Establishing the Usability of a Virtual Training System for Assembly Operations within the Automotive Industry

Abstract

Virtual training systems deliver training within a virtual environment (VE) using virtual reality (VR) or augmented reality (AR) technologies. However, to be fully accepted as a valid tool for training within the automotive industry, evidence is required on the ability of these systems to deliver effective and efficient training to the relevant users. This paper aims to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of the first prototype of the virtual training system (VTS) developed within the VISTRA (Virtual Simulation and Training of Assembly and Service Processes in Digital Factories) project (FP7‐ICT‐285176), using real end users from the OPEL automotive plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany. Two separate and independent studies were employed that used objective and subjective methods of investigation to establish performance and usability measures. The objective results show that virtual training was effective in reducing error during task performance when compared to traditional training. The subjective results concluded that the opinions of the participants were mainly positive concerning the overall use of the VTS for assembly operation training; however, a number of issues were highlighted and reported to the developers for further advancement of the system.

Design and Evaluation of a VR Training Simulation for Pump Maintenance Based on a Use Case at Grundfos

“…However, in contrast to our results, the authors found that HMD-based training led to fewer errors. Overall, our results do not reflect the promising prospect of VR portrayed by other researchers [23]. This contrast may be due to the richness of hands-on experience, which is very difficult to simulate in VR, and may present a great benefit to learning.…”

“…Arthur et al [1] define knowledge decay as "loss of trained [...] knowledge over extended periods of non-use". A series of studies have researched how different training methods influence the participants' retention of knowledge [5,15,20,23].Knowledge retention can be evaluated at varying intervals after training, ranging from instantaneously to more than 365 days later [1].…”

“…During the training a guidance system provides multimodal cues, including voice recordings, textual instructions, highlights and animations, and haptic feedback [23]. To improve knowledge transfer, two levels of difficulty were implemented [30]: Beginner and Intermediate.…”

Augmented reality technology in the manufacturing industry: A review of the last decade

“…Anastassova and Burkhardt (2009) discussed the benefits of AR as a tool to solve some typical training problems for automotive service technicians. The study by Langley et al (2016) also focused on the effectiveness of AR systems for training of users. Other position papers provided guidelines for AR implementation, either in general terms (Chimienti et al, 2010) or for the deployment of AR in the specific areas, e.g., assembly and remote maintenance (Haist, 2008).…”

Design and Evaluation of a VR Training Simulation for Pump Maintenance

“…During the training a guidance system provides multimodal cues, including voice recordings, textual instructions, highlights and animations, and haptic feedback [7]. To improve knowledge transfer, two levels of difficulty were implemented [10]: Beginner and Intermediate.…”