arXiv subjects

Dzmitry Katsiuba

Publications and source records attributed to Dzmitry Katsiuba.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Accountability in Autonomous Drone-Based Firefighting: Insights From a Field Trial

There is a growing research field exploring how autonomous drones can enhance emergency response effectiveness. Integrating these (artificial) agents into existing emergency teams and workflows may significantly impact established accountability relationships. This paper examines how autonomous drones affect accountability attribution within complex socio-technical systems. Drawing on two real-life field trials in firefighting, the study reveals substantial uncertainty around accountability when drones are organizationally deployed. Using Bovens' accountability framework, two challenges are identified: (1) uncertainty about the role of drones within hierarchical structures, leading to confused accountability ascriptions; and (2) new forms of human-drone interactions introducing additional accountability-relevant issues. Based on these insights, the paper proposes actionable recommendations to support the responsible integration of autonomous drones into firefighting operations without undermining accountability. These findings offer practical guidance for policymakers and contribute to further research on accountability in autonomous systems.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2026

From Ad Hoc Pilots to Repeatable Patterns: Structuring Drone Collaboration in Emergency Services with DroneLets

Drones hold promise for supporting emergency services, but their integration into workflows remains ad hoc and coordination-intensive. This paper addresses two research questions: how emergency teams want to collaborate with drones, and how to formalize these collaborations into repeatable processes. Based on four field trials and 95 interviews, we derive 44 interaction patterns grouped into 10 meta-patterns reflecting operational needs such as reconnaissance, communication, and logistical support. To structure these practices, we introduce DroneLets - a new class of design artifacts that extend Collaboration Engineering to embodied agents. DroneLets capture setup requirements, drone capabilities, environmental constraints, and coordinated actions across human and drone actors. They offer a modular framework for designing repeatable, scalable collaboration processes in emergency services, illustrated through patterns such as broadcasting to bystanders and post-fire monitoring. This work expands the scope of CE and provides a structured foundation for integrating autonomous drones into high-stakes field operations.

cs.RO↗

arXiv2024

Learning with Digital Agents: An Analysis based on the Activity Theory

Digital agents are considered a general-purpose technology. They spread quickly in private and organizational contexts, including education. Yet, research lacks a conceptual framing to describe interaction with such agents in a holistic manner. While focusing on the interaction with a pedagogical agent, i.e., a digital agent capable of natural-language interaction with a learner, we propose a model of learning activity based on activity theory. We use this model and a review of prior research on digital agents in education to analyze how various characteristics of the activity, including features of a pedagogical agent or learner, influence learning outcomes. The analysis leads to identification of IS research directions and guidance for developers of pedagogical agents and digital agents in general. We conclude by extending the activity theory-based model beyond the context of education and show how it helps designers and researchers ask the right questions when creating a digital agent.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2024

Firefighters' Perceptions on Collaboration and Interaction with Autonomous Drones: Results of a Field Trial

Applications of drones in emergency response, like firefighting, have been promoted in the past decade. As the autonomy of drones continues to improve, the ways in which they are integrated into firefighting teams and their impact on crews are changing. This demands more understanding of how firefighters perceive and interact with autonomous drones. This paper presents a drone-based system for emergency operations with which firefighters can interact through sound, lights, and a graphical user interface. We use interviews with stakeholders collected in two field trials to explore their perceptions of the interaction and collaboration with drones. Our result shows that firefighters perceived visual interaction as adequate. However, for audio instructions and interfaces, information overload emerges as an essential problem. The potential impact of drones on current work configurations may involve shifting the position of humans closer to supervisory decision-makers and changing the training structure and content.

cs.HC↗