Experimental Evaluation of Merged-View Systems and VR-Based Reconstruction Approaches for Enhanced Mining Vehicle Teleoperation
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Authors
Kamran Pishhesari, Alireza
Issue Date
2025
Type
Dissertation
Language
en_US
Keywords
Cognitive load; , eye-tracking , mining industry , mining vehicle teleoperation , safety
Alternative Title
Abstract
In mining teleoperation, multi-view visualization systems can improve efficiency and safety but often impose a high cognitive load, causing operators to tunnel attention toward a single view. To explore a more efficient alternative, this study evaluated a merged-view interface that integrates multiple camera perspectives into a single coherent display. In a controlled experiment, 35 participants navigated a teleoperated rover robot along a 50 m simulated underground mine path under both multi-view and merged-view conditions. Task performance and eye-tracking data, including completion time, path adherence, and speed-limit violations, were recorded for comparison. Results showed that the merged-view system enabled 6 % faster completion times, 21 % higher path adherence, and 28 % fewer speed-limit violations. Eye-tracking metrics revealed more efficient and distributed attention in the merged view: blink rate decreased by 29 %, fixation duration shortened by 18 %, saccade amplitude increased by 11 %, and gaze-transition entropy rose by 14 %, reflecting broader and more adaptive scanning. The NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), a widely used subjective workload assessment tool, indicated a 27 % reduction in perceived workload. Regression-based sensitivity analysis showed that gaze entropy was the strongest predictor of efficiency in the multi-view condition, whereas fixation duration dominated under merged-view visualization. For path adherence, blink rate was most influential in the multi-view setup (frequent disengagement reduced stability), whereas fixation duration was the primary predictor in the merged-view interface, reflecting steadier gaze and improved control. Overall, merged-view visualization enhanced situational awareness, reduced cognitive tunneling, and provided quantitative guidance for designing safer and more efficient teleoperation interfaces in hazardous mining environments. Complementing this empirical work, a review of VR-based teleoperation approaches highlights the potential of 3D reconstruction methods to create immersive environments with enhanced situational awareness. The review concluded that depth-based reconstruction is most effective for underground mining, while point-cloud modeling is more suitable for surface environments. Together, these findings demonstrate that merged-view visualization reduces cognitive tunneling, enhances safety and efficiency, and that VR approaches may provide the next frontier for advanced teleoperation interfaces in mining.