Which Side is the Top? A User Study to Compare Visual Assets for Component Orientation in Assembly with Augmented...

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Visual Computing

Background:

• Assembly tasks often require precise component orientation, which can be challenging when visual cues (affordances) are minimal.
• Augmented Reality (AR) offers potential solutions for conveying complex procedural instructions, including orientation information.
• Existing research lacks consensus on the most effective AR visualization methods for component orientation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of six different Augmented Reality (AR) visual asset presentation modes for conveying component orientation during assembly.
• To identify the optimal AR presentation mode that minimizes completion time, maximizes accuracy, and reduces cognitive load.

Main Methods:

• A user study involving 36 participants was conducted to assess six AR presentation modes: image, video, static side-by-side, animated side-by-side, static in-situ, and animated in-situ product models.
• Key metrics included task completion time, accuracy, cognitive load, user interaction analysis, and subjective feedback.

Main Results:

• The animated side-by-side product model significantly outperformed other modes in terms of completion time and cognitive load.
• User feedback indicated a strong preference for the animated side-by-side AR presentation.
• Accuracy was also positively influenced by the animated side-by-side approach, though not explicitly detailed as the primary finding.

Conclusions:

• Animated side-by-side AR product models are highly effective for conveying component orientation in assembly tasks with limited affordances.
• This AR approach enhances user performance by reducing task duration and cognitive burden, making it a preferred method for procedural guidance.