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Investigating the Impact of Augmented Reality Instruction Modes for Manual Wire Harness Assembly Task on Formboards
Junfeng Wang1, Jiang Zhan1, Qifeng Zou2
1Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, School of Mechanical Science and Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Static color augmented reality (AR) modes significantly reduced wire harness assembly time for novice operators by 18% compared to dynamic modes. This AR approach also improved gaze behavior, though error rates and perceived workload remained unchanged.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Industrial Engineering
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Wire harness assembly is a manual process often performed on formboards.
- Augmented reality (AR) offers potential to enhance efficiency and reduce workload in assembly tasks.
- Limited research exists on the specific impact of different AR visualization modes on operator performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how various AR wire harness visualization modes affect novice operator performance.
- To examine the influence of AR modes on assembly time, errors, gaze behavior, and subjective workload.
- To provide insights for designing effective AR-assisted wiring systems for Industry 5.0.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory laboratory study was conducted with novice operators performing wire harness assembly.
- Three AR wire path visualization modes were tested: static color mode (SCM), dynamic color mode with flashing display (DCM-FD), and dynamic color mode with segment display (DCM-SD).
- Assembly performance (time, errors), gaze behavior (eye-tracking), and perceived workload (NASA-TLX) were measured.
Main Results:
- The static color mode (SCM) group demonstrated an 18% shorter task completion time, a statistically significant finding.
- Eye-tracking data revealed the SCM group had fewer gaze switches and the shortest total fixation time.
- No significant differences were found in the number of assembly errors or perceived workload across the groups.
Conclusions:
- Static color visualization in AR-assisted wiring systems can significantly improve task efficiency for novice operators.
- The findings suggest that simpler AR visual cues may be more effective for certain assembly tasks, contrary to some mechanical assembly domain observations.
- This research provides valuable data for optimizing AR system design to enhance operator training and performance in Industry 5.0 settings.
