Investigating the correlation between spatial cognition and training on a cable shovel simulator
Department
Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science
Major
Mining Engineering
Research Advisor
Awuah-Offei, Kwame, 1975-
Advisor's Department
Mining Engineering
Funding Source
Immersive Technologies; Kwame Awuah-Offei
Abstract
Spatial ability plays an importance role in the interaction of people with the environment. Skills related to spatial ability are applicable anywhere in the modern world including skills on virtual reality simulators. While simulators have become very important in the mining industry, the effect of a subject’s spatial ability on simulator training effectiveness have not yet been studied. This study sought to find out if performance on a cable shovel simulator is correlated to one’s spatial abilities or not. To assess that, participants with no experience on the shovel simulator were recruited to take a spatial ability test, the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotations, to measure their spatial cognition levels. The participants were then trained for about half an hour on the simulator and then assessed for their final performance on the simulator. The results indicate that age is negatively correlated to spatial abilities and simulator performance, education level has an influence only on the number of trucks loaded factor and both age and spatial abilities are correlated to fill factor. Despite that gaming experience has shown a huge impact on spatial cognition in other studies, for a cable shovel simulator gaming experience had no influence on spatial cognition nor performance.
Biography
Thabiso Sechele is a prospective May 2018 graduate of MS&T. She is currently doing a double major in Mining Engineering and Economics. Even though this was her first research ever, she hopes that its not her last as now she has a burning passion for Research Studies. Her other interests lie in Mining Economics. Having spent most of her life in Africa, she hopes that the skills she learnt in USA, in one of the most recognized mining university will be of great value in diversifying the economy back home.
Research Category
Engineering
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Location
Upper Atrium
Presentation Date
17 Apr 2018, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Investigating the correlation between spatial cognition and training on a cable shovel simulator
Upper Atrium
Spatial ability plays an importance role in the interaction of people with the environment. Skills related to spatial ability are applicable anywhere in the modern world including skills on virtual reality simulators. While simulators have become very important in the mining industry, the effect of a subject’s spatial ability on simulator training effectiveness have not yet been studied. This study sought to find out if performance on a cable shovel simulator is correlated to one’s spatial abilities or not. To assess that, participants with no experience on the shovel simulator were recruited to take a spatial ability test, the Purdue Spatial Visualization Test-Rotations, to measure their spatial cognition levels. The participants were then trained for about half an hour on the simulator and then assessed for their final performance on the simulator. The results indicate that age is negatively correlated to spatial abilities and simulator performance, education level has an influence only on the number of trucks loaded factor and both age and spatial abilities are correlated to fill factor. Despite that gaming experience has shown a huge impact on spatial cognition in other studies, for a cable shovel simulator gaming experience had no influence on spatial cognition nor performance.
