Proceedings of the 2010 Industrial Engineering Research Conference A. Johnson and J. Miller, eds. Usability Evaluation of a Coordinated Excavator Controller with Haptic Feedback 1 Benjamin Osafo-Yeboah, 2 Mark Elton, 1 Xiaochun Jiang, 2 Wayne Book 1 Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, NC, 27411 2 Mechanical Engineering Department Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332 Abstract The purpose of this study is to conduct a usability evaluation in order to investigate the actions and behaviors of human operators as they interact with a coordinated excavator controller with haptic feedback, and to identify potential usability problems that may confront operators as they interact with this new excavator interface. Traditional excavators usually use levers and pedals as the interface for operator control. However, with advances in computing power, it is possible to incorporate force feedback, or haptics, into the operator interface. The haptic interface is expected to provide force feedback to operators to give a sense of 'feel' to operators as they interact with the excavator through the use of the haptic Phantom device and, therefore, assist operators in performing their tasks more efficiently and effectively. This research aims to identify potential usability problems that may confront users, and to provide appropriate design suggestions to the design team. Results from the study showed that, users find the coordinated excavator controller to be intuitive, easy to learn and easy to use. Several usability issues were also identified, and appropriate design modifications were recommended. Keywords: Haptics feedback, excavator controller interface, usability, usability evaluation 1 Introduction Fluid power refers to the technology that exploits the properties of fluids to generate, control, and transmit power by pressurizing the fluid. Fluid power could be hydraulic or pneumatic. Hydraulic is generated using liquids (i.e. mineral oil or water) while pneumatics is generated using gas (i.e. air or another inert gas). Since the 1940’s, fluid power has been used effectively by combining it with other technologies through the use of sensors, transducers, and microprocessors to provide power for a variety of industries. Several industries have benefited greatly from advances in fluid power technology. These include agriculture, construction, manufacturing, mining, transportation, aerospace, etc. One such machine that has wide applications in the construction, agricultural, and transportation industries is the excavator: an earthmoving machine powered by hydraulics. It consists of a digging bucket attached to the end of a movable, articulated arm/boom that can be used to tackle a wide variety of trenching, loading, scooping, filling, and leveling chores that would otherwise require multiple machines or considerably more time. A Bobcat excavator is shown in Figure 1. Although it is a work horse of choice and a fixture at most construction sites, operating the excavator is not an easy task. First, operators have to manipulate the excavator by actuating manual levers which then act on the flow control valves. Operators, therefore, are required to solve the inverse kinematic