Exploring the influence of workers age on performance and user experience in industrial virtual reality training environments

Technological advancements are profoundly reshaping industrial environments, particularly by introducing paradigms such as Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0, prioritizing increased productivity alongside worker well-being improvements. Concurrently, the European Union reports a fast-aging population, reflected in the industrial workforce. Consequently, assessing the impact of emerging technologies across different age groups is crucial. This study employed an Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) system to simulate a high-risk industrial scenario for training workers on safety and operational procedures. Fifty participants were divided into three age groups: young ranging from 19 to 33 years old, middle-aged ranging from 34 to 48 years old, and older ranging from 49 to 63 years old. The IVR system recorded execution times and errors, while subjective measures were collected using the User Experience Questionnaire, System Usability Scale, and Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire (VRSQ). The results show that younger participants committed significantly more errors but completed tasks faster, although this difference was not statistically significant. Self-assessment scores revealed no significant increase in VRSQ values across groups, while younger participants rated the system’s hedonic quality significantly higher than the older group. System usability was rated substantially higher than the minimum acceptable threshold, with younger participants providing significantly better evaluations compared to older ones. This study highlights the importance of a human-centered design in IVR systems, complying with age-related needs to enhance usability. This approach ensures IVR technology in industrial training achieves optimal efficiency and effectiveness across diverse workforce demographics.