Exploring Human-Human Teaming and Human-Machine Interaction in a Collaborative Virtual Learning Factory

The rapid advancements in manufacturing technologies and the growing need for a skilled workforce have emphasized the importance of innovative approaches to manufacturing training. Traditional methods often lack the flexibility to conduct virtual training and collaborative tasks in the event of disruptions (e.g., pandemics) as well as sensor tracking measures to study problem-solving. To address these challenges, this study develops a collaborative virtual learning factory to enhance the learning of manufacturing systems and analyze human-human teaming and human-machine interaction. The development of the virtual factory involves creating a virtual reality environment that simulates the physical assembly of car toys, replicating key manufacturing paradigms such as craft production, mass production, mass customization, and personalized production. The virtual factory offers an immersive and interactive virtual environment where learners can engage with manufacturing systems, gain hands-on experiences, collaborate with peers, and develop problem-solving skills. The virtual factory also incorporates collaborative features such as a voice system for facilitating communication among participants, team-wise performance requirements for proceeding towards subsequent manufacturing paradigms, and interdependency among participants in the production line. This allows participants to work together on manufacturing tasks which enhances teamwork and communication skills. A study was conducted with 30 participants who completed a series of assembly tasks to produce car toys in the virtual factory. collaboration and interactions with the system were recorded, and both quantitative data including physiological signals (e.g., heart rate and electrodermal activity) and performance measures (e.g., perception of workload and system usability) were collected. Analyzing the data revealed that higher physiological synchrony among the members of a group indicates better performance in task execution, which emphasizes the importance of physiological alignment for team performance. A significant negative correlation (r =-.60, p < .05) was found between workload and system usability. The study has the potential to improve user experience by enhancing system usability and reducing user workload.