Communication - UX and XR at the service of the connected worker and industry 5.0

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UX and XR at the service of the connected worker and industry 5.0

14 December, 2023

Connected worker: someone who uses digital technology to improve their productivity, communication, efficiency and security. We are thus faced with a new trend, derived from Industry 5.0 which, together with Industry 4.0, brings a digital and technological transformation to the industry sector (in general) and, consequently, to the entire production chain.

While Industry 4.0 focuses on digitalization and new technologies, in which the system becomes “smart”, with real-time communication, Industry 5.0 is more oriented towards sustainability and social justice, where human beings (employees or consumers) are placed at the centre of decisions, in a symbiosis with the machine and the search for customized production. [1]

This leads to a demand for more qualified professionals and a greater demand for creativity, intelligence, human efficiency and qualifications, to work on more precise machines. [2,3]

It is in this scenario that Extended Reality (XR) gains market attention and investment, due to its commercial potential, by offering opportunities for improvement, optimization and efficiency, through simulations. This effective sharing of knowledge translates into new dimensions for the consumer experience or even job training.

Extended Reality: between the real and the virtual

When we refer to extended reality, it comprises immersive technologies, including virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. [4] Historically, virtual reality (VR) has existed since 1957, with the creation of the Sensorama equipment, and later, in 1965, with the invention of the headset. Despite everything, this technology did not have much repercussion, until its “rebirth” in 2012, with the so-called “Rift (VR) glasses” [5]. Since then, the concept and forms of interaction have evolved considerably.

The difference between Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Mixed Reality (MR) still causes some confusion. For Milgram and Kishino [6], there are two extremes: the totally real environment and the totally virtual, and between them there are different levels of interaction, ambience and immersion in MR. This concept is known as “Virtuality Continuum” and refers to a theory that is not unanimous, especially because there are those who argue [7,8] that these concepts are not a continuity, but rather different approaches. In other words, the environment in VR is completely virtual, in AR there is an overlap of digital and real-world elements, and in MR there is a combination of these elements.

XR as a response to new economic challenges

XR allows experiences to have a virtual environment, with digital elements and a degree of immersiveness and combination between real and virtual, where interactions occur in real time. In this universe, the user works with some physical devices that make their activity more complete, contextualized and attractive.

Technology allows us to reconfigure the way we interact, store and access data and information, enabling new practice options for maintenance, operational activities, knowledge sharing (remote assistance), product design and prototyping. As a result, we have improved efficiency, productivity, data monitoring, productive flexibility, more assertive decision-making, communication and employee satisfaction. Furthermore, we have increased security, reduced operational costs and greater sustainability, given that many of these processes use only virtual information. Finally, it is worth adding the great advantage of XR: its versatility. This can be applied in different sectors, such as health, industry, entertainment, and education, among many others.

Usability and user-centered design: advantages for XR

New technologies typically face some challenges. In the case of XR, it is worth mentioning the high cost of its development and implementation, and the usability and acceptability by users.

Usability is defined by ISO9241-210 as a way of measuring how users use a system, product or service, within a context of use and specific objectives, with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. [11]

Each user has their skills, experiences and expectations that must be investigated and considered as criteria in the development of these technologies. [12] This is the only way to achieve an integration of user needs with the characteristics of the product/system, thus providing the development of a more effective, efficient and satisfactory interaction. [13] This factor is directly connected with Industry 5.0 and user-centred design, which places the human being at the centre of its development.

CCG/ZGDV, as a technological innovation interface for the digital economy, has developed several XR solutions, with good results, especially when there is harmony between development and user-centred design [16,17,18]. In a recent project, the user experience (UX) of the VR prototyping environment was studied, with a 92% reduction in errors and a 69% reduction in task execution time, a total reduction in the occurrence of dropouts mid-task, and a reduction 78% in the number of difficulties encountered and, among other results. As it is a relatively new interface and is not yet intuitive for the user, these issues cannot be neglected. After all, technology in the workplace must add value to daily activities and not be a “headache” or an additional challenge for the employee. Placing the human being at the centre of the process, from the idea to the final product, is a decisive factor for a product, service or system.

Author: Iara Margolis

Human factors researcher at HTIR (Human Technology-Interaction and Robotics) at the CCG/ZGDV Institute. PhD in Design (Federal University of Pernambuco – UFPE, Brazil), with a master's and bachelor's degree in Engineering. Currently, she is pursuing a post-doctorate in UX (User Experience) in the area of Extended Reality (XR), at UFPE. She has more than 10 years of experience in the areas of engineering, marketing and education, and 4 years in the area of UX design research.

References

[1] Xu, X., Lu, Y., Vogel-Heuser, B., & Wang, L. (2021). Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0—Inception, conception and perception. Journal of Manufacturing Systems, 61, 530-535.

[2] Demir, K. A., Döven, G., & Sezen, B. (2019). Industry 5.0 and Human-Robot Co-working. Procedia Computer Science, 158, 688-695.

[3] Maddikunta, P. K. R., Pham, Q.-V., Prabadevi, B., Deepa, N., Dev, K., Gadekallu, T. R., Ruby, R., & Liyanage, M. (2022). Industry 5.0: A survey on enabling technologies and potential applications. Journal of Industrial Information Integration, 26, 100257.

[4] Dieck, M.C. and Jung, T. (2018) ‘A theoretical model of mobile augmented reality acceptance in urban heritage tourism’, Current Issues in Tourism, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.154–174

[5] Ihemedu-Steinke, Q. C., Erbach, R., Halady, P., Meixner, G., & Weber, M. (2017). Virtual reality driving simulator based on head-mounted displays. Automotive User Interfaces: Creating Interactive Experiences in the Car, 401-428.

[6] Milgram, P., & Kishino, F. (1994). A taxonomy of mixed reality visual displays. IEICE Transactions on Information Systems, E77-D(12), 1321-1329.

[7] Chuah, S. H. W. (2019). Wearable XR-technology: literature review, conceptual framework and future research directions. International journal of technology marketing, 13(3-4), 205-259.

[8] Rauschnabel, P.A. (2018b) ‘Virtually enhancing the real world with holograms: an exploration of expected gratifications of using augmented reality smart glasses’, Psychology & Marketing, Vol. 35, No. 8, pp.557–572.

[9] Modowal, A. (2022). How mixed reality applications are reshaping the healthcare industry. Acesso em 06 de junho de 2023. Disponível em: https://www.softwebsolutions.com/resources/mixed-reality-application-in-healthcare-industry.html

[10] Metcalfe, T. (2018). What is VR? The devices and apps that turn the real world virtual. Acesso em 06 de junho de 2023. Disponível em: https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/what-vr-devices-apps-turn-real-world-virtual-ncna857001

[11] ISO 9241-210 (2019) Ergonomics of human-system interaction.

[12] Scherer MJ, Sax C, Vanbiervliet A, Cushman LA, Scherer JV. Predictors of assistive technology use: the importance of personal and psychosocial factors. Disabil Rehabil. 2005;27(21):1321–1331. D

[13] Meyer, J. T., Gassert, R., & Lambercy, O. (2021). An analysis of usability evaluation practices and contexts of use in wearable robotics. Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 18(1), 170.

[14] Margolis, I., Carrança A., Sousa, N., Rocha, J., Santos, E., Evangelista, L., Ferreira, A., Adão, T, & Sousa, E. (2023). UX and Industry 5.0: A study in Repairing equipment using Augmented Reality. International Conference on Intelligent Systems Design and Engenineering Applications (ISDEA).

[15] Silva, E.; Margolis, I.; Nunes, M.; Sousa, N.; Nunes, E. and Sousa, E. (2023). Analysis of the User Experience (UX) of Design Interactions for a Job-Related VR Application. In Proceedings of the 18th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications (VISIGRAPP 2023) - HUCAPP, 169-176.

[16] Nunes, M.; Silva, E.; Sousa, N.; Sousa, E.; Nunes, E. and Margolis, I. (2023). VR Virtual Prototyping Application for Airplane Cockpit: A Human-centred Design Validation. In Proceedings of the 18th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications (VISIGRAPP 2023) – HUCAPP, p. 177-184.