Designing Collaboration between Human Beings and Self-driving Heavy Vehicles with Emerging Interaction Technologies

Abstract

The present work-in-progress paper describes the development of novel user interface concepts that allow human operators to collaborate with self-driving heavy vehicles in a mining context. Concept development was performed within a user-centered design process containing three main steps. First, a study was performed to identify interaction points between heavy vehicle drivers and other human operators in mines. Second, potential interaction technologies were investigated. Finally, suggestions for interaction models were designed and implemented in 3D animated movies. The concepts were designed to support human operators performing loading tasks together with self-driving vehicles and utilize voice interaction and an augmented reality head-up-display to facilitate the interaction. In addition to the mining context, similar concepts were developed to support forklift drivers performing loading tasks in logistic centers. In the next step of this project, the suggested interaction models will be evaluated with mine workers and forklift drivers.