Evaluating Physical Stress across Task Difficulty Levels in Augmented Reality-Assisted Industrial Maintenance
Source abstract
Abstract
Many studies have revealed the benefits of augmented reality (AR) to enhance productivity and fulfill a quality function in industry. Yet, the potential adverse effects of AR, such as physical stress, have not been extensively studied. This study investigates the effect of task difficulty (simple versus complex maintenance tasks) on the overall performance and physical stress of individuals while interacting with multimedia instructions (i.e., AR via HoloLens versus. paper-based guidance). Twenty-eight healthy male participants with a mean age of 32.12 years (standard deviation of 2.45 years) were randomly assigned to two groups: AR-based group and paper-based group. The metrics of total maintenance time, NASA-TLX scores, and heart rate variability (HRV) were used to evaluate overall performance, perceived workload, and physical stress, respectively. The findings suggest that AR-based instruction for a complex task significantly reduced both total maintenance time (by 14.94%) and physical stress in comparison with paper-based instruction. Paper-based instruction was found to destabilize heart rhythm, increase heart rate, and cause a shift in autonomic balance due to heightened sympathetic nerve activation. This study concludes that AR-based instruction is more efficient and less stressful than paper-based instruction, indicating that the AR system may offer independent benefits in reducing physical workloads.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Augmented Reality Applications · Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts · Surgical Simulation and Training
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
Affiliations
Department of Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia
Industrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Mustaqbal University, Buraidah 52547, Saudi Arabia
Industrial Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Taibah University, Medina 41411, Saudi Arabia
Computer Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Mustaqbal University, Buraidah 52547, Saudi Arabia
Funding
King Saud University Researchers Supporting Project
References (100+)
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