A novel adaptive visualization method based on user intention in AR manual assembly

AR assembly instruction is a method that helps users with manual assembly by overlaying virtual information on the real environment. However, users have to manually change the information display form, which fails to adapt to their varying information needs in different stages of the assembly task. This study proposes a user-centered adaptive visualization method for AR manual assembly that can provide the necessary information according to the user’s intention in the assembly process. This paper develops a system (UIAVS) through an information hierarchy mechanism and a user intention recognition method based on the user’s eye gaze, the spatial location, and current assembly task, which can adaptively adjust the visibility of information, how much information is displayed, and the change of visualization form. UIAVS was tested for the first time in a small engine assembly task. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to different task familiarity (novice and expert) and different information visualization response methods for assembly task experiments. The results show that UIAVS has better task performance and cognitive performance as well as user experience than traditional AR assembly instruction method, especially for experts. The research results have certain guiding significance for the design of AR assembly instructions, which extends the application of AR technology in practical complex assembly tasks.