User-centered design and evaluation of an integrated AR-VR system for tele-maintenance

In case of undocumented machine failures on-site maintenance personnel can cooperate with a remote expert using telecommunication equipment. We present a new concept for a maintenance system which provides a synchronous shared visual workspace even when only limited bandwidth is available. A mechanic uses an Augmented Reality (AR) system which is connected to the Virtual Reality (VR) system of a remote expert. The expert interactively creates 3D instructions on his VR system that are displayed on a hand-held tablet computer of the mechanic. The mechanic considers these instructions during his maintenance work but can also interact with the live AR view to create spatial references for the expert. The system was evaluated by 18 experienced automobile mechanics. The maintenance task consisted of the disassembly of the camshaft housing of an internal combustion engine. The results show that participants completed more tasks and used less verbal instructions when using the VR system compared to a video system.