 pages

Patterns

chapter 7|32 pages

Action Formation

chapter 8|10 pages

Preparing to Repair

chapter 9|12 pages

Transformational Shifts