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Augmented Reality for assembly operation training: does immersion affect the recall performance?
Abstract
This study aims at comparing three assembly training
applications based on different XR technologies characterized
by different degrees of immersion (i.e., an MR application based
on Hololens 2, a desktop AR application and a digital handbook
visualized on a monitor). A total of 54 subjects, recruited
among students and personnel of Universit`a Politecnica delle
Marche, have been involved. They were assigned to 3 groups
age and gender matching. Each group is asked to complete the
training related to the assembly of a Lego commercial set (i.e.,
LEGO 10593), using one of the three considered applications.
Results allows us to observe the effects of the immersion on the
recall performances, assessed in terms of recall completion time,
assembly mistakes, picking mistakes and sequence mistakes.
... In [13], [14], and [15] is exploited the use of Augmented Reality applications deployed on different devices (i.e. tablets, Microsoft HoloLens) to assist users in the assembly phase of different objects whose effectiveness is illustrated at the end of the study by performing user tests under various conditions, that are evaluated leveraging on specific methods (e.g. ...
... Several authors evaluated Presence in XR experiences and assessed whether an increased level somehow affects the experience from a user standpoint. In [10], the authors assessed the effects of Presence (and, therefore, of Immersion) on the recall performance of industry workers trained in their manual assembly operations employing XR technologies. They found that, in such circumstances, a greater Presence is not beneficial to the recall performances. ...
The use of eXtended Reality (XR) technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR), has become increasingly popular in museums to enhance the visitor experience. However, the impact of XR technologies on Learning Performance in the context of archeological museums needs to be better understood. This study aims to investigate the relationships between Usability, Presence and Learning Performance by developing XR experiences showcasing archeological artefacts and conducting user testing to evaluate their effectiveness. A laboratory test is conducted to compare a VR application with a mobile AR one, presenting the digital models of five archeological findings. Descriptive statistics are used to compare the two case studies, providing valuable insights into the impact of XR technologies on the visitor experience from a learning perspective. The study confirms that Usability has a more significant effect on learning than Presence and can help designers and museum managers better understand the factors contributing to a successful XR experience. The findings suggest that while Presence is an important factor in improving visitors’ experience, Usability should be the priority when designing XR experiences for museums.KeywordsCultural heritageXR TechnologiesTechnological Benchmarking
Spatial Augmented reality (SAR) represents a key technology for the development of smart manufacturing as it is barrier free, does not require the use of Head Mounted Displays or any other wearable devices and it fits most of the industrial constraints. The paper presents a novel SAR-based system to support the manual work in future smart factories. It conveys technical instructions during assembly, provides alerts in case of risks for humans’ safety and finally identifies which postures can bring to muscoloscheletric problems if repeated. Experiments with 30 participants demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed SAR-based system as compared LED monitor-based system and the overall achieved usability. The results proved that SAR technology improves the operators’ performance with respect to a LED monitor-based system and that users well accept it. We found that SAR is more effective for difficult tasks than for simple ones.
Due to increasing complexity of products and the demographic change at manual assembly workplaces, interactive and context-aware instructions for assembling products are becoming more and more important. Over the last years, many systems using head-mounted displays (HMDs) and in-situ projection have been proposed. We are observing a trend in assistive systems using in-situ projection for supporting workers during work tasks. Recent advances in technology enable robust detection of almost every work step, which is done at workplaces. With this improvement in robustness, a continuous usage of assistive systems at the workplace becomes possible. In this work, we provide results of a long-term study in an industrial workplace with an overall runtime of 11 full workdays. In our study, each participant assembled at least three full workdays using in-situ projected instructions. We separately considered two different user groups comprising expert and untrained workers. Our results show a decrease in performance for expert workers and a learning success for untrained workers.
In this paper we investigate whether virtual reality (VR) and
augmented reality (AR) offer potential for the training of manual
skills, such as for assembly tasks, in comparison to conventional media.
We present results from experiments that compare assembly completion
times for a number of different conditions. We firstly investigate
completion times for a task where participants can study an engineering
drawing and an assembly plan and then conduct the task. We then
investigate the task under various VR conditions and context-free AR. We
discuss the relative advantages and limitations of using VR and AR as
training media for investigating assembly operations, and we present the
results of our experimental work
Virtual museum systems, based on different X-reality technologies, has begun to spread, as they represent decisive tools to promote exhibitions and reaching out to audiences. Although budgetary considerations have so far limited the choice of technologies a wide range of possible technological options are available today at low cost. This paper provides the results of an empirical study, with the aim to determine the most appropriate technologies to satisfy the visitors’ expectation and maximise their likelihood to repeat and recommend the experience. The study focuses on the comparison of the performance of five VM systems for visualise digital reproduction of archaeological finds, based on different technologies (i.e., PC desktop, holographic display, 3D stereoscopic projection, head mounted display and mobile Augmented Reality). The results provide useful insight for the development of VM systems, in order to maximize the visitor experience in terms of presence and ability to activate an experience economy perspective.
The human performance benefits of four types of guided assembly instructions, including the Microsoft HoloLens, were analyzed in the context of a realistic assembly task. Several studies have confirmed the benefits of using Augmented Reality (AR) work instructions over traditional digital or paper instructions, but few have compared the effects of different AR hardware, including head mounted displays, for complex assembly tasks. Participants completed a mock wing assembly task using the Microsoft HoloLens, and completion time, error count, and Net Promoter Score (NPS) were recorded. This data was compared to data from previous research, which employed Desktop Model Based Instructions (MBI), Tablet MBI, and Tablet AR instructions for the same task. The use of HoloLens AR instructions led to time savings of 16% over the Tablet AR instructions. HoloLens users also had lower error rates than non-AR users. Despite the performance benefits of the HoloLens AR instructions, this condition had a lower NPS than the Tablet AR group. The qualitative data showed that some users thought the HoloLens device was uncomfortable and that the tracking was not always exact. Although the users favored the Tablet AR condition, the HoloLens condition had significantly faster assembly times. The authors recommend using the HoloLens for complex guided assembly instructions with minor changes, such as allowing the user to toggle the AR instructions on and off at will. The results of this paper can help manufacturing stakeholders understand the benefits of different AR technology for manual assembly tasks.
Augmented Reality (AR) gains increased attention as a means to provide assistance for different human activities. Hereby the suitability of AR does not only depend on the respective task, but also to a high degree on the respective device. In a standardized assembly task, we tested AR-based in-situ assistance against conventional pictorial instructions using a smartphone, Microsoft HoloLens and Epson Moverio BT-200 smart glasses as well as paper-based instructions. Participants solved the task fastest using the paper instructions, but made less errors with AR assistance on the Microsoft HoloLens smart glasses than with any other system. Methodically we propose operational definitions of time segments and other optimizations for standardized benchmarking of AR assembly instructions.
Location-aware Augmented Reality (AR) applications are often argued to provide users with immersive experiences that are situated in the real world. Immersion, which can be seen as a form of cognitive and emotional absorption, has been asserted to promote enjoyment, engagement in a task and even learning. However, such claims remain largely unsubstantiated due to the lack of validated instruments for measuring users’ immersion in location-based AR environments. Attempts to develop validated instruments for evaluating immersion have been few and non-systematic, while existing instruments are oriented towards measuring immersion in the context of non-AR digital games. At the same time, studies seeking to operationalize and measure immersion are still inconclusive; even though immersion is considered as a multi-level psychological construct, it is not yet clear whether there is multidimensionality in each level or not. The present study describes the development and validation of the ARI [Augmented Reality Immersion] questionnaire: an instrument for measuring immersion in AR location-aware settings. To achieve this goal, a multi-step process was employed to develop and validate a novel instrument; analyses included exploratory factor analysis with 202 high school students, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis with 162 high school students. This multi-step process resulted in a 21-item, seven-point Likert-type instrument with satisfactory construct validity, which is based on a multi-leveled model of immersion with multidimensionality in each level. We argue that the ARI questionnaire, as a validated and tested measurement, can be highly useful for researchers and designers in the field of location-based AR.
This paper studies the opportunities coming from the use of consumer devices like smartphones and tablets to perform maintenance and assembly procedures with Augmented Reality (AR). Pros and cons are evaluated by comparing completion times and errors made while executing a maintenance procedure with an AR-based tool and paper-based instructions.
This paper presents results of a study measuring user performance in a procedural task using Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR). The task required participants to press sequences of buttons on two control panel designs in the correct order. Instructions for the task were shown either on a computer monitor, or projected directly onto the control panels. This work was motivated by discrepancies between the expectations from AR proponents and experimental findings. AR is often promoted as a way of improving user performance and understanding. With notable exceptions however, experimental results do not confirm these expectations. Reasons cited for results include limitations of current display technologies and misregistration caused by tracking and calibration errors. Our experiment utilizes SAR to remove these effects. Our results show that augmented annotations lead to significantly faster task completion speed, fewer errors, and reduced head movement, when compared to monitor based instructions. Subjectively, our results show augmented annotations are preferred by users.
NASA-TLX is a multi-dimensional scale designed to obtain workload estimates from one or more operators while they are performing a task or immediately afterwards. The years of research that preceded subscale selection and the weighted averaging approach resulted in a tool that has proven to be reasonably easy to use and reliably sensitive to experimentally important manipulations over the past 20 years. Its use has spread far beyond its original application (aviation), focus (crew complement), and language (English). This survey of 550 studies in which NASA-TLX was used or reviewed was undertaken to provide a resource for a new generation of users. The goal was to summarize the environments in which it has been applied, the types of activities the raters performed, other variables that were measured that did (or did not) covary, methodological issues, and lessons learned