Requirements for Haptic Virtual Training Systems in the Automotive Industry

Due to challenges associated with the speed of change and the variety of products, assembly training is becoming more and more important. Virtual reality (VR) can improve training processes but is largely limited to visual and auditory feedback. Especially manual assembly tasks are difficult to train only with visual and auditory feedback. Haptic-enhanced assembly systems can bridge this gap by enabling haptic interaction in the virtual environment. Integrating haptics into virtual training can improve virtual training processes in terms of a better understanding of assembly operations. This paper aims to analyze human and technological requirements for training systems in the context of the automotive industry. For this purpose, a qualitative expert study was conducted with nine experts from the automotive industry. Based on an interview guideline, requirements were derived for the assembly training system and the integration of haptic interaction modalities. A focus group discussion was conducted to evaluate and validate the requirements in terms of relevance and practicality.