Using EEG and gaze tracking for verifying procedure usability

Efficiency is paramount in industry and can be vastly improved by driving improvements in procedure design. This study explores the feasibility of using electroencephalography (EEG) and gaze tracking for assessing the quality of procedural design. The study hypothesises that EEG and gaze information can be indicative of the difficulties workers face during procedural tasks and therefore used to identify areas for procedural design improvements. Fifteen participants completed a number of origami tasks, designed to contain problem points predicted to stimulate detectable emotional responses. The analysis of the fixation rate and pupil diameter revealed that participants fixated on steps either directly preceding or following the identified problem points, and pupil size increased during the execution of these steps. EEG analysis included power spectral densities (PSD) and event related potentials (ERP), though ERP was found not to be indicative enough for the purpose of this study . Participants provided feedback on challenging steps, which aligned with predictions. Brain activity patterns while undertaking problematic steps compared to base unstimulated brain activity showed that theta activity increased across the whole brain in 77% of recordings, most prominently in the left temporal region; delta activity increased in 65% of recordings, most prominently in the left temporal region; alpha activity decreased in in the occipital region in 65% of recordings but increased in the left temporal region in 70%; and beta activity increased in the left frontal region in 74% of recordings. These results validated the hypothesis, as they showed clear trends in the reactions to problem points. Finally, a framework is proposed for a procedure problem point identification using EEG and gaze tracking, and recommendations for further research have been outlined.