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Comparing augmented reality visualization methods for assembly procedures

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Abstract

Assembly processes require now more than ever a systematic way to improve efficiency complying with increasing product demand. Several industrial scenarios have been using augmented reality (AR) to enhance environments with different types of information and influence the overall user satisfaction and performance. The purpose of this work is to evaluate three different AR-based methods that can be used to support users during the execution of assembly procedures. The AR methods evaluated are handheld mobile AR, indirect AR (showing the augmented scene on a monitor) and see-through head-mounted display. A user study was performed to assess performance, mental and physical workload, as well as acceptance of the aforementioned methods. Results from a thirty participants study did not reveal a best method in terms of performance and user preference, showing that all methods are adequate to support users. However, the study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each method, which may lead to potential advantages in specific use cases.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the reviewers for their thoughtful comments and suggestions that helped improve an earlier version of this manuscript. We thank everyone involved in discussion groups and case studies for their time and expertise. This research was developed in the scope of Produtech – SIF – Solutions for the Industry of the Future [POCI-01- 0247-FEDER-024541]. This study was also supported by IEETA - Institute of Electronics and Informatics Engineering of Aveiro, funded by National Funds through the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, in the context of the project [UID/CEC/00127/2019].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. IEETA, DETI, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal

    João Bernardo Alves, Bernardo Marques, Paulo Dias & Beatriz Sousa Santos

  2. IEETA, DEGEIT, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal

    Carlos Ferreira

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  1. João Bernardo Alves
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  2. Bernardo Marques
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  3. Carlos Ferreira
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  4. Paulo Dias
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  5. Beatriz Sousa Santos
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Correspondence to João Bernardo Alves.

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Alves, J.B., Marques, B., Ferreira, C. et al. Comparing augmented reality visualization methods for assembly procedures. Virtual Reality 26, 235–248 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-021-00557-8

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