Development of the Flexible Observation System for a Virtual Reality Excavator Using the Head Tracking System

Excavators are versatile earthmoving equipment that are used in civil engineering, hydraulic engineering, grading and landscaping, pipeline construction and mining. Effective operator training is essential to ensure safe and efficient operating of the machine. The virtual reality excavator based on simulation using conventional large size monitors is limited by the inability to provide a realistic real world training experience. We proposed a flexible observation method with a head tracking system to improve user feeling and sensation when operating a virtual reality excavator. First, an excavation simulator is designed by combining an excavator SimMechanics model and the virtual world. Second, a head mounted display (HMD) device is presented to replace the cumbersome large screens. Moreover, an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) sensor is mounted to the HMD for tracking the movement of the operator`s head. These signals consequently change the virtual viewpoint of the virtual reality excavator. Simulation results were used to analyze the performance of the proposed system.