Augmented Reality Assisted Assembly: An Action Regulation Theory Perspective on Performance and User Experience

The growing demand for personalized products is changing the manufacturing industry and requires flexible assembly instructions. In this context, augmented reality (AR)-based digital instructions represent a potential solution. However, empirical evidence of their effectiveness in terms of performance, user experience, and work experience remains fragmented and mixed. Moreover, theoretical arguments related to their effects are completely lacking. In this paper, we present the results of two studies conducted in a pilot factory that inves tigated the differences between a screen-based, a static AR-based, and an animated AR-based application. We found that task completion time was best in the animated AR condition and hedonic user experience was higher in the AR conditions than in the screen-based one. In addition, we discovered a loss of agency in the animated AR condition, represented through hesitant behavior regarding voice input. Based on the interview data, it became clear that users saw themselves in a passive role blindly executing. They transferred the authority originally assigned to them to the technology. As a result, users remained passive even though their action was required. Relevance to industry: When developing AR assistance for industrial work, the inherent design challenge is to develop the technology in a way that supports mental effort sufficiently to enhance performance while keeping the user in an active state. We formulate design implications as well as a theoretical frame to meet this challenge.