On the Usage of Different Work Analysis Methods for Collaborative Review of Large Scale 3D CAD Models

Abstract

Abstract. Human work interaction design is an emerging discipline that aims to encourage empirical studies and conceptualizations of the interaction among humans, their variegated social contexts and the technology they use both within and across these contexts. In this paper we describe and elaborate around the usage of different work analysis methods in a complex, real world work domain: collaborative review of large-scale 3D engineering models. The analysis is based on (i) input from experts in the oil platform engineering field, (ii) previous and related work and (iii) application of different methods considering the recent advances in technology. We conclude that hierarchical task analysis was not effective in obtaining a clear, common vision about the work domain. Storyboarding was the most useful technique as it allowed discovering novelty factors that differentiate the solution and improve the usability of the product, thereby supporting the human work at offshore engineering design and review sessions. IntroductionHuman work interaction design [1] is an emerging research field within HCI that is focused on the user's experience of tasks (procedures) and the artifact environment (constraints in the work domain). That analysis and interpretation of human work is eventually manifested in the design of novel, technology-based products, systems and applications [1]. In this paper, we report on a seven-month research study around the requirements elicitation, scenario design and storyboarding processes for creating a new Virtual Reality (VR) distributed application to support a complex work domain: the collaborative review of large scale 3D engineering models, in the context of the oil and gas industry at a very large organization [2]. The current way of designing industrial plants relies on the communication among experts in several areas of the field, and on tools that allow the specification and simulation of the site. VR resources are used to visualize and interact with complex 3D environments in real time. Several engineering simulations employ VR to foresee the results of complex industrial operations.In this paper, we analyze the user tasks at stake during collaborative sessions of 3D CAD models design and review in the specific context of the oil and gas industry. By studying the users' work and needs, the related existing work and the possibilities that

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“…On the other hand, small interactive devices, such as tablets and smartphones, are getting ever more computational power, starting to rival traditional computers in some tasks, such as design and review of 3D engineering models [2]. Today's common solutions for interacting with VE with touch enabled devices mainly rely on multi-touch gestures or buttons to apply different camera transformations.…”