Abstract
In recent years, the use of virtual prototyping has
increased in product development processes, especially in
the assessment of complex systems targeted at end-users.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the suitability
of virtual prototyping to support human
factors/ergonomics evaluation (HFE) during the design
phase. Two different virtual prototypes were used:
augmented reality (AR) and virtual environment (VE)
prototypes of a maintenance platform of a rock crushing
machine. Nineteen designers and other stakeholders were
asked to assess the suitability of the prototype for HFE
evaluation. Results indicate that the system model
characteristics and user interface affect the experienced
suitability. The VE system was valued as being more
suitable to support the assessment of visibility, reach,
and the use of tools than the AR system. The findings of
this study can be used as a guidance for the implementing
virtual prototypes in the product development process.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 11-18 |
| Journal | Applied Ergonomics |
| Volume | 56 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2016 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- human factors/ergonomics
- virtual environment
- virtual prototyping
