bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creative Collaborator: AI-facilitated UI for Creating Engaging and Insightful Memes
Authors: Nickel Romeo , Hsiao Sharon
Published: November 2024

Memes have become a prevalent part of digital culture, transcending their origins as simple internet jokes to become powerful tools for communication, social commentary, and even education. Their social and cultural use is diverse, serving as a universal language for expressing complex ideas, fostering community, and providing a platform for social critique. Studies such as Tidy et al. (2024) and Brown (2020) have highlighted the educational potential of memes in STEM fields, demonstrating their effectiveness in simplifying complex concepts and engaging students. Platforms for meme creation have the potential to develop an environment that boosts the meme-making process.Existing platforms (i.e. imgflip.com, an online free memes generator) rely entirely on user input and do very little to guide the users in memes creation. Traditional user interfaces of memes generators are simple and easy to operate, but no contextual authoring support, which may limit the creative potential and content construction. Thus, we hypothesize that AI can expedite the creative process by presenting relevant meme templates, and generating suggested captions, acting as a “creative collaborator” for users. In this work, we explore utilizing OpenAI’s GPT-3.5 to facilitate the creation of educational and engaging memes, leveraging its ability to generate humorous and informative content.To evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, we conducted a comparative case study with Imgflip’s free online meme generator. Participants created waste management related memes using both tools, and we assessed their productivity, creativity, and satisfaction. Qualitative feedback revealed the AI tool's LLM capabilities, hints, and instructions as key drivers of its enhanced performance. These findings highlight the potential of AI to revolutionize meme creation and inform the development of future user interfaces that leverage AI to enhance creativity, engagement, and educational impact.
Examination of Evaluation Indices for Micro-Influencers Considering Community Structure and Post Contents
Authors: Otake Kohei , Morooka Ryo
Published: November 2024

Social networking services (SNS) have become indispensable communication tools. Consequently, influencer marketing, which leverages users with a significant influence on SNS, has garnered significant attention. Among these influencers, micro-influencers, who have substantial influence within specific domains, are particularly interesting to both academia and industry. This study proposes evaluation indices that can effectively select micro-influencers for product promotion using follower data and past posts from SNS accounts. Specifically, we propose four evaluation indices for micro-influencers: Virality, Commonality, Expertise and Credibility (VC-EC indices). VC indices are based on network features, whereas EC indices are based on language features. In this study, we present the concepts and specific calculation methods for the proposed indices. In addition, we demonstrate how to discover micro-influencers using the proposed methods with practical examples from accounts operated by actual stores.
Digital Transformation Readiness Level of Royal Thai Air Force
Authors: Intrama Varit
Published: November 2024

This research aims to develop a comprehensive toolkit to assess the readiness of the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) for organizational change as it transitions into the digital era, based on the framework provided by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).The primary objective of this study is to design a robust toolkit to evaluate the RTAF's preparedness for digital transformation. This toolkit is an adaptation of the UNDP's framework, tailored to address the specific context and requirements of the RTAF. To ensure the content validity of the toolkit, an expert evaluation was conducted involving three specialists. The reliability of the toolkit was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.82.The study employed a quantitative approach to determine the overall readiness level of the RTAF for organizational change, which averaged 70.49%. The assessment covered various domains, with the following readiness levels: Innovation Ecosystem (46.67%), Basic Digital Utilities (Technological Infrastructure) (63.53%), Basic Data Utilities and Data Infrastructure, Strategy, and Management (66.67%), Cyber Security, Privacy, and Resilience (70.22%), Legal Basis (73.33%), Organizational Culture and Employee Skills (76.67%), Public Administration Reform (77.50%), Management (77.62%), and User-Oriented Design (82.22%).The findings reveal that the overall readiness level has not yet met the 80% standard threshold. The relatively low score in the Innovation Ecosystem domain indicates it may not be a core mission of the RTAF. Additionally, budget constraints likely contribute to the readiness level of basic digital infrastructure falling below 70%. Nevertheless, readiness levels in other areas range from 70.00% to 80.00%, suggesting a positive trend towards achieving higher readiness in the future.Despite existing challenges, the RTAF demonstrates a promising trajectory towards enhanced digital readiness, particularly in organizational culture, employee skills, public administration reform, and user-oriented design. Strategic investments and focused efforts in weaker areas such as the Innovation Ecosystem and basic digital infrastructure will be crucial for achieving comprehensive readiness for digital transformation.This study underscores the importance of a tailored approach to evaluating organizational readiness for digital transformation. The RTAF's strengths in several key domains provide a solid foundation for future improvements. Addressing the identified weaknesses through targeted investments and strategic initiatives will be essential for the RTAF to fully embrace the digital era.
Threat analysis for autonomous vehicle systems
Authors: Sihvonen Markus , Savola Reijo
Published: November 2024

Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) have significant role for enhancing logistics operations by providing improved efficiency, cost savings, traffic safety and to diminish environmental foot print. These are all major features of a competitive logistic operations of a modern company that seeks business advantage via its logistic operations. Already multiple types of CAVs are supporting logistic operations in warehouses, mines and generally in restricted areas in factory type environments. Reliability and safety of automated vehicle systems (AVS) can be realized in restricted environment for CAVs that operate on predetermined fixed routes relatively easy since these restricted environments have usually dedicated communication network that is not open to the Internet. This is not the case when CAVs start operating on public roads, in air space or at sea. There are already pilots in place that are using level 5 CAVs for delivering packages for a first/last mile logistic service on public roads and to provide taxi services for public with in a city. These CAVs require full support from AVS and they rely fully on public communication infrastructure to provide safe and secure services. Vehicles that require AVS services are in all practical means computers with full of multiple sensors and software that can and must utilize variable communication solutions in order to function as intended. Therefore, this paper’s research problem and focus is to analyse potential threats scenarios of a CAV and to find vulnerabilities of an AVS. The problem is analysed via general AVS use case and focus is on level 5 fully autonomous system when a vehicle can perform all driving tasks under all conditions without human intervention. Some of the very same vulnerabilities already exists today even for level 2 vehicles that have advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) since they regularly use public communication infrastructure to access service providers data platform. The vulnerability analysis mainly focuses on vehicle to everything communication cases, vehicle to vehicle communication cases and analyses potential risks for intra-vehicle operations if cyber security protection fails. This will provide better understanding for logistic operators how to prevent AVS’s complete, disastrous shut down by an external threat.
Ming Dynasty Shipbuilding Technology from the Chronicle of Longjiang Shipyard
Authors: Tian Na
Published: November 2024

This study analyzes the shipbuilding techniques of gongjiang, the types of ships, and the materials, labor, and management systems used in their production, in order to clarify the institutional factors that influenced the development of shipbuilding technology in the Ming Dynasty in China. Research Perspective: This study examines the shipbuilding technology and management systems of the Ming Dynasty in China from the perspective of traditional Chinese design theory. Research Method: This study uses hermeneutics as the core method, combined with interdisciplinary research. Research Conclusion: "Longjiang Shipyard Records" provides a comprehensive perspective for studying the shipbuilding industry in the Ming Dynasty. Among them, the theoreticalization of shipbuilding technology and the systematization of the shipbuilding industry management system are the internal driving forces that promote the development of shipbuilding technology in the Ming Dynasty in China, and are the most intuitive manifestation of the technological development characteristics of gongjiang in the Ming Dynasty under the core ideas of Zhou Yi and Zhou Li .
The Relationship Between Aesthetic Evaluation of Product Design and Purchase Intention in 100-Yen Shops– Focusing on Uniqueness, Humor, and Unexpected –
Authors: Tsurugasaki Mikako , Kang Namgyu
Published: November 2024

In recent years, various types of retail shops have appeared in Japan. The popularity of 100-yen shops can be attributed to the low price of 100 yen per item and the high quality of their products, which have won awards for design from Japanese organizations. The gap between "Low Price and High Quality" and "High Quality" is judged to be surprising to consumers. Thus, 100-yen shops are famous for their affordable prices and high functionality. On the other hand, there have been no cases where the relationship between the sensitivity evaluation of 100-yen shop products and willingness to purchase has been analyzed. Therefore, this study aims to visualize and investigate the relationship between consumers' assessment of the uniqueness, humor, and unexpectedness of 100-yen shop products and their willingness to purchase them. Seven participants visited three different 100-yen shops in Hakodate in evaluation experiment 1. The collaborators were asked to photograph each "Unique and Humorous" and "Unexpected" product and describe their reasons for choosing. Then, 281 participants in their 20s to 70s were asked to complete a questionnaire about the 100-yen shop. Then, as part of Evaluation Experiment 2, we investigated how they would evaluate the products using the pictures taken in evaluation experiment 1. The results showed that more than half of the consumers plan what they will buy before they go to a 100-yen shop, but they tend to make impulse purchases due to low prices or buy unexpected items to stock up on consumable items. Moreover, "Unique and Humorous" was strongly related to "Unexpected." On the other hand, "Unique and Humorous" did not lead to "Want to Buy".
The Human-Centered Design approach for Operational Workflow Re-design: A Case Study in Safety for Agricultural Automotive Industry
Authors: Delvecchio Marialaura , Tesauri Francesco , Montanari Roberto , Chiesa Silvia
Published: November 2024

Traditionally, Safe Design has been applied mainly to product and environmental aspects, including sectors such as control rooms, automotive engineering, and medical equipment. However, its principles have been less frequently considered in critical organizational workflows. This paper addresses this gap by proposing an innovative application of a user-centered methodology to redesign procedures within industrial settings, with a specific focus on enhancing safety protocols in the Safety & Compliance teams of the agricultural automotive sector.Safety procedures are vital throughout the product lifecycle in industrial design, serving as essential safeguards against potential hazards. However, their effectiveness can be hindered by complexity, lack of user-friendliness, and insufficient attention to human factors. This paper seeks to address these issues by integrating a Human-Centered Design (HCD) approach into the safety protocols redesign process, thereby improving usability, effectiveness, and overall user experience.Two key elements for the success of this project are the integration of the HCD approach, which prioritizes end-users' needs, preferences, and capabilities, and the adoption of a redesign perspective rather than traditional procedural design. In conclusion, this article highlights the importance of extending Safe Design principles to include critical organizational workflows, particularly safety protocols. By integrating the HCD approach and focusing on procedural redesign, organizations can enhance the usability and effectiveness of their safety procedures, reinforcing their commitment to safety throughout the product lifecycle while also improving workflow efficiency.
The Elderly's Response for Choice Reaction and Movement Time
Authors: Jung Kwangtae , Lee Yejin
Published: November 2024

User interface plays important role in product safety and usability as an interactive part between user and product. In particular, in case of the elderly, bad user interface design causes some problems in aspect of usability and safety. In this aspect, this study was conducted to investigate the elderly’s characteristics of the elderly's choice reaction and movement time for elderly-centered universal design. In the elderly’s choice reaction time, the number of alternatives was three or more, the female's response times were greater than the male. And as the number of alternatives increased, the choice reaction time of the elderly was found to increase for both men and women, and was found to be appropriately expressed by a formula applying Hick's law. The choice reaction time tended to decrease as the experiment was repeated, but in repetitions of two or more times, the decrease appeared insignificant even if the number of repetitions increased. However, it was found that there was a significant decrease in reaction time for both men and women between the first and second experiments. In the elderly’s movement time, the movement time was affected by the index of difficulty (ID) that was calculated by moving distance and button size. In particular, the movement time was more steeply increased with the increment of ID in case of the elderly than the young. This study provides meaningful results in terms of identifying the general characteristics of elderly people regarding choice reaction and movement time, and these results can be used as basic data for future universal design.
Optimizing AI System Security: An Ecosystem Recommendation to Socio-Technical Risk Management
Authors: Kioskli Kitty , Ramfos Antonios , Taylor Steve , Maglaras Leandros , Lugo Ricardo
Published: November 2024

Given the sophistication of adversarial machine learning (ML) attacks on Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems, enhanced security frameworks that integrate human factors into risk assessments are critical. This paper presents a comprehensive methodology combining cybersecurity, cyberpsychology, and AI to address human-related aspects of these attacks. It introduces an AI system security optimization ecosystem to help security officers protect AI systems against various attacks, including poisoning, evasion, extraction, and inference. The risk management approach enhances NIST and ENISA frameworks by incorporating socio-technical aspects of adversarial ML threats. By creating digital clones and using explainable AI (XAI) techniques, the human elements of attackers are integrated into security risk management. An innovative conversational agent is proposed to include defenders’ perspectives, advancing the design and deployment of secure AI systems and guiding future certification schemes.
Comparative Experiment of Context-Awareness-Based Visualization Schemes for Focused Information on Target Search Mission Posture
Authors: Liu Qiuyu , Bing Li , Zhang Bei , Liu Shuang , Dang Yuqing
Published: November 2024

The reasonableness of the recommendation of the situational focus information visualization scheme has an important impact on the operator's performance of the target search task under the three conditions of high, medium, and low situational awareness. In particular, under the conditions of medium and low situational awareness, it is necessary to adopt different recommendations for the visualization of situationally focused information in order to ensure the operator's task performance and task correctness.Based on the visualization design requirements of situational display key information, this study proposes two-dimensional enhancement and three-dimensional enhancement scheme designs for the existing schemes, and examines the differences in the operational performance of different situational display key information visualization design schemes under the situations of high, medium, and low situational awareness by means of the target searching task so as to provide optimization suggestions for the visualization of situational display key information. objective data basis.
Enhancing Emergency Response: A Reliability Analysis of Human-Robot Collaboration
Authors: Misaki Daigo , Shirakawa Kazuma
Published: November 2024

The adoption of robots in daily life, such as service robots, is progressing and necessitates that humans make informed decisions when interacting with them. However, the relationships between humans and robots, particularly in emergencies, are not as developed as human-to-human relationships. A lack of understanding about robots often leads to significant accidents. To facilitate effective and appropriate collaboration, the analysis of human-robot interaction (HRI) is essential. This study focuses on analyzing "reliability," which is particularly crucial in the healthcare and training fields. We specifically examined the interactions between humans and robots during emergencies and analyzed the reliability of these interactions. Our verification method combines case studies and empirical experiments, beginning with a case analysis and followed by an experimental design based on these findings. Empirical experiments confirmed that combining visual and tactile feedback significantly affects interface reliability in HRIs. Designing empirical experiments based on case study results is a crucial analytical approach for enhancing the utility of services and healthcare robots for users.
Comparative user feedback on the efficacy of a back-support exoskeleton in industrial settings
Authors: Davoudi Kakhki Fatemeh , Moghadam Armin
Published: November 2024

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent in industrial settings, particularly affecting the lower back, shoulders, and knees. Exoskeletons show promise in reducing WMSDs, though their effectiveness varies by user demographics. This study investigates the impact of a passive back-support exoskeleton on perceived physical exertion (PPE) during lifting and carrying tasks, with a focus on gender-specific responses. Twenty-two participants rated their PPE under two conditions: with and without the exoskeleton. Results indicate that exoskeleton use significantly reduces perceived exertion, especially for female participants. These findings highlight the importance of gender-specific considerations in the design and optimization of exoskeletons for improving ergonomic outcomes across diverse user groups.
Interface Design of Vehicle AR-HUD Based on User Needs
Authors: Fan Chen Yi , Dai Jiejun
Published: November 2024

Focused on user needs, it aims to explore the design strategies for in-vehicle AR-HUD interfaces that effectively reduce cognitive load, improve driving safety, and elevate user experience and satisfaction across safety, experiential, and visual dimensions. Firstly, user needs were obtained through semi structured interviews, in-depth observations, etc., and classified using the KANO model. Secondly, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is employed to calculate and prioritize the weights of user demands, thereby identifying core requirements. Lastly, the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) was employed to map ambiguous user needs into specific design elements, with weights calculated and ranked to provide execution strategies and practical guidance for implementing in-vehicle AR-HUD interfaces. Following the KANO-AHP-QFD research process, 11 user needs were objectively identified and extracted, leading to the identification of 15 design elements across safety, experience, and visual dimensions, culminating in innovative design proposals for the in-vehicle AR-HUD interface. Through the comprehensive application of the KANO-AHP-QFD model, both surface-level and latent user needs can be met, effectively guiding interface design, enhancing user satisfaction, and providing reference and insights for similar designs.
HPCMod: Agent-Based Modeling Framework for Modeling Users on High-Performance Computing Resources
Authors: A Simakov Nikolay
Published: November 2024

High-performance computing (HPC) resources are used for compute-demanding calculations in various fields of science and engineering. They are large computational facilities utilized by many users simultaneously. High utilization often leads to high waiting times. Simulating users' behavior on such a system can help with future system design, develop user interventions, and ultimately improve the user’s experience and resource utilization. Here, we present HPCMod, an Agent-Based Modeling Framework for Modeling Users on HPC Resources. The key concept of the framework is the representation of the user's computational needs: the user project is represented as a collection of possibly dependent compute tasks. Each task can be executed as a single compute job or a series of jobs, depending on the task size. Some tasks can be too big to be executed in one chunk; such a situation often occurs during molecular dynamics simulation. There are multiple ways in which tasks can be split into jobs, and users will make their decisions based on previous experience, application parallel scalability, and available resources. For example, a user's compute task requires 32 node hours; it can be executed in multiple ways: a single 32-hour job on one node, two sequential 16-hour jobs on one node, one 16-hour job on two nodes, and so on. In the HPCMod, we implemented three models: 1) historical replay of compute jobs, 2) simulation of reconstituted compute tasks using historical job sizes, and 3) adaptive compute tasks splitting where users can modify jobs parameters given available resources till the execution of the next job in line. The framework was tested on a ten-node test system and a larger 1,736-node system modeled after a portion of TACC Stampede-2. The HPC resource model implements a first in first out (FIFO) scheduler with backfill scheduling. The initial results showed that on a tiny system, adaptive task-splitting is beneficial for the user but leads to a larger number of jobs. On a large system, the adaptive task-splitting was also very beneficial, decreasing waiting times for users using this strategy almost two times; however, other users got a 5% increase in their wait time. Further investigation is needed as the current task reconstitution algorithm is deterministic and does not allow quantification of job recombination uncertainties. The Julia-based implementation is fast: five years of historic workflow consisting of a million jobs and a one-hour stepping took around three minutes.
Simulator Sickness and Performance in AR vs VR: A Comparative Analysis Applied to Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Ahmed Tazim , Lopez Jose , Rai Soptorshi , Yang Yiran , Rahman Mahmudur
Published: November 2024

Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies are increasingly becoming integral to educational and training contexts, yet comparative analyses of their effects on simulator sickness and user experience remain limited. Recent advancements in AR/VR headsets, such as the Meta Quest 3, now allow virtual and augmented reality experiences to be delivered through a single device. However, previous research comparing user experiences between virtual and augmented reality did not account for the use of a unified headset in their investigation. This study aims to investigate the differential effects of AR and VR on users’ simulator sickness, engagement, mental workload, and performance, and usability of the training environment. A training module was developed in Unity 3D for both AR and VR focusing on 3D printing using a powder bed fusion (PBF) printer. A within-subject assignment of factors explored the comparison of ten participants’ experiences regarding simulation sickness and printing experiences and performances. Each participant went through the same tasks under simulated environments to explore the implications of AR and VR on user experience. The study found that there was no statistically significant difference in motivation and user experiences between AR and VR using Meta Quest 3. Moreover, the users experienced comparatively higher simulator sickness in VR than in AR. These findings will not only help to fill the gaps in comparative studies of AR and VR but will also help to inform future technological deployments in educational and professional training scenarios.
Light-Tracing: A Novel Approach for Mixed-Reality (MR) Content Creation
Authors: Huang Ruilin , Ge Yining , Chen Lu , Ma Chi , Fang Cong , Fang Le , Chen Xingtong , Cong Yangfan , Jia Wang Stephen
Published: November 2024

Mixed reality (MR) technology combines digital elements with the real world, offering immersive experiences in various fields. However, content creation in MR remains challenging for average users due to complex 3D modelling techniques. This paper introduces Light-Tracing, a novel system integrating light painting with MR environments using a robotic arm. Light-Tracing allows users to intuitively create 3D models through path light painting, which AI tools convert into digital assets. The system simplifies spatial content input, making MR content creation more accessible and enhancing user experience. Evaluations demonstrate its positive impact on usability and immersion. Importantly, Light-Tracing lowers the barrier for MR content creation and opens new possibilities for participatory design in urban planning and vehicle customization, highlighting its potential to revolutionize MR content creation.
Virtual Experiential Design in the Context of Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of filigree VR design
Authors: Gu Yue , Liu Jintao , Li Yuxuan , Hu Yulu
Published: November 2024

This paper delves into the application of virtual reality (VR) technology as a solution to the challenges encountered in the preservation and advancement of intangible cultural heritage. Taking the Beijing Filigree VR design as a focal point, this study maximizes the immersive, interactive, and multisensory attributes of VR technology to conceptualize and produce virtual experiential products tailored to Filigree. The investigation examines the merits and distinctive features of virtual reality technology in the dissemination of intangible cultural heritage, including its ability to faithfully recreate authentic scenes and cultural significance, broaden the modes of intangible cultural transmission, and augment audience interaction to fortify the overall user experience. Throughout the design research process, the ICE design model (Insight-Create-Experience, Model) is formulated, providing a lucid research framework for VR design. In the creation phase, the interface design is fine-tuned employing a user experience hierarchy model, thereby facilitating virtual teaching and simulation exercises related to Filigree. This study introduces a novel perspective and methodology for the dissemination and conservation of intangible cultural heritage, establishing a theoretical basis in design for the advocacy and perpetuation of such heritage, exemplified by Filigree.
Cognitive Cost Assessment in Aeronautical Tasks: New Objective and Sensitive Method
Authors: Jarry Marianne , Hurault Jean-christophe , Froger Gregory , Marchand Anne-lise , Blättler Colin
Published: November 2024

The future fighter aircraft (e.g., Next Generation Fighter, central element of the Futur Combat Air System) are being developed in response to evolving conflicts in the Multi-Domain context. AI-based onboard systems will be limited in their tasks for technical and/or ethical reasons, thus leaving some tasks to be managed by the aircrew. Alongside these tasks is the overall management of the onboard system, further increasing an already high cognitive cost. Assessing this cognitive cost would help identify particularly costly tasks and develop training and human-system interfaces accordingly.This study aims to validate a method for evaluating cognitive cost using the complex span task protocol (Barrouillet & Camos, 2007) on basic aeronautical tasks performed by novices early in their training. The complex span task protocol involves alternating between memorization and processing. In this experiment, processing tasks correspond to two flight phases: a low difficulty phase (i.e., flight legs) and a high difficulty phase (i.e., turns at waypoints). The cost is measured by asking participants to perform a letter memorization task in a flight simulator during these flight phases. The number of letters recalled in the correct order determines the participants' complex span in each experimental condition (i.e., the higher the number of letters, the better the complex span, the lower the cognitive cost), interpreted as an indicator of the current task's cognitive cost.In addition to the test group (N=16), which performs both aeronautical and memorization tasks, a control group (N=14) is subjected only to the memorization task. Results show that the control group's complex span is better than that of the test group, indicating a lower cognitive cost. Within the test group, the complex span is better during the low difficulty phase than during the complex phase. These results indicate that the phase identified as high difficulty is more cognitively costly than the phase identified as low difficulty, with both phases indicating a higher cognitive cost than the memorization task performed alone. Taken together, the results suggest that evaluating performance on a complex span task during a simulated flight could provide an objective and sensitive indicator distinguishing variation in the cognitive cost of aeronautical tasks.Thus, this method has the advantage of being time-efficient and non-invasive, surpassing current limitations of measuring cognitive cost through physiological sensors (e.g., eye-trackers, electromyograms, or electrocardiograms).Consequently, such a method of cognitive cost evaluation could be extended to a wider range of more complex aeronautical tasks (e.g., spatial orientation changes, onboard system management). This task identification could lead to proposed methods for reducing what is identified as costly.
Social Empathetic Cognitive Robotics for Autism (SECRA): a preliminary study
Authors: Caprì Tindara , Picciotto Giulia
Published: November 2024

In the last two decades, Socially Assistive Robotics (SAR) has emerged as a promising approach in treating Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). SAR involves using social robots to provide assistance in social interaction settings. Although much research in this field is still preliminary, SAR has shown significant potential for achieving effective outcomes in ASD treatment. Despite these promising results, there are still unanswered questions about the effectiveness of SAR for ASD, especially regarding how social robots should be designed to optimize the complex interactions among therapists, children, and robots. The primary aim of the present project is to address these limitations through a large-scale, randomized controlled trial that can provide clear answers to the above questions. The project has two main objectives: (a) to develop robust psychosocial protocols for robot-assisted therapy tailored for children with ASD, and (b) to evaluate whether the QTrobot (LuxAI), along with eye-tracking technology, can improve cognitive and socio-emotional skills in these children in various environments. The project will be implemented in two phases. In the first phase, psychosocial protocols will be developed and tested preliminarily to refine their effectiveness. Based on the results of Phase 1, a rigorous randomized controlled study will conduct in the second phase. Currently, the project is at first phase. We are conducting the preliminary study to develop the psychosocial protocol and to understand what factors can facilitate the interaction human-robot. In this case, children with ASD and the QTrobot. This project is funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU.
Video-based Ergonomic Risk Assessment among Transportation Maintenance Workers in Shoveling
Authors: Hu Xinran , Guo Xingzhou , Chen Yunfeng , Zhang Jiansong
Published: November 2024

Shoveling is a physically demanding task that has resulted in various physical injuries, particularly affecting workers’ lower backs and shoulders. Specifically, shoveling gravel has been identified as one of the primary activities leading to common ergonomic injuries among transportation maintenance workers. Previous research has focused on evaluating the risks of ergonomic injuries from shoveling through simulations in the construction industry and field experiments in the agricultural industry. However, there is a lack of studies about the ergonomic risks associated with shoveling activities by field experiments within the transportation industry. In addition, prior studies have proposed some ergonomic solutions to prevent injuries in shoveling activity, such as ergonomic handles and back exoskeletons (EXOs). However, no research has yet provided a direct comparison of ergonomic risk levels when workers utilize different ergonomic solutions while shoveling. To address these gaps, this research evaluated the ergonomic risk levels associated with shoveling activity using different ergonomic solutions among 26 transportation maintenance workers. The ergonomic risk evaluation was conducted using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) methods based on videos of their shoveling activities. Videos were recorded from October 3rd to October 17th, 2022. Each participant completed four trials of shoveling gravel, averaging around 97 minutes, using a regular shovel, a back EXO, an ergonomic handle, and both the back EXO and the ergonomic handle. Between each two subsequent trials, a 15-minute break was provided for participants to recover from the previous trials. Moreover, participants finished the four trials of shoveling gravel following the Balanced Latin Square order, in order to avoid the carry-over and order effects. During each trial, participants first shoveled broken gravel from the ground to the skid steer loader and cleaned any residual gravel from the ground in Part 1. Then, they shoveled new gravel from the asphalt hot box machine to the ground and patched it in Part 2. A 5-minute break between Part 1 and Part 2 was also offered to simulate the real-life practice. Results found that wearing a back EXO did not significantly reduce ergonomic risks during shoveling gravel, whereas the use of ergonomic handles and the combined use of the back EXO and ergonomic handle significantly decreased ergonomic risk scores during shoveling gravel. This study not only fills the gaps of ergonomic risk evaluation in real-world transportation maintenance activities, but also provides valuable insights for enhancing worker safety and efficiency in such environments.
Development of Android-based Messaging Application for Onboard Communication for UAM Simulation
Authors: Cheung Justin , Schmitz Maegan , Strybel Thomas , Marayong Panadda , Battiste Vernol , Ahuja Stacey , L. Vu Kim-Phuong , Shankar Praveen
Published: November 2024

The Urban Air Mobility (UAM) concept utilizes vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft for on-demand passenger and cargo air transportation services in metropolitan areas. Various designs of UAM vehicles have been developed, but research is needed to achieve their integration with the existing national airspace system to ensure flight safety and efficiency. The concept of simplified vehicle operations (SVO) can be applied to UAM to allow for novice pilots to operate the vehicle more easily and reduce the operation complexity and demands on trained personnel for mission management. Voice-based pilot-ATC communications have been shown as a major source of workload, which will also likely impact UAM pilots. Text-based communication could potentially reduce pilot’s workload and voice communication errors. In this work, we report on the development of a messaging application for pilot and vertiport (VP) manager/air traffic controller (ATC) communications. The system consisted of an Android tablet installed with a custom application for pilots and a Windows-based application for VP manager/ATC. The text-messaging application was compared to voice communications in a user study involving pilots taking off and landing at six vertiports around San Francisco Bay area while communicating with an ATC/VP managers to acknowledge their flight plans and flight plan changes. Participants were interviewed following the study to gain insights on their perceptions of the UAM operations tested and the messaging application. The results showed that the communication mode did not affect workload, but pilots reported higher situation awareness with voice communication. A qualitative thematic analysis was conducted on the debriefing data, which provided recommendations on the design refinement. Based on the user feedback, an automated feature was added to the messaging application to facilitate the transition between vertiports. The revised interface will be evaluated in a future user study.
An Evaluation of Capabilities, Benefits, and Challenges of Developing Digital Twin Models for Sustainable Development
Authors: Jin Congjun , Liu Rui
Published: November 2024

Since the recent AECO industry has increasingly focused on sustainable development, with an emphasis on achieving long-term goals like enhancing eco-sustainability and durability, the demand for applying digital and revolutionary technologies has increased. Digital twin technology, enabling a digital model to represent a physical entity in real-time dynamically, has gained wide attention in manufacturing, aerospace, and healthcare. Although digital twin technology, which integrates with various digital technical tools, has been explored by some researchers, The overall understanding of how digital twin technology can be applied to sustainable construction is still unclear. This knowledge gap leads to unnecessary difficulty and hinders the full realization of digital twin capacities in sustainable development. This research conducts a literature review to examine the current state of digital twins and related technologies in the AECO industry, aiming to bridge this gap. A variety of technologies, tools, and algorithms employed in the applications of digital twin technology have been analyzed. The results present the four major processes of establishing digital twin models for sustainable development: data harvesting, data transmission and processing, modeling and simulation, and decision-making process. Additionally, four distinct scenarios within the decision-making process relevant to sustainable construction are specified. Furthermore, the digital twins' capabilities, benefits, and challenges have been evaluated. Although digital twin models cooperating with extensive technologies have capabilities and benefits in terms of modeling and visualization, real-time simulation and monitoring, data integration and analysis, and making predictive decisions in optimization, challenges still exist and need to be addressed in future applications. This review highlights the challenges of digital twin technology, including data security, data integration, and interoperability, which provides future research directions for digital twin studies.
Extending Fitts’ Law: a model of stroke operations in commercial applications
Authors: Ju Haotian , Song Fangli , Wang Wei , Zhang Jun , Qi Chen , Du Le
Published: November 2024

In the rapidly evolving landscape of smartphone technology and micro-interaction design, our research aims to extend the applicability of Fitts' Law to better understand and model the dynamics of finger stroke gestures on smartphone commercial applications. Traditional interpretations of Fitts' Law, which primarily rely on distance (D) and target width (W) to quantify task difficulty (ID) in gesture input, may not be sufficient in capturing the complexities inherent in touchscreen interactions with commercial applications. To address this research gap, we propose an adaptation of Fitts' Law that incorporates dynamic physical parameters to better align with the execution of single-finger stroke gestures. Our classification of stroke gestures into two distinct types and the introduction of three new parameters – initial swiping velocity (V_start), final swiping velocity (V_end), and maximum swiping acceleration (A_max) – form the core of our modified model. Through a series of controlled experiments, we validate our models, demonstrating clear distinctions between Type I and II stroke gestures and achieving a high level of predictive accuracy (R² > 0.9).Our findings highlight the significant influence of individual biomechanical differences on movement time (MT) within a single stroke gesture, underscoring that the performance of gestures is not solely determined by target dimensions (D and W) but also by individual factors. Despite the challenge in precisely calculating D and W for complex gesture designs, our study emphasizes that incorporating dynamic parameters effectively explains the observed gesture parameter randomness in commercial applications, thereby enhancing the ecological validity of Fitts' Law.However, acknowledging limitations, we recognize the need for further investigation into a broader range of multi-touch gestures, such as pinch-to-zoom and rotation. Additionally, it awaits a deeper exploration of how individual biomechanics, cognitive states, and task complexities interplay to influence gesture execution time. Future research should strive to fill these knowledge gaps, ultimately leading to a more holistic understanding of multi-touch gesture behavior and improved design guidelines for gestural interfaces.In conclusion, this research contributes a refined Fitts' Law model, which accurately represents two types of stroke gestures in commercial smartphone applications. We also explore individual differences, informing design principles for future gesture interactions.
Colleague, Copilot, Companion, Controller – Roles of AI in Work Systems
Authors: Haner Udo-ernst , Bauer Wilhelm
Published: November 2024

We initially present some findings on the importance of artificial intelligence for current HFE research based on a bibliometric study of the proceedings of the most recent annual conference of the Human Factors / Ergonomics Society in Germany (GfA, 2024). Given that importance we discuss the duality of AI as a tool and a player in work systems and based on extant research suggest that the aspects of hierarchy and emotion are considered when designing roles for AI. Using these aspects as dimensions we span a portfolio and suggest ‘colleague’, ‘copilot’, ‘companion’, and ‘controller’ as potential roles for AI in work systems thereby contributing to the discussion and analysis of yet to be properly defined “AI-infused” work systems.
Pre-Professor Program: A Virtual Training Program to Improve Faculty Diversity
Authors: Henriques Laura , Whitney David , Chun Chi-ah , L. Vu Kim-Phuong , Zavala Arturo
Published: November 2024

The number of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees awarded to underrepresented students has increased over the past two decades, but these graduates still represent a small percentage of STEM career professionals (Fry et al., 2021) and faculty members (Bennett et al., 2020). For diversifying faculty, Bennet et al. identified a barrier to be the lack of programs to support underrepresented groups at the postdoctoral and early career stages. The Pre-Professor Program (PREPP) was designed to support advanced doctoral students’ and postdoctoral scholars’ transition to faculty positions by engaging them in a semester-long virtual program within the California State University (CSU) system, which consists of 23 campuses across the state of California. PREPP Fellows receive individual mentorship from an experienced PREPP Mentor who engages them during weekly meetings to explore 15 topics and a few dozen activities related to teaching, service, and research at comprehensive and ethnically diverse institutions, as well as the process for applying for tenure track positions at such institutions. PREPP Mentors also discuss tenure and promotion processes and coordinate various campus and departmental activities to introduce PREPP Fellows to campus resources and learn perspectives of faculty life within their discipline. Initially designed as a local, in-person program, PREPP morphed into an online, virtual training program that allowed the program to grow and be implemented throughout the entire CSU system. The flexibility provided by the virtual platform enabled PREPP participants to be effectively immersed in learning about faculty life at a CSU campus without requiring them to be in the local area. This paper describes PREPP and how it can be used as a model to provide a pathway for highly competitive and diverse applicants to faculty positions.
Enhancing Flight Deck Resilience and Optimizing Risk Mitigation: A Sociotechnical Approach
Authors: Perkins Kimberly
Published: November 2024

The flight deck operates as a sociotechnical system where the interplay between human operators and technical components is essential for safety. Socio-processing capacity encompasses the cognitive, communicative, and collaborative abilities of pilots to manage information, coordinate with crew members, and make informed decisions. Effective aviation safety models depend on seamless collaboration, where pilots can openly admit mistakes, seek help, and provide feedback. However, research indicates that pilots may shift from clear communication to silence when the flight deck environment lacks psychological safety, undermining the Threat and Error Management (TEM) model's efficacy. This paper argues that enhancing pilots' socio-processing capacity through advanced interpersonal skills training and fostering a culture of psychological safety can bolster the resilience of the flight deck. Such improvements not only enhance risk mitigation but also lead to reduced risk and increased safety.