A Hydraulic Excavator Augmented Reality Simulator for Operator Training.

A significant evolution in the design of modern heavy mobile equipment like the hydraulic excavator due to advancements in component technologies has further entrenched the need for effective operator training in the heavy mobile equipment industry in order to ensure safe and efficient operation of equipment. Current methods for training hydraulic excavator operators have been based on on-site and offsite (classroom) training, which requires significant cost and time commitments, and virtual reality simulated training which is limited in its inability to provide a realistic real world training experience. A state of the art in training based on Augmented Reality (AR) is being explored by researchers as an effective alternative to provide training because of the technology's unique characteristics. This paper presents ongoing work on a prototype AR system for simulating hydraulic excavator operator training - the Hydraulic Excavator Augmented Reality Simulator (H.E.A.R.S). The system features the overlay of virtual objects that describe the working parts of the hydraulic excavator, inserted into the user's view of the workspace and a simulated work environment to provide firsthand information on how each working part functions. The paper also discusses a preliminary evaluation of the prototype system to assess its effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]