Learning Curves of Skill Acquisition in Virtual Environments for Basic Operation of Harvesters and Forwarders

Learning Curves of Skill Acquisition in Virtual Environments for Basic Operation of Harvesters and Forwarders | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Learning Curves of Skill Acquisition in Virtual Environments for Basic Operation of Harvesters and Forwarders Ana Alexandra Reyes Robalino, Rodolfo Picchio, Andrea Rosario Proto, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9312393/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The need for safe, efficient, and standardized training methods has promoted the use of virtual reality simulators as an alternative or complementary tool to conventional training, especially in high-risk operational industries, such as forest operations. In this study, the learning process and the acquisition of technical skills were evaluated using individual and group learning curves, with task execution time as the main performance indicator. Ten trainees with no previous experience in forestry machinery voluntarily participated in basic scenarios using a Komatsu harvester (gripping and felling) and forwarder (loading and unloading) simulator. The aim was to develop basic operational skills, promote familiarization and adaptation, and train control commands. The training consisted of ten trials per trainee distributed across six scenarios with varying levels of complexity and duration. Exponential learning models were used to describe performance evolution, as they best fit the data, demonstrating that learning based on task execution time is nonlinear. The results showed a rapid and steep initial improvement followed by a phase of deceleration and progressive stabilization. Scenarios with greater complexity or longer execution times exhibited slower stabilization and higher inter-individual variability, suggesting increased cognitive and psychomotor demands, while scenarios with shorter execution times showed faster adaptation with less dispersion. All six scenarios showed a consistent pattern of learning, with a progressive decrease in execution time across trials. These findings support the integration of virtual reality technologies–especially simulators– into training programs and highlight the use of learning curves as a tool to evaluate performance improvements. virtual reality simulator learning curves training forest operation Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Revision Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 14 May, 2026 Reviews received at journal 03 May, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 11 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 06 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 04 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 04 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 03 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9312393","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":620120991,"identity":"52de5860-e329-4e03-b20f-0e1659062161","order_by":0,"name":"Ana Alexandra Reyes Robalino","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Transilvania University of Brasov","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ana","middleName":"Alexandra Reyes","lastName":"Robalino","suffix":""},{"id":620120999,"identity":"ed08e602-f5ad-4a6f-ae62-5b34f6d7fda6","order_by":1,"name":"Rodolfo Picchio","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Tuscia University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Rodolfo","middleName":"","lastName":"Picchio","suffix":""},{"id":620121007,"identity":"e4121126-3ab2-4bc3-8036-c9e55d19a091","order_by":2,"name":"Andrea Rosario Proto","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Andrea","middleName":"Rosario","lastName":"Proto","suffix":""},{"id":620121009,"identity":"643b87db-9b57-48f4-b3d8-d037d792dc71","order_by":3,"name":"Stelian Alexandru Borz","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA7ElEQVRIie3QMWvCQBTA8XcEkuWBq6DUr/Cgg2QQv8qJkM1VHDoYAjfFzgUHv8qTg+sSOjtkMBScA0JxEk+rBQcvjh3uPzzuhh/cOwCf738mWNpJ52MNgNBuAiHAHxEfluBTBK4kQDsaSW+VMW/fSuhHi+/9QJXdYSenYDZ7TMiEkqXZQZx/0utE7RC7BYmicJAQiWWogTYJjCdK210SKVLleJhq1SyPv0THzxAwCDxSFyIycSFjdhIyCfHoXWOcm0DkX5aUmtdzxy69TFfV4Ue/9CMV1IepHkbLNK3mjh+7hXc3bgY+n8/nc3UCCyxRTkKHoI0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Transilvania University of Brasov","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Stelian","middleName":"Alexandru","lastName":"Borz","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-03 11:46:18","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9312393/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9312393/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106727268,"identity":"721068fd-efb4-48d0-8019-6021b06072cf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-12 18:38:31","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":862205,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript03.04.2026.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9312393/v1_covered_0fa8e2f8-b815-4991-b672-bf9200e91c21.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eLearning Curves of Skill Acquisition in Virtual Environments for Basic Operation of Harvesters and Forwarders\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":false,"email":"","identity":"journal-of-forestry-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Journal of Forestry Research","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":false,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"VoR Journals","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"virtual reality, simulator, learning curves, training, forest operation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9312393/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9312393/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe need for safe, efficient, and standardized training methods has promoted the use of virtual reality simulators as an alternative or complementary tool to conventional training, especially in high-risk operational industries, such as forest operations. In this study, the learning process and the acquisition of technical skills were evaluated using individual and group learning curves, with task execution time as the main performance indicator. Ten trainees with no previous experience in forestry machinery voluntarily participated in basic scenarios using a Komatsu harvester (gripping and felling) and forwarder (loading and unloading) simulator. The aim was to develop basic operational skills, promote familiarization and adaptation, and train control commands. The training consisted of ten trials per trainee distributed across six scenarios with varying levels of complexity and duration. Exponential learning models were used to describe performance evolution, as they best fit the data, demonstrating that learning based on task execution time is nonlinear. The results showed a rapid and steep initial improvement followed by a phase of deceleration and progressive stabilization. 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