Citation

Jackson KM, Thayer SC, Simpson KL, Shaw TH, McKnight PE, Helton WS. Ergonomics 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00140139.2024.2339436

PMID

38613402

Abstract

Head-up displays (HUDs) have the potential to change work in operation environments by providing hands-free information to wearers. However, these benefits may be accompanied by trade-offs, primarily by increasing cognitive load due to dividing attention. Previous studies have attempted to understand the trade-offs of HUD usage; however, all of which were focused on land-based tasks. A gap in understanding exists when examining HUD use in aquatic environments as immersion introduces unique environmental and physiological factors that could affect multitasking. In this study, we investigated multitasking performance associated with swimming with a HUD. Eighteen participants completed three tasks: swimming only, a HUD-administered word recall task, and a dual-task combining both tasks.

RESULTS revealed significant dual-task interference in both tasks, though possibly less pronounced than in land-based tasks. These findings enhance not only help characterise dual-task performance, but also offer valuable insights for HUD design for aquatic settings.

Language: en

Keywords

augmented reality; mental workload; Multitasking; swimming; visual displays