Augmented reality for industrial quality inspection: An experiment assessing task performance and human factors

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) technologies promise to increase the flexibility and productivity of the workforce by providing real-time information to workers right where it is needed. Following Cognitive Load Theory and Attention Theory, AR assistance can reduce the burden on workers’ mental capacity while performing a task, thereby improving task performance. The benefits of AR on industrial activities like assembly or maintenance have been investigated extensively, but the literature on AR-assisted quality control, specifically, quality inspection, is scarce. This stands in contrast to the importance of industrial quality inspection and highlights the need for research on the topic. In this work, we develop an AR-based system for head-mounted displays (HMDs) that visualizes product defects directly on physical products. We investigate its effect on task performance and human factors through an experiment. Participants performed multiple quality inspections using real manufacturing products and equipment with the help of an AR HMD, a screen, or no additional help. We find increased task performance using the AR HMD system. In comparison to screen-based assistance, a moderating effect of task difficulty was observed. Specifically, AR was more beneficial to task completion times given a difficult task. Furthermore, the AR HMD system reduced mental workload and received a positive rating regarding user experience. Our work contributes to the research in industrial AR usage through a novel AR HMD system for quality inspection and provides so far missing empirical and theoretically grounded evidence on its benefits with regard to task performance and human factors.