Eye-Tracking in Assessment of the Mental Workload of Harvester Operators

Bartłomiej Naskrent, Witold Grzywiński, Krzysztof Polowy, Arkadiusz Tomczak and Tomasz Jelonek
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Bartłomiej Naskrent: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Witold Grzywiński: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Krzysztof Polowy: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Arkadiusz Tomczak: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Tomasz Jelonek: Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-11

Abstract: Harvesting large quantities of timber requires the use of various technical means, including harvesters. The introduction of machine logging has greatly improved safety and reduced accident rates but has also resulted in the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and increased psychological strain. The aim of this study was to determine the level of the mental workload of harvester operators in wind-damaged stands, during daytime and nighttime clearfelling, and during late thinning using the technique of eye-tracking (analysis of saccades and pupil dilation). The highest number of saccades for both felling and processing operations was recorded during daytime and nighttime clearcutting, while the lowest number was recorded in late thinning. For both operations, the highest mean saccade duration was found in late thinning (felling 38.7 ms, processing 36.0 ms) and the lowest in nighttime cutting (felling 33.1 ms, processing 35.5 ms). The highest frequency of saccades in both operations was recorded in clearcut areas during both daytime and nighttime operations. The largest mean pupil diameters during saccades were recorded in night clearfelling plots (felling 5.57 mm, processing 5.52 mm), while the smallest were recorded in plots with windbreaks (felling 2.91 mm, processing 2.89 mm). Comparison of the number, duration, frequency, and time proportion of saccades as well as pupil diameter provided a quantifiable assessment of mental workload in clearcut, wind-damaged, and thinning stands. The indicators analyzed showed that the cutting category can significantly affect the level of mental workload and thus fatigue of harvester operators.

Keywords: eye-tracking; harvester operator; mental workload; timber harvesting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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