Disentangling runner drone interaction potentialities

This dissertation contributes to a larger project building an interactive platform to monitor runners, aiming to improve performance and prevent injuries. It addresses a critical gap in running interaction technology, where drones remain a largely underexplored opportunity. While prior work noted their technical promise, their specific utility and limitations for supporting runners were unsubstantiated. This research systematically disentangles the potential of runner-drone interaction, using user-centered design principles to uncover how drones can support runners’ goals and to identify effective integration strategies.

The dissertation is structured in four parts, investigating this potential from the perspectives of the drone, the runner, and their interaction. First, the technical feasibility of using an off-the-shelf drone to accompany runners was examined through battery load tests and benchmark studies, which validated that key running parameters estimated from drone video are comparable to established monitoring systems.

Second, runners’ expectations and requirements were investigated. An experiential study revealed that most runners prefer drones to act as coaching companions providing actionable feedback. To analyze this preference further, a dedicated framework guided a bodystorming study, enabling runners to reflect on their specific feedback needs. These insights informed ideation sessions where runners proposed drone feedback methods aligned with their preferences, highlighting instructive auditory feedback as one of the popular choices.

The third part presents the design and validation of this interactive auditory feedback. Informed by a systematic review of audio use in running research and reinforcement learning techniques, a system was designed where stride length error modulates the volume of characteristic drone noises overlaid with music. Empirical validation in a controlled treadmill setting demonstrated that this feedback enables runners to adjust their stride length in real-time, laying the foundation for further research in naturalistic settings.

Finally, the dissertation reflects on broader future research directions for runner-drone interaction. The conclusion outlines research avenues for advancing interactive drone platforms to support runners and discusses the practical and ethical challenges of real-world deployment. Taken together, this dissertation establishes a foundation for continued research on integrating drone technologies into running and highlights new opportunities for employing interactive aerial systems within the broader sphere of sports.