Development and Usability Evaluation of Augmented Reality Content for Light Maintenance Training of Air Spring for Electric Multiple Unit

Abstract

The air spring for railway vehicles uses the air pressure inside the bellows to absorb vibration and shock to improve ride comfort and adjust the height of the underframe with a leveling valve to control stable driving of the train. This study developed augmented reality content that proposes a novel visual technology to effectively support the training of air spring maintenance tasks. In this study, a special effect algorithm that displays the dispersion and diffusion of fluid, and an algorithm that allows objects to be rotated at various angles, were proposed to increase the visual learning effect of fluid flow for maintenance. The FDG algorithm can increase the training effect by visualizing the leakage of air at a specific location when the air spring is damaged. In addition, the OAR algorithm allows an axisymmetric model, which is difficult to rotate by gestures, to be rotated at various angles, using a touch cube. Using these algorithms, maintenance personnel can effectively learn complex maintenance tasks. The UMUX and CSUQ surveys were conducted with 40 railway maintenance workers to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed educational content. The results showed that the UMUX, across 4 items, averaged as score of 81.56. Likewise, the CSUQ survey score, consisting of 19 questions in 4 categories, was very high, at 80.83. These results show that this AR content is usable for air spring maintenance and field training support.