Commanding multiple drone swarms and a live fire-response operation from a single tactical map.
SwarmOps is an advanced tactical control panel where a single operator manages multiple drone swarms and independent drones on one map, plans missions dynamically, and directs fire-suppression UAVs. It was delivered as a 40-screen interactive prototype and a 21-screen scenario flow.
The operator has to command several swarms plus independent drones on one surface — creating a new swarm mid-crisis, handling a drone failure, responding to spreading fires, and returning every unit home safely — all without losing situational context or making a costly mis-click under pressure.
When one wrong tap can ground a fleet, the interface's job is to make the right move the obvious one.
Unify multi-swarm and independent-drone control on a single tactical map
Support dynamic mission planning — no-fly zones, re-routing, new swarms mid-mission
Prevent operator error with confirmation and alert systems on critical commands
Keep fast-changing telemetry legible with monospace type and fixed-layout panels
Enable fluid macro-to-micro movement, from fleet overview down to single-drone diagnostics
Drone-swarm operators and tactical command staff coordinating multi-unit emergency response in real time.
Mission analysts and response coordinators monitoring fleet status and reviewing after-action reports.
Method Reference analysis across four domains: professional ground-control software, military command-and-control systems, RTS unit management, and logistics / monitoring dashboards.
Multiple swarms plus independent drones must be commanded on one surface without losing context
Critical commands (redirect, return-to-base, emergency landing) risk mis-clicks under pressure
Constantly changing telemetry — altitude, speed, battery, coordinates — must stay aligned and flicker-free
Operators need to move between fleet-level overview and single-drone diagnostics instantly
Stakeholder interviews, user research, and an audit of the current experience to understand the real problem.
Synthesizing findings into clear problems, user goals, flows, and the information architecture.
Wireframes to high-fidelity UI, built on a component system and refined through iteration.
Prototyping, usability testing, and a documented hand-off engineering can build from confidently.
System ready — ALPHA and BRAVO on standby, FIRE-01 detected. The left panel lists active units with capacity, battery, ammo and status; the right detail panel stays empty until something is selected. The top bar carries connection, GPS, wind and clock indicators.
The Macro/Micro toggle — borrowed from Supreme Commander's strategic view — zooms in to individual drones while a mini-map widget preserves the macro context, so the operator never loses the big picture.
Micro drill-down to DRN-15: motor M2 running at 32% RPM, asymmetric thrust flagged. Three unambiguous actions — Return to base, Emergency landing, Continue mission — keep the critical decision clear.
With the mission complete, all three units head home on separate colour-coded trajectories — ALPHA a purple arc, BRAVO pink, CHARLIE orange — so 'who is going where' stays readable at a glance.
12 screens from the final design — tap any to enlarge.
Under pressure the interface itself has to prevent mistakes. A fixed layout with a dynamic right panel, confirmation on destructive commands, and consistent unit colours did more for operator safety than any single feature.
