Can you hear it? Stereo sound-assisted guidance in augmented reality assembly

Most augmented reality (AR) assembly guidance systems only utilize visual information. Regarding the sound, the human binaural effect helps users quickly identify the general direction of sound sources. At the same time, pleasant sounds can give people a sense of pleasure and relaxation. However, the effect on workers is still unknown when stereo sound and visual information are used together for assembly guidance. To assess the combination of sound and vision in AR assembly guidance, we constructed a stereo sound-assisted guidance system (SAG) based on AR. In our SAG system, we used the tone of a soft instrument called the Chinese lute as the sound source. To determine if SAG has an impact on assembly efficiency and user experience, we conducted a usability test to compare SAG with visual information alone. Results showed that the SAG system significantly improves the efficiency of assembly guidance. Moreover, simultaneous visual and auditory information processing does not increase user workload or learning difficulty. Additionally, in a noisy environment, pleasant sounds help to reduce mental strain.