Using virtual reality to optimize human factors of informational systems for industrial machinery

提高重型设备操作员的可见性仍然是几个行业的关键目标。从闭路电视屏幕到视听危险指示器和RFID标签系统的复杂性范围的接近检测系统已被用于各种重型设备。许多轻型客车现在配备了备份视频监视器，以帮助操作员在倒车过程中。这些系统的主要目标是提高操作员的态势感知能力，并改善操作员对机器周围障碍物的检测。采矿和建筑行业继续报告重型设备的高死亡率，这些事件往往与能见度问题有关。如果正确实施，接近检测系统有可能提高重型设备操作员的态势感知能力。到目前为止，重工业尚未采用接近检测系统的标准，尽管一些制造商正在销售旨在减少致命相互作用的系统。这些系统的适当人为因素设计对于提高态势感知至关重要，而不会增加分心驾驶的额外危险。目前还没有足够的研究来自信地推荐一种适合重型工业设备的系统。该项目将确定用于采矿等行业的接近检测系统的最佳特性，这些行业很难成为低光和高眩光环境，或城市建设的忙碌，可访问的工地。此外，信息显示器也会吸引操作员的注意力，因此必须根据人体工程学原理将其最佳地整合到狭小的驾驶室空间中。在这项研究计划的高潮，这项工作将确定接近检测系统的组件，将提供障碍物检测能力，在人体工程学设计，不增加重型设备的操作员的身体或认知工作量。

Enhancing visibility for the operators of heavy equipment remains a critical goal in several industries. Proximity detection systems that range in complexity from closed-circuit television screens to audio-visual hazard indicators and RFID tagged systems have been used on a variety of heavy equipment. Many light passenger vehicles now come equipped with back-up video monitors to aid the operator during revering procedures. The main goal of these systems is to improve the situational awareness of the operator and improve obstacle detection around the machine for the operator. The mining and construction industries continue to report high levels of fatalities on heavy equipment, and these incidents have frequently been linked to visibility issues. Proximity detection systems have the potential to improve situational awareness for operators of heavy equipment if implemented correctly. To date, heavy industry has not yet adopted a standard for proximity detection systems although several manufacturers are marketing systems with an aim to reduce fatal interactions. The proper human factors design for these systems is critical for improving situational awareness, without adding the additional hazard of distracted driving. There is currently insufficient research to confidently recommend a system tailored to heavy industrial equipment. The proposed project will determine the optimal characteristics of a proximity detection system for industries like mining, which has the difficulty of being a low light and high-glare environment, or the busy, accessible worksites of urban construction. In addition, the informational display competes for the operator's attention, and must be optimally integrated into a tight cabin space using principles of ergonomics. At the culmination of this research program, the work will have identified the components of a proximity detection system that will provide obstacle detection capability in an ergonomic design that does not increase physical or cognitive workload for the operators of heavy equipment.