Head-Mounted Displays for Harvester Operators – A Pilot Study

Abstract: Harvester operators are handling large amounts of information while processing trees. Primarily by looking at the close environment, the trees, and the harvesting head, but also through the bucking display placed in front of the operator. Head-mounted displays have been under development since the 1960s but have yet to find any major applications where they excel outside military aircrafts despite numerous tries. This master thesis aims at evaluating the usability for head-mounted displays (HMDs) and augmented reality (AR) technology within forestry, by answering the research question: Are HMDs suited for displaying information in harvesters? What information is suitable to display in HMDs and how should it be displayed for best effect? A literature review about the current state of the art of HMDs and AR has been compiled which can be read independently. Qualitative user studies have been performed to map the current interactions of harvester operators by observation and interviews in the field. Interviews have been made with subject matter experts in relating fields. The insights gathered from the user studies led to three interface designs for bucking which were designed, prototyped and tested for usability in a harvester simulator. Ideas for other more immersive uses of the HMD were also designed. For bucking is assortment and species the most important information for the operators, contrary to how it is displayed today, where diameter and fed length is presented as the most significant information. Near machine navigation is a problem area which may be solved with AR. Operators participating in the test were positive towards the technology after testing. Our conclusion is that HMDs shows enough promise and performance to be evaluated further by tests in the field. Weight, brightness, and a non-occluding design are the most important properties for an HMD for harvesters.