Mittuniversitetet

Industrial companies increasingly adopt remote operation technologies (teleoperation) to enhance safety and operational reach, bringing new challenges in understanding how users interact with these systems. In particular, when operators rely on flat, video-based displays without natural depth cues, challenges arise in user performance, spatial depth perception, and the overall quality of user experience when interacting with teleoperation systems. There is a growing need for evaluation approaches that extend beyond technical performance to assess the quality of users’ experience. This dissertation integrates findings from multiple studies conducted throughout the doctoral project. It explores how a mixed-method,user-centred evaluation strategy, combining system performance measurement with analysis of the quality of user experience, improves understanding of interaction quality in remote operation systems. Empirical investigations in mining and construction machinery domains examined how visual configurations such as image augmentation, scene presentation, and video degradation influence performance and perceived experience. Grounded in a pragmatic design philosophy, the research applied a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Laboratory experiments were conducted using two custom-built remote operation platforms: one simulating robotic arm control in mining, and another emulating construction vehicle teleoperation. Data collection included system-logged performance measures, users’ rating scales, and open-ended reflections to capture personal experiences. This multi-perspective approach enabled triangulation of results and a more complete understanding of functional and experiential aspects of remote interaction. Findings reveal that visual configurations significantly influence performance outcomes, user perceptions, and interaction strategies. Standard views enabled higher precision, while augmented perspectives improved spatial understanding and confidence. Degraded video quality and latency, reduced user comfort, control experience, and task clarity. Combining measurable performance data with reflective feedback offered deeper insights into factors shaping successful and satisfying interaction. This integrated approach contributes new knowledge to the design and evaluation of remote operation systems, ensuring attention to both system efficiency and the human experience. The methodology also provides practical guidance for evaluating complex human-technology interactions in safety-critical contexts. Beyond the mining and construction use cases, the research introduced a third platform aimed at airport safety monitoring that serves as a ready-to-use testbed for future investigations into situational awareness and human-system coordination in remote environments.