Evaluation of an Augmented Reality Instruction for a Complex Assembly Task

Abstract This study compares the use of a marker-based AR instruction with a paper instruction commonly used in manual assembly. Hypotheses were tested as to whether the instruction type affects assembly time, number of errors, usability, and employee strain. Instead of student participants and artificial assembly tasks (e. g. Lego assemblies), the study was conducted with 16 trainees in a real workplace for the assembly of emergency door release handles in rail vehicles. Five assembly runs were performed. Assembly times and assembly errors were determined from recorded videos. Usability (SUS) and strain (NASA-TLX) were recorded with questionnaires. After a slower assembly at the beginning, the AR group assembled significantly faster in the fifth run. The comparable number of errors, usability and strain make marker-based AR applications interesting for knowledge transfer in manual assembly, especially due to the easy entrance and low costs.