title: Directional control-response compatibility of joystick steered shuttle cars.
abstract: Shuttle cars are an unusual class of vehicle operated in underground coal mines, sometimes in close proximity to pedestrians and steering errors may have very serious consequences. A directional control-response incompatibility has previously been described in shuttle cars which are controlled using a steering wheel oriented perpendicular to the direction of travel. Some other shuttle car operators are seated perpendicular to the direction of travel and steer the car via a seat mounted joystick. A virtual simulation was utilised to determine whether the steering arrangement in these vehicles maintains directional control-response compatibility. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to either a condition corresponding to this design (consistent direction), or a condition in which the directional steering response was reversed while driving in-bye (visual field compatible). Significantly less accurate steering performance was exhibited by the consistent direction group during the in-bye trials only. Shuttle cars which provide the joystick steering mechanism described here require operators to accommodate alternating compatible and incompatible directional control-response relationships with each change of car direction.
  A virtual simulation of an underground coal shuttle car demonstrates that the design incorporates a directional control-response incompatibility when driving the vehicle in one direction. This design increases the probability of operator error, with potential adverse safety and productivity consequences.
authors: Minerals Industry Safety and Health Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. r.burgesslimerick@uq.edu.au
authors: Robin
authors: R
authors: Burgess-Limerick
authors: Christine M
authors: CM
authors: Zupanc
authors: Guy
authors: G
authors: Wallis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000523:psychology*; D001336:Automobiles; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012449:Safety; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult