The importance of cranes can not be understated, as they are essential in various fields. They require precision and heavy safety considerations when operated on-site since they are responsible for numerous accidents and even fatalities. Traditional methods for remote operation sometimes fail to depict the intricate scenarios that operators experience in on-site environments, resulting in worsened immersion and, potentially, performance. Accordingly, the immediate purpose of this thesis is to address this limitation by enhancing an existing crane simulator with virtual reality and audio integration. In order to validate the impact of the proposed improvements, the simulator underwent testing in an experimental environment that included 16 individuals. Each participant tested five versions of the simulator, all of which varied in their combination of machinery sounds, environmental sounds, and VR, to assess the impact of the improvements by measuring their operating performance and on-site immersion. The research findings indicate that using virtual reality affects the realism and sense of presence of the simulator, enabling operators to be more immersed in the crane operation. The incorporation of sound, more specifically environmental and machine sounds, enriches the virtual environment by offering audio cues that accurately reflect real-world operations. The operating performance was, however, not significantly improved with the addition of VR and audio. The results obtained from questionnaires, interviews, and performance metrics show that the built-in improvements can potentially increase the safety and efficiency of crane operations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mdh-67280 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Sjöqvist Obucina, Nicholas, Issa, Sharokin |
| Publisher | Mälardalens universitet, Akademin för innovation, design och teknik |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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