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Conventional work posture training tools included pamphlets, one-time training orientation, and/or videos. These tools did not always yield satisfactory training outcomes, and the incident rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders did not substantially lower. In this research, modern augmented reality (AR) technology was leveraged to deliver interactive, holistic, whole-body visual information to convey safe work postures. The developmental procedure followed DMAIC by first defining specifications of training content, which led to the development of the training tool, including 3D reconstruction of a virtual instructor and building of user interface based on user-centered framework. This AR training tool was measured and analyzed through usability evaluation, and quantitative and qualitative data were obtained for cross-validation and usability issue source identification. Findings revealed the utility of 3D reconstruction of a virtual instructor and practicality of adopting conventional usability evaluation method for AR user interface usability evaluation. Feedback from the usability evaluation via questionnaire, think aloud, and post-task open-ended responses are employed to iteratively design the next version of the AR posture training tool.

Manual material handling (MMH) tasks can pose risks of musculoskeletal disorders for workers, which makes posture training programs essential. The ultimate goal of this research was to design and evaluate an augmented reality (AR) based training platform, namely the virtual instructor application (VIA). Specifically, the usability problems revealed from the preliminary version (VIA-1) were addressed and enhanced features were implemented in the current version (VIA-2). The usability of VIA-2 was assessed by ten individuals with experience of MMH. Participants explored VIA-2 while performing a series of predefined tasks. A usability questionnaire was administered, and a brief interview was conducted. Results showed that VIA-2 had increased usability compared to VIA-1. While some visual content display issues occurred, a future minor refurnish can address these problems. Finally, the iterative design and evaluation scheme can be applied to the future design of AR-based training programs and evaluation protocols.

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