The difference between Guidance and Learning – a Case Study of Augmented Assembly Assistance Systems

Augmented Assistance Systems (AAS) are a major topic in factory digitalization. From maintenance and repair to logistics, they enhance worker abilities and provide support in uncertain or unfamiliar situations. Past studies have shown a significant effect on productivity, flexibility, process speed, and efficiency. On the other hand, technical solutions can quickly become quite complex, resulting in high costs for implementation and adaptation. At the same time, workers may feel overwhelmed by such systems, which increases their cognitive stress and even generates rejection of their use. This contribution thus presents two studies. The first one was carried out to measure speed change and failure rate and obtain information on cognitive stress and user acceptance. The second one indicates the difference between guidance and learning: While volunteers were significantly faster with the use of an AAS, they learned less from the experience than peers using paper descriptions.