A comparative field study of four crane control interfaces

This paper reports on a comparative field study looking at the relationship between crane operators' perception of directions in the working environment and the design of the control interface. Moving a load with a crane is a common task on factory floors, and human error in this may lead to accidents. In this paper, we show that the demands of this complex spatial task can be decreased with a simple design solution that helps the operator to understand the mapping between controls and movement directions of the crane more rapidly. We report on a field experiment that was conducted in a real use environment with experienced crane operators (N=6). We conclude with a discussion of how safety on factory floors can be improved with simple design solutions that decrease the attentional demands of the operating task.