Depth and Colour Perception in Real and Virtual Robot Cells in the Context of Occupational Safety and Health

摘要

Investigations into comparisons of real and virtual environments serve multiple purposes. Results may improve development, implementation and application of virtual environments, inform about potentials for positive transfer of effects and facilitate decision making about appropriate virtual reality techniques in specific situations on human factors and ergonomics in human-system interaction. Absolute and relative estimations of object sizes, colours and greyscales were differentially investigated in virtual and real robot cells. Analyses revealed differences for environments (e.g. size, colour) and in some cases even for specific characteristics under investigation (e.g. robot cell size, 10% greyscales). Differential results on human task performance in virtual environments with potential technical constraints are crucial for safety and health reasons and because they provide a basis for human behaviour consequences and work system design decisions and requirements for transfer research. Results support informed decision making about virtual reality techniques and media selection in OSH applications on training and work systems design.