Effect of control order on steering a simulated underground coal shuttle car.

Most terrestrial vehicles are steered via a first-order control for vehicle heading, such as a conventional steering wheel. A joystick which provides second-order control of vehicle heading is used to steer some underground coal shuttle cars. A desktop virtual simulation of the situation was employed to compare the steering accuracy of 24 novice participants randomly assigned to either first-order or second-order joystick steering conditions. The average steering accuracy of participants assigned to the first-order joystick condition was superior, however there was considerable individual variability and some participants assigned to the second-order steering condition were able to perform the task equally and successfully. Desktop virtual simulation may be a useful component of training and competency assessment for operators of these vehicles.