Evaluating the effectiveness of a priori information on process measures in a virtual reality inspection task

Abstract

Due to the nature of the complexity of the aircraft maintenance industry, much emphasis has been placed on improving aircraft inspection performance. One proven technique for improving inspection performance is the use of training. Several strategies have been implemented for training, one of which is giving feedforward information. The purpose of this study evaluates the effects of feedforward information on process measures in a simulated 3-dimensional environment (aircraft cargo bay) by the use of virtual reality. The study was conducted using six subjects performing inspection in a simulated aircraft cargo bay. Results show that the use of feedforward information positively impact inspection performance in terms of process measures (fixation points, fixation durations, and area covered). © Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 2010.