Science Fiction Prototypes Illustrating Future See-Through Digital Structures in Mobile Work Machines

Abstract

In the context of mobile work machines, efficient and safe operation is often significantly impeded by the lack of visibility due to obstacles such as the engine cover, moving booms and safety features obstructing the view. At the moment, the work machine industry is putting substantial effort into trying to solve the problem; however, it seems that the current maturity of relevant technologies is preventing solutions from entering the market in the immediate future. Therefore, this paper takes a stance that leans firmly into the future and describes the potential of see-through applications by operator-driven Science Fiction Prototypes. The research has included field studies with expert machine operators in tractor, harvester, mining, and cargo handling contexts. The main contribution of the paper is the introduced visual Science Fiction Prototypes and a brief consideration of the potential technologies that are presented as design outcomes of research.