ERP Study of Mine Management System Warning Interface under Fatigue

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Cognitive Psychology
• Mining Engineering

Background:

• Monitoring large volumes of data in mines can lead to operator fatigue.
• Fatigue significantly impacts human performance and decision-making.
• Effective early-warning interfaces are crucial for mine safety and operational efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different visual codes on fatigued individuals' responses.
• To compare subjective fatigue, EEG signals, and behavioral data under different interface conditions.
• To provide data-driven recommendations for designing effective mine early-warning systems.

Main Methods:

• A fatigue-inducing task was administered to 14 subjects.
• An oddball task was used to assess responses to early-warning interfaces.
• Subjective fatigue, event-related potentials (ERPs), and behavioral data (reaction time, accuracy) were recorded.
• EEG signals were analyzed, focusing on P200 amplitude and latency.

Main Results:

• All subjects reported increased fatigue post-task.
• Text-based visual codes resulted in the largest P200 amplitude and longest latency in a fatigued state.
• Fatigued subjects exhibited slower reaction times and reduced accuracy rates when using text-based interfaces.
• Using text as a visual code increased operating load, mental load, and consumed more attention resources compared to color.

Conclusions:

• Text-based visual codes impose a higher cognitive load on fatigued operators in mining environments.
• Interface design should consider the impact of fatigue on operator performance.
• Minimizing cognitive load through appropriate visual code selection is essential for effective early-warning systems in mines.