Program on Technology Innovation: Augmented Reality—Literature Review of Human Factors Issues in the Electric Power Industry

Augmented reality (AR) is a technology that combines real and virtual information presented in an interactive way in real time. AR employs presenting digital information to a user in the real world through tablets, smart glasses, headsets, and helmets. AR has applications in many fields: entertainment, education, navigation, military, industrial, and electric utilities. AR is growing rapidly and will likely be used by a significant percentage of the work force in the next 10 to 20 years. There is a paucity of human factors and occupational safety research for AR devices in the electric power industry. Important human factors and safety issues are physical strain (force of the neck and back muscles), cognitive loading, eye strain, and situational awareness. Results of preliminary studies that have investigated AR with respect to these issues are described in the report. In addition, researchers do not know the long-term effects of employees using AR devices daily for sustained periods of time. Guidelines for the appropriate amount of time for safe and effective AR usage are lacking. AR wearable devices are evolving rapidly, and their form factors will become smaller, less cumbersome, and more pervasive in the future. Examples of future forms of AR are contact lens (which may replace head-mounted gear), smart clothing embedded with AR devices, and AR devices embedded in the Internet of Things. A deep understanding of how these future forms of AR will affect human factors and safety issues is imperative before AR is integrated into electric utility work