Contextual inquiry of forest harvester machine's control handle
Sasaki, Ryoko (2024)
2024
Master's Programme in Human-Technology Interaction
Informaatioteknologian ja viestinnän tiedekunta - Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2024-05-21
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202404244335
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:tuni-202404244335
Tiivistelmä
This thesis studied the User Experience of harvester machine control handles, specifically focusing on the Ponsse Comfort control handle. The Ponsse Comfort control handle features armrests and numerous buttons and switches for operating the machine, with controllers located on both the right and left sides. The objective was to discover users’ requirements and gain an understanding of their needs. The theoretical section provides information about prior studies in the related field and utilized methodologies. The discussion on theoretical background suggests that the Ponsse harvester machine is a habit-forming product. Additionally, harvester operators often work under high mental and physical workloads. Contextual inquiry and the NASA Task Load Index were selected as methods to gather inputs, while Hierarchical Task Analysis (HTA) was chosen as a tool to analyse the collected data.
Including the pilot study and main interviews in total, five operators with a variety of carrier lengths were selected and participated in the interviews. Twenty-two questions were asked while they were operating the machine. Four cameras captured their activities from different angles and their typical way of operation. The footage of five tree-felling activities is being utilized in HTA to examine the operational processes and identify patterns in task execution.
The main findings showed that the driving experience with the Timber Jack or John Deere control handle influenced the operators’ button settings. This illustrates that the harvester machine creates habits, and once these habits are established, they can be challenging to alter. The operators’ preference for manual control increases with extended operating experience. Not all buttons and fingers are in use while operators request more buttons. The harvester work proved that the mental workload is high and the frustration level is low unless unusual cases happen. While the sample size in this study is small, the results raise several potential suggestions for future research. One recommendation is to simplify the number of buttons, given the observed unevenness in button and finger usage. Additionally, providing users with the opportunity to modify the hardware could enhance user autonomy.
Including the pilot study and main interviews in total, five operators with a variety of carrier lengths were selected and participated in the interviews. Twenty-two questions were asked while they were operating the machine. Four cameras captured their activities from different angles and their typical way of operation. The footage of five tree-felling activities is being utilized in HTA to examine the operational processes and identify patterns in task execution.
The main findings showed that the driving experience with the Timber Jack or John Deere control handle influenced the operators’ button settings. This illustrates that the harvester machine creates habits, and once these habits are established, they can be challenging to alter. The operators’ preference for manual control increases with extended operating experience. Not all buttons and fingers are in use while operators request more buttons. The harvester work proved that the mental workload is high and the frustration level is low unless unusual cases happen. While the sample size in this study is small, the results raise several potential suggestions for future research. One recommendation is to simplify the number of buttons, given the observed unevenness in button and finger usage. Additionally, providing users with the opportunity to modify the hardware could enhance user autonomy.