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The effects of vibration on manual control performance

The effects of vibration on manual control performance
The effects of vibration on manual control performance

A simple systems approach is used to derive a basic framework for the effects of vibration on human operator performance. This framework is applied to an investigation of co-ordinated manual tracking during vibration. An experiment is described in which twelve subjects were required to perform zero order pursuit tracking of a quasi-random forcing function in a horizontal axis with free-moving and spring centred control levers. The seated subjects were exposed to four conditions of vertical vibration by means of a flat, hard seat. Each vibration condition consisted of a combination of three sinusoids (3, 5 and 8 Hz), each of equal acceleration amplitude (either 0, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 m/s2 rms). Performance was measured in terms of information channel capacity and frequency dependent error. The frequency dependent measures were used to distinguish error due to direct transmission of vibration to the control from that due to other sources. Vibration transmitted directly to the control caused only a small proportion of the tracking error in this system. With the control and display characteristics used in this experiment, subjects were better able to maintain tracking performance when isometric (force) cues were provided in the control. The results suggest that interference with kinaesthetic feedback mechanisms may be a principal means by which vibration degrades tracking performance.

0014-0139
203-216
Lewis, C. H.
6a953646-70d2-4785-9f6d-ee6f90b16cd5
Griffin, M. J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8
Lewis, C. H.
6a953646-70d2-4785-9f6d-ee6f90b16cd5
Griffin, M. J.
24112494-9774-40cb-91b7-5b4afe3c41b8

Lewis, C. H. and Griffin, M. J. (1976) The effects of vibration on manual control performance. Ergonomics, 19 (2), 203-216. (doi:10.1080/00140137608931532).

Record type: Article

Abstract

A simple systems approach is used to derive a basic framework for the effects of vibration on human operator performance. This framework is applied to an investigation of co-ordinated manual tracking during vibration. An experiment is described in which twelve subjects were required to perform zero order pursuit tracking of a quasi-random forcing function in a horizontal axis with free-moving and spring centred control levers. The seated subjects were exposed to four conditions of vertical vibration by means of a flat, hard seat. Each vibration condition consisted of a combination of three sinusoids (3, 5 and 8 Hz), each of equal acceleration amplitude (either 0, 0.25, 0.5 or 1 m/s2 rms). Performance was measured in terms of information channel capacity and frequency dependent error. The frequency dependent measures were used to distinguish error due to direct transmission of vibration to the control from that due to other sources. Vibration transmitted directly to the control caused only a small proportion of the tracking error in this system. With the control and display characteristics used in this experiment, subjects were better able to maintain tracking performance when isometric (force) cues were provided in the control. The results suggest that interference with kinaesthetic feedback mechanisms may be a principal means by which vibration degrades tracking performance.

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Published date: 1 January 1976

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 429268
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/429268
ISSN: 0014-0139
PURE UUID: d6fe473e-d011-4b46-b27f-5590af7ac089
ORCID for M. J. Griffin: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-0743-9502

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Date deposited: 25 Mar 2019 17:30
Last modified: 05 Jun 2024 18:54

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Contributors

Author: C. H. Lewis
Author: M. J. Griffin ORCID iD

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