bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of forest bathing for mindwandering
Authors: Ito Atsushi , Hiramatsu Yuko , Ueda Kazutaka , Hasegawa Madoka , Harada Yasunari
Published: June 2024

After COVID-19, people are interested in healthcare, so the market for health tourism is increasing. Forest bathing is one of the attractive activities during a trip. To provide tourists with information on the healing effects of forest bathing, we are researching to clarify the questions of "What exactly are the effects of forest bathing, and what causes the healing effects? and "How can we optimally present tourist information on the healing effects? By building a generic model of technology for providing information on forest bathing through experiments in Oku-Nikko, we aim to spread our research results to the health-oriented society. In recent years, research on the default mode network, the idle state of the brain, has been progressing. It has been reported that during meditation and other tasks with low cognitive load, a state of mind wandering occurs, in which attention is directed not to events in the external environment but to one's internal self, and one thinks about various things in a hazy way. It has also been reported that the default mode network, which consists of multiple memory areas in the brain, is activated during mind wandering, and it has been pointed out that this activation may connect memories in various brain regions under conscious awareness, facilitating creativity. In forest bathing, people are relaxed with low cognitive load, which is thought to facilitate the activation of the brain's default mode network, and thus, benefits such as increased creativity can be expected. In this presentation, we will describe the results of our investigation into the relationship between forest bathing and the default mode network, and in particular, whether forest bathing activates the default mode network.
Designing an Application to Encourage Appreciation of Body’s ‘Hyoh-Joh’ in Movement: Supporting Embodied Knowledge Learning from Phenomenological View
Authors: Horiuchi Takahito
Published: June 2024

Athletes and dancers, as practitioners of bodily movement, are particularly engaged in the learning of embodied knowledge, which is a flow aiming at somatic meaning-making. In the learning of embodied knowledge, 'intentionality’ such as perception and thought play an important role; however, in visual intentionality, especially, there tends to be a lack of 'soma'. To activate visual intentionality 'through and with the soma’, the author hypothesizes that it is beneficial to attempt to see the ‘Hyoh-Joh’ of the body in movement. ‘Hyoh-Joh’, as a phenomenological concept, corresponds to Ausdruck in German and Expression in English, and refers to a living Gestalt that embodies ‘emotional values’ and ‘action affordance values’ in material things. a In this study, we are designing an application that encourages the appreciation of the ‘Hyoh-Joh’ of the moving body for practitioners of body movement. This app features 'moving figures' drawn in three-dimensional space on the screen, with each joint point of body movement as a vertex. Users can 'edit and appreciate' these figures artistically on their own. Moreover, they can introspect and describe their appreciation experience, name the created figures as a ‘Hyoh-Joh’ in their own way, and save them in a database along with the figures. This specification aims to encourage practitioners to perceive ‘Hyoh-Joh’ of body and support the learning of embodied knowledge. Through the designing and practicing with this app, this study explores ‘Hyoh-Joh’ of body in movement, a crucial aspect of emobodied knowledge.
Validation of Wearable Biosignal Sensor-based Estimation of the Physiological Strain Index Using Gaussian Process Regression
Authors: Schneeberger Michael , Carballo Leyenda Belén , A Rodríguez-marroyo Jose , Paletta Lucas
Published: June 2024

At physiologically intensive work or during acute exercises, early alert functions are highly required to prevent physiological damage to human health. Wearable sensor-based monitoring of vital parameters can provide real-time measures for the quantification of a worker’s individual psychophysiological and thermal strain to define risk levels for appropriate decision support. One of the most well-recognized indices suitable for use in the workplace so far is the Physiological Strain Index (PSI; Moran et al., 1998) based on sensor data about (i) the core body temperature (CBT) as well as (ii) the heart rate (HR). Until recently, the ground truth information about CBT was particularly measured by cumbersome swallowing expensive gastrointestinal temperature pills. A more comfortable strategy is to attach bioelectrical temperature sensors to the human skin and from these data provide an estimate about the CBT. Dolson et al. (2022) provided a systematic review on distinct algorithms to predict the core body temperature using wearable technology. Most of these algorithms deployed Kalman filters for the prediction. Only a few algorithms incorporated individual and environmental data into their core body temperature prediction, despite the known impact of individual health and situational and environmental factors on the CBT. The presented Machine Learning (ML) framework provides a comparison between a large set of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods. The Gaussian Process Regression method (GPR; Rasmussen and Williams, 2006) has determined the minimum root mean square error (RMSE) on data from a highly challenging exercise profile applied by a wildland firefighter group. The results are highly competitive with the methods reported in Dolson et al. (2022).
PREPARIO - Service Design for a Connected and Automated Food Preparation Platform
Authors: Weiss Wolfgang , Schneider Henrik , Draxler Sandra , Ferreira Manuela , Antunes Adriana , Sommer Celine
Published: June 2024

Existing solutions for meal preparation are insufficient for many aged people who struggle to re-heat their delivered meals. It often happens that the meals get over- or under heated which can ruin the meal itself as well as destroy the food experience. In some cases, this leads to malnutrition and severe illness and in other cases caregivers are needed to assist with food preparation on an everyday basis, which is time that could be spent better with the client and poses a great financial burden on society.We developed a holistic solution for the preparation of delivered meals. The goal is to enable aged people to prepare their meals safely and independently at home for longer. The solution consists of a novel microwave oven with wireless temperature control that enables fully automated heating of delivered meals to optimal serving temperature. The solution is supported by a digital voice assistance platform and a data-driven support system for external monitoring to allow for efficient care provision. This paper illustrates the applied design process and its accompanying activities and results. The focus is on developing and evaluating a whole service for a diverse user group with an end-user- and customer-centred design process. Co-creation workshops and field trials have been carried out. This lead to detailed insights in the needs and wants of the targeted groups. These activities lead to guide the further technical development of the components as well as to establish a new B2B2C business model with the aim to reduce the burden on the primary end-users.
Hybrid Intelligence - An Approach towards the Symbiosis of Artificial and Human Creativity and Interaction in the Design and Innovation Process in SMEs
Authors: Rupprecht Patrick , Mayrhofer Walter
Published: June 2024

In a world where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is accelerating technological change, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are challenged to remain competitive and innovative. SMEs, which often are faced with having only limited time and financial resources. particularly struggle to test emerging technologies and develop innovations. In this context, recent studies suggest that the combination of artificial intelligence and the creativity of SME employees may provide a viable solution. According to latest findings, the combination of human and artificial intelligence, also referred to as “Hybrid Intelligence”, has significant potential to enhance innovation processes and increase productivity and creativity. The primary objective of this paper is to investigate how Generative Artificial Intelligence (Generative AI) can enhance creativity and efficiency in established design and innovation processes, such as Design Thinking. In addition, the paper aims to explore the possible symbiotic interaction between humans and artificial intelligence during the different phases of the innovation process in general and within innovation workshops in particular.In a first approach, an overview of human and AI capabilities and the use of Generative AI throughout the innovation process is explored. In addition, several perspectives on the use of symbiotic Human-AI interaction in creative innovation workshops are presented. Finally, the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the integration of Hybrid Intelligence in SMEs to enhance creativity and efficiency in the innovation process are highlighted.
Proposal of Color Queue Creation Task for Automatic Divergent Thinking Evaluation
Authors: Matsunaga Taiki , Fukada Ryunosuke , Ueda Kimi , Ishii Hirotake , Shimoda Hiroshi
Published: June 2024

In recent years, with the advent of the information society, creativity is becoming more and more important, and divergent thinking is becoming more and more important. The Alternative Uses Test (AUT) is the most used test for evaluating divergent thinking. However, its result is affected by difference in native languages, since the evaluation is dependent on a person who evaluates. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to devise a new task to evaluate divergent thinking that solves on the problems of the AUT. This task focuses on the evaluation of flexibility which is evaluated by how much varieties of color sequence are in a color queue consisting of 100 color sequence. This is devised as a non-verbal task and expected to avoid the influence of language differences. An experiment was conducted to see if flexibility was affected by cognitive load as assessed by the created task. The results suggested the possibility that the effect of cognitive load on flexibility can be evaluated.
Developing college students’ creative problem-solving ability: The roles of empathy, prosocial motivation, and cultural differences
Authors: Jeong Park Hye , Cho Yongyeon , Lim Huiwon
Published: June 2024

Nurturing students’ creative problem-solving (CPS) skills is key to helping them develop important abilities such as critical thinking and adaptability in order to effectively navigate current society. The study aims to identify college students’ capacity to understand empathy, prosocial motivation, and cultural differences, and how these traits relate to CPS. The study recruited 309 college students from three American universities to participate in an online survey. The results confirmed that prosocial motivation was significantly predicted in all dimensions of CPS: fluency, flexibility, originality, and usefulness. Among the four CPS dimensions, usefulness was negatively related to cognitive empathy and positively predicted collectivism. Cognitive empathy was interrelated with both individualism and collectivism, whereas affective empathy was associated with collectivism. Additionally, students with multicultural experiences tended to consider others more often and to generate more useful solutions. These findings help educators better understand the important roles played by empathy, prosocial motivation, and cultural differences in influencing CPS in higher education.
A Pilot Study for Understanding the Lying Neck Posture with Flexion and Extension
Authors: Wang Yuqian , Chen Junjian , Luximon Yan
Published: June 2024

Due to the prolonged focus on mobile phones or computers, people are exposed to a higher risk of neck issues. To avoid the radiation exposure of CT (Computed Tomography) scans, the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) facilities with a lying posture were explored in this pilot study with 5 participants and three head postures (flexion, neutral, and extension). The vertebra angles from a sagittal view are measured, and the contribution of each pair of successive vertebras is compared with other literature. The results of this study show that the mean flexion and extension contributions fluctuated much more than others. This may be because the passive lying posture based on physical support is adopted rather than active flexion and extension maximum with a sitting posture. This suggests that active and passive head rotation postures have distinct mechanisms and should be studied separately. The lying posture with an MRI scan could be used for vertebra postures with different supports like pillows.
NeuroTeaming: Using Power Spectral Density for Adjusting Teaming Dynamics in Pilot-AI Task Allocation
Authors: Paul Tanya , Lafond Daniel , Marois Alexandre
Published: June 2024

Human-autonomy teaming (HAT) is becoming a subject of high interest in the human factors literature. It has several applications, including the collaboration between a human and an autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for security and defence use cases (e.g., for search and rescue tasks). This work is focused on methods for task-allocation between human and autonomous UAV agents. The proposed approach is human-centred, using a coactive design framework which relies on enabling adaptive team dynamics where different agents might act as key players for specific tasks based on an interdependent relationship. This method helps solve complex issues in understanding and adjusting to complementary team dynamics where agents might have different skill levels, experiences, roles, and helps understand which agent is more competent to perform a task. Additionally, such a framework promotes transparency towards the control and task-allocation strategies. To demonstrate this task-allocation strategy, this study looked at the use of neurophysiological features as indicators of task-specific capacities in UAV operations, more specifically electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, which opens up for the development of task-allocation adaptive systems, dependent upon variations in brain activity. Results found that EEG spectral power bands have potential to help determine different task-based abilities across groups (i.e., obstacle avoidance vs. target identification), hence contributing to pinpointing variations in the type of autonomous support needed. Overall, this research explores how task-dependencies can be observed through EEG signals for better transparency and explainability of adaptive control in pilot-AI teaming.
NeuroDesign2.0: A Framework of Visual Perception in Visual Communication
Authors: Chen Jun , Guo Mengyao
Published: June 2024

This paper presents NeuroDesign 2.0, an advanced interdisciplinary framework that combines principles of visual design, cognitive process, and general working methods of NeuroDesign to understand the intricacies of visual perception. By utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and applying poster samples based on the International Typographic Style, our approach aims to clarify the selection mechanisms that explain the visual perception of audiences and influence the effectiveness of design in conveying messages. The study transforms from strategies that focus on the designers to the audiences to discuss the mass reception of visual information and further guide the designers’ practices, Where the audiences’ impression and intuition determine the selection of visual messages. Based on the existing research on design and neuroscience, the study presents a novel experimental method for analysing how the brain perceives visual information. It enhances our comprehension of the complex correlation between human engagement with visual stimuli and the corresponding selection reactions.
The Changing Rule and Intervention Strategy of Long-voyage Crew's Alertness
Authors: Liang Jin , Peng Cong , Li Si , WANG XIN , LIAO ZHEN , Deng Ye , Yu Yang , Zhang Liang , Sun Xiaofang , Zhang Yulin
Published: June 2024

In order to reveal the change law of long-voyage crew alertness in the time dimension of voyage, determine the best time for long-voyage crew alertness intervention, and design the intervention strategy to improve long-voyage crew alertness, this study designed and carried out a series of long-voyage simulation experiments based on the needs of long-term voyages. The results of the study found that the rhythm of the simulated crew is disturbed and the best and worst changes are reversed on the prometaphase of the mid-long-term voyage, which may mean rhythm disturbance is one of the reasons for the alertness sharp declining of the crew. The ERPs latency of target locking the alertness test has no significantly different in the before, middle and after stages on mid-short voyage, that is, the time of detecting target is no delay, but the response time increases, indicating that the decrease of alertness of the crew on mid-short voyages may be related to the decrease of response ability. Based on the above results, the intervention timing for alertness was determined, intervention strategies were designed, and the effectiveness of intervention strategies was verified through experiments.
Using DESM to demonstrate how behavior can impact an enterprise's physical attack surface structure
Authors: Rufus Rahmira , Greer Jeff , Clark Ulku , Stoker Geoffrey
Published: June 2024

This paper addresses behaviors affecting the attack surface structure of a simulated enterprise model. The work conducted identifies human factors that contribute to the enterprise’s physical attack surface. Such factors can be social engineering, phishing, insider threats, inadequate employee awareness and training (AET), etc. By leveraging a Descriptive Enterprise System Model (DESM), we demonstrate how behavior impacts the enterprise's physical attack surface structure. The focus in this phase of the research is associating human factors that contribute to this condition. The model is leveraged to make two observations: (1) isolate behavior functionally as a factor impacting the enterprise’s physical attack surface and (2) isolate human factors as an indicator of an enterprise’s behavior.
Measuring How Appropriate Individuals Are for Specific Jobs in a Network of Collaborators
Authors: Eady Yasmin , Kyei Kofi , Jackson Aldrewvonte , Aldrich Bernard , Dowtin Brian , Shelton Joseph , Esterline Albert
Published: June 2024

We simulate social networks, where undirected edges are mutual friendships, to find the effect of their structure on the aptness of persons for performing a given job. A job J requires a given set of tasks, and each node (person) n can perform a given set of tasks. If the ego network EG of n cannot perform all tasks for J, then n fails on J. Otherwise, n’s score is computed as a weighted sum of measures of centrality, embeddedness (core number), attribute and degree assortativity of the nodes in EG, the degrees of these nodes, and the performance of these nodes on accuracy, speed, and reliability. Experiments were run on random networks from three models across values for an independent variable controlling the number of edges: Erdős-Renyi (ER), Barabasi-Albert (BA), and Watts-Strogatz (WS). Average values for maximum, average, and minimum node scores for each value of the variable for each model were plotted. For all models, the core-number measure largely accounts for the curves’ shapes. Our core-number measure averages over node n’s core number and the averages of n’s neighbors’ numbers and the smallest of these. For ER networks, scores increase with increasing number of edges as nodes become more embedded. For BA and WS networks, there is an initial decrease, conjectured to depend on a person collaborating with many little-embedded helpers, untested and perhaps not well trusted. Our approach for members’ aptness for jobs preserves the security of a secure community, keeping the calculations within the community.
A Notion of Trustworthiness Based on Centrality in a Social Network
Authors: Dowtin Brian , Kyei Kofi , Eady Yasmin , Jackson Aldrewvonte , Aldrich Bernard , Shelton Joseph , Esterline Albert
Published: June 2024

We develop a measure of trustworthiness for members of a social network that supports collaborative effort in a domain. Edges represent explicitly declared friendships. The measure for a person is the geometric mean of their betweenness and eigenvector centralities in their network. The focus is on ranking people according to these values, which are normalized. We show the rankings of the people in an Erdős-Renyi (ER) network according to our measures. In experiments on Barabasi-Albert (BA) and Watts-Strogatz (WS) as well as ER networks, the average differences between the maximum and the minimum trustworthiness of the people are plotted against the independent variable of each model that results in an increasing number of edges. For the ER and WS networks, this difference decreased significantly and nearly linearly vs. the independent variable, but the trustworthiness values increase: it is harder to distinguish the trustworthy from the not trustworthy when all are pretty trustworthy. For the BA networks in contrast, this spread decreased to a minimum then increased. It is conjectured that, with an increasing number of edges, how embedded hubs are in the network becomes a dominant factor while non- hubs remain not very embedded. This measure has been used in defining a protocol for a group using a distributed authentication protocol to decide whether to admit a candidate, an example of how our work provides a secure way for people to collaborate that exploits human characteristics.
Analyzing important factors in cybersecurity incidents using table-top exercise
Authors: Nakayama Kenta , Koshijima Ichiro , Watanabe Kenji
Published: June 2024

In recent years, the threat of cyber-attacks has been increasing yearly. Various organizations should take countermeasures for it. In the face of increasing threats, organizations need to take not only technical measures but also human countermeasures. However, cyber-attacks themselves are becoming more sophisticated, so it is important for organizations to prepare countermeasures and organizational structures based on the assumption that incidents due to cyber-attacks will occur. Moreover organizations are required to minimize the damage caused by cyber-attack incidents and continue their business operations.This study focused on human countermeasures especially organizational structures, designed an incident response exercise, and conducted it with approximately 60 members of a critical infrastructure company in Japan. Based on the records of the exercise and the results of the post-exercise questionnaire, these results examine organizational and human barriers that organizations may face in incident response and the organizational structure that minimizes the damage from incidents. The incident response exercise was based on a scenario in which a hypothetical local infrastructure company was infected with ransomware and could not fulfill its role as a local infrastructure. The roles of management, IT department, and upper-level managers and personnel in the field departments were defined, and how incident response would be conducted from each position was examined. The exercise was recorded chronologically using the chronology used in disaster recovery, and the instructions given by whom and to whom were organized in chronological order so that the participants could look back on the details of their responses after the exercise. A questionnaire survey was conducted after the exercise, and the exercise itself received a high evaluation, with an average score of 4 or higher out of 5. In addition, information on important items in incident response, including changes before and after the exercise, was collected through free-response statements. Context-based evaluation and analysis of the collected results revealed what members of the Japanese critical infrastructure community consider important in incident response. Furthermore, from the contents recorded in chronology during the exercise, the process of escalation and decision-making to management and upper management was analyzed to identify barriers such as delays in reporting and decision-making that may lead to the expansion of incident damage. In addition, based on the results of these analyses, we will deepen our thinking and make recommendations on the organizational structure and transfer of authority for rapid incident response.
Human Factors and Cybersecurity in NHS Virtual Wards
Authors: Fotis Theofanis , Kioskli Kitty , Mouratidis Haralambos
Published: June 2024

The rapid evolution of healthcare technology, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen a significant rise in the set-up and expansion of Virtual Wards by the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom. Virtual wards (also known as hospital@home) allow patients to get hospital-level care at home safely and in familiar surroundings, helping speed up their recovery while freeing up hospital beds for patients who need them most. Patients are reviewed daily by the clinical team and the ‘ward round’ may involve a home visit or take place through video technology. Many virtual wards use technology like apps, wearables and other medical devices enabling clinical staff to easily check in and monitor the person’s recovery. This paradigm shift, while revolutionary in extending healthcare services to patients remotely and out of the hospital, brings with it cybersecurity challenges sourced by the new infrastructure and directly relevant to the involved stakeholder’s human factors.The presentation will describe the context of NHS virtual wards explore the user interface design, usability, and accessibility of virtual ward technologies, and discuss how these factors impact both patients and healthcare professionals. Particular attention will be paid to the challenges faced by diverse patient groups, including the elderly and those with disabilities, in navigating virtual healthcare environments and how these characteristics affect the vulnerabilities of virtual ward technologies, from a human factors point of view. An examination of regulatory frameworks and standards, the role of patients and staff training in cybersecurity awareness, and the integration of advanced security measures within these new healthcare infrastructures. The presentation will discuss the importance of conceptualising the human-centric approach in maintaining and promoting cyber hygiene in Virtual Wards and propose a multi-disciplinary approach to address these challenges through privacy-by-design modelling of Virtual Wards, advocating for collaboration between patients, healthcare professionals, IT experts, cybersecurity specialists, and policymakers.
Developing Empathy in Design Workshops for Functional Diversities
Authors: Zuleta Montoya Fausto , Sevilla-cadavid Gustavo
Published: June 2024

Within the sustainable design experiences involved in the Functional Diversities, there is a need to establish workshops that make direct and concise reference to the different moments in which participants understand the dynamics of the other, their capacities and aspects to improve, and to solve needs from the understood perspective of the said being and not from a supposition of the designer and creator. That goal is part of the project workshops, which are based on the teaching methods used with different tools from different models in the field. These workshops turn Universal Design (UD) or Design for All (DA) into a more connected experience with Inclusive Design (ID), while also using empathy-based teaching methods to improve physical and/or digital design objects, which is similar to v This text seeks to highlight these dynamics and explicit guides under the guidelines of the various functionalities to be able to match and understand the needs from the initial phases of the project, but not as the only final validation.
Eros and Ecology. The New Alchemy of Sustainable Design
Authors: Russo Dario
Published: June 2024

This article explores the multifaceted nature of Eros, the incarnation of desire, as a central theme in contemporary design, where objects become symbols of desire that blur the lines between absence and presence, necessity and satisfaction. Drawing on Plato’s Symposium, which describes Eros as born from both poverty and resource, we investigate the dynamic interaction between lack and desire in the form of creativity and human achievement. We analyze how iconic objects, from Ettore Sottsass’s Shiva to the Bocca sofa and the Valentine typewriter, seduce us, possess us, and eventually lead to abandonment, reflecting a perpetual cycle of desire and detachment in our interaction with the material world. The discussion extends to the concept of “erotically sustainable design”, exploring the shift towards sustainability in design that adds a level of desirability to objects not only through aesthetic and functional appeal but also through narratives of ethical commitment and environmental stewardship. The article aims to illuminate the deep connections between aesthetics, affection, and consumerism in contemporary culture, proposing that the challenge for modern designers lies not only in creating visually and functionally seductive objects but also in incorporating sustainable values that resonate with the urgent ecological and social needs of our time.
Comparison of Ergonomic Principles for School Furniture Design between Europe, USA, and Asia: An Overview
Authors: Ahmad Zamzarina , Syah Md Yusoff Irwan , Perumal Velu , Yee Guan Ng , Samsudin Norhafifah , Nor Zamri Mat Amin Mohd , Liza Mat Yasok Nor , Zuraihah Nik Mohammad Nik , Ridzuan Samsury Mohd
Published: June 2024

The present research comprehensively analyses school furniture design and utilization in different world regions, Europe, the USA, and Asia. In particular, the study emphasizes the significance of ergonomics and its influence on students' health and learning outcomes. Secondary data was applied for comparative analysis between school furniture design in Europe, the USA, and Asia, incorporating extensive surveys and ergonomic assessments. Adopting the existing methodological framework, the research aims to provide a different understanding of the complex interplay of various factors. The effect of the design and use of school furniture on student's well-being and academic performance. Based on the current research, there are noticeable variations in ergonomic standards and practices across different regions. Specifically, Europe places a higher importance on ergonomics and customization when designing school furniture. On the other hand, the USA values flexibility and adaptability in their school furniture design. In contrast, Asia combines conventional and modern design elements to create innovative solutions. These regional disparities offer valuable insights into how cultural factors, education systems, and economic conditions influence ergonomic principles in the context of school furniture. Comparison of ergonomic principles in the design of school furniture from the era of 1800 years until 2000 onward. This study underscores the critical role of ergonomic design in promoting optimal learning conditions in educational settings. Moreover, it underscores the need for customized and localized strategies to enhance student welfare and academic achievement. Additionally, it stresses the importance of recognizing and addressing regional disparities when optimizing learning spaces for maximum effectiveness. In conclusion, this comparative analysis of school furniture design between Europe, the USA, and Asia shows significant differences in ergonomic evolution, specifically in Asia. The outcome of this analysis is given the preliminary observation of ergonomic principles in school furniture design. The result of this study is important to increase awareness and advocacy among stakeholders and industry players.
Human-centred design of Industry 4.0 technologies in research projects
Authors: Aromaa Susanna , Heikkilä Päivi , Lammi Hanna
Published: June 2024

Novel technologies are often developed through collaborative research projects. This increases complexity in collaboration compared to company-internal development projects and can create challenges as regards applying human-centred design (HCD) principles to the development. This paper presents two research projects in which human factors (HF) had an essential role. Although HF principles served as a useful guide in the design of technology solutions, some challenges were encountered. These challenges are outlined in this paper and suggestions regarding how to manage potential risks in collaborative projects are presented. Lessons learned from these projects can be used by HF researchers in future research projects to better manage HF activities when developing technology solutions.
Evaluating the Correct Usage, Comfort and Fit of Personal Protective Equipment in Construction Work
Authors: Borell Jonas , Osvalder Anna-lisa , Aryana Bijan
Published: June 2024

Several factors contribute to the use, non-use, or inadequate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in construction work. This study aimed to analyse correct usage of various PPE, such as helmet, ear protectors, goggles, respiratory mask, gloves, protective clothing, and a safety harness. Correct usage was assessed as guessability, which refers to human perceptions of how to don, adjust, use, and doff the equipment as intended. First an analytical evaluation was conducted using ECW (enhanced cognitive walkthrough) and PUEA (predictive use error analysis) to identify usability problems and use errors during handling. Then usability tests were performed with 13 persons of different heights and body constitutions. Observations, the think-aloud method, short interviews, and subjective estimations were employed. The analytical evaluation revealed most minor usability problems and use errors resulting in physical discomfort. Some safety harness-related errors emerged, particularly for novices, potentially leading to severe incidents. The usability tests demonstrated physical as well as functional discomfort when using a combination of PPE, intensifying over time. The combination of goggles and face mask caused pressure, chafing, heat rash and limited vision. The helmet, combined with goggles and ear protectors, did not fit well, and caused pressure. The guessability for donning and wearing the combination of PPE was moderate, requiring time for proper adjustment. The guessability of the safety harness was poor, lacking design cues for donning, adjusting, and positioning on skeletal bones. Physical discomfort arose when straps were overly tightened. Not all straps could be adjusted for some body constitutions, compromising safety. In conclusion, using several types of PPE together may lead to physical and functional discomfort and pain over time, potentially resulting in misuse, non-use, or reduced performance. The findings of this study can serve as a basis for redesigning PPE, particularly for scenarios involving combined usage.
Exploring the subjective response of keyboard key sounds on individuals' and susceptibility to interference and sensitivity to noise
Authors: Xu Yaxuan , Tian Yuxuan , Chen Yun
Published: June 2024

This study, rooted in the discipline of human factors engineering, endeavors to investigate the threshold of decibel variance in tolerable interference across diverse activity states by scrutinizing individual subjective responses to keyboard keystroke sounds. The overarching goal is to furnish a more human-centered framework for keyboard design.Study One undertakes a meticulous analysis of 321 questionnaires and 66 noise sensitivity scales, revealing a noteworthy positive correlation between individuals' susceptibility to interference and their sensitivity to noise. The broad spectrum of individuals exhibiting heightened noise sensitivity validates the generalizability of the experimental findings, thereby reinforcing the significance of the research endeavor.Study Two adopts a multifaceted approach involving a first-round controlled experiment and randomized controlled trials encompassing 52 subjects, alongside a subsequent round of scenario simulation tests involving 18 subjects. This comprehensive methodology is employed to assess the impact of varied activity states and keyboard decibel levels on individual susceptibility to interference. Data processing and statistical analysis employ advanced techniques such as fuzzy mathematics and rank-scale methods. Utilizing a stepwise estimation methodology, the study delineates the thresholds of decibel variance in interference tolerance across distinct states: 59.98 dBA for highly concentrated states, 60.79 dBA for moderately concentrated states, 62.91 dBA for lightly concentrated states, and 59.61 dBA for sleep states.Study Three further validates the findings through rigorous Ridit analysis, affirming the reliability of the data provided and positioning it as a valuable reference for pertinent domains.Furthermore, the research findings exhibit a high level of reliability and applicability. These results pave the way for further exploration of additional factors impacting keyboard design, thereby broadening the research domain and enhancing both user experience and health perception. Consequently, this study offers a solid foundation for practical design and management decisions. In conclusion, this study not only addresses theoretical gaps in relevant fields but also provides valuable reference points for keyboard design in practical applications, underscoring its promising prospects and potential for real-world impact.
Service Design for Waste Separation and Disposal in University Housing Complexes - Around the Gwangju Campus of Chonnam National University
Authors: Baimin Huang , Chu Yang Li , Jeon Byungjun , Jung Jung-ho
Published: June 2024

In Korea, recycling of garbage has been emphasized by the government and various sectors for a long time, and various systems have been established to ensure the implementation of sorting. In addition, people are becoming more aware of environmental protection and are making beautiful handicrafts out of garbage. However, little research and attention has been paid to waste segregation in areas with multicultural backgrounds. Some scholars believe that there is a positive relationship between values and lifestyles and ecological behavior. DeYoung says that simple and moderate lifestyles are positively associated with glass and paper recycling. Livers proved that people with religious values and conservative lifestyles like to contribute positively to the improvement of society. This article focuses on the residential neighborhood of University Street in Chonnam University. The residential area is characterized by single apartments, international students, and art studios, and the problem of garbage sorting has not been improved in the neighborhood, and illegal dumping is often found. As people with different habits and diverse backgrounds live in the same area, it is difficult to separate garbage, and it would be more beneficial to develop an area-specific garbage separation program. Therefore, this thesis utilizes the service design methodology to solve the problem.in the discovery stage, field visits are made to investigate the publicity of sorting and recycling, overseas and AI examples are grasped, and user surveys are conducted. In the definition stage, we organize the results of user surveys and in-depth interviews and analyze the problem of garbage sorting through Personas. In the development stage, design insights were drawn from the existing problems and needs. In the final Delivery stage, design value suggestions are made. It is hoped that the program of this thesis can improve the local garbage sorting problem.
Design Knowledge Transfer from Traditional Chinese Furniture: Contemporary Design and Expression of Tenon Structure Bamboo Furniture Space
Authors: Huang Jinxiao , Joneurairatana Eakachat
Published: June 2024

This article delves into the integration of traditional Chinese furniture design, particularly its mortise and tenon structure, into contemporary furniture design. It focuses on the sustainable and aesthetic values of these ancient techniques, emphasizing their relevance and adaptability in modern design contexts. Drawing from scholarly insights, the article bridges the gap between historical craftsmanship and modern design innovation, illustrating how traditional methods like the mortise and tenon can inspire and enhance modern furniture aesthetics. This exploration not only highlights the potential of these time-honored techniques to contribute to sustainable design practices but also underscores the importance of preserving cultural heritage within the evolving landscape of contemporary furniture design. Through this analysis, the article sheds light on the rich possibilities for incorporating traditional Chinese design principles into modern furniture, fostering a dialogue between past and present design philosophies.
A brief introduction into futures studies methods and its application prospects in field of design
Authors: Du Wei , Zhao Danhua
Published: June 2024

This article, through a comparison of the similarities and differences between the fields of futures studies and design, as well as an exploration of the necessity and advantages of applying futures studies research methods to design education and practice, reveals the close connection between the two disciplines. The article first outlines the development background and historical evolution of futures studies in the form of a timeline of disciplinary history. By analyzing key developmental stages, milestones, and turning points in its history, it preliminarily demonstrates the macroscopic and diverse characteristics of futures studies. Furthermore, by combining tangible concepts, it provides a detailed introduction to abstract futures study methods covering multiple research directions in futures studies, systematically analyzing the potential benefits of these methods for design practitioners in various aspects. The research finds that futures studies provide a new foundation and perspective for the design industry in inspiring innovative design thinking, predicting scenario trends and design needs, enhancing adaptability of design for the technological and social environment of the future, and deepening designer’s understanding of user experience in the long term. This significantly strengthens the credibility and reliability of design, helping designers better understand and respond to the ever-changing social and technological environment. Finally, the article, supported by examples, vividly illustrates the development prospects of design futures studies and the practical application of futures studies in the design field, presenting a rich and in-depth research perspective to the readers. The article envisions the future direction of futures studies, providing valuable reflections for the future development of the discipline. Through the exposition in this article, we gain a more comprehensive understanding of the mutual influence between futures studies and design, as well as the crucial role of futures studies in design education and practice.
Evaluation of Wearing Comfort in Virtual Reality Devices Using Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Du Yujia , Haining Wang
Published: June 2024

This paper aims to evaluate the comfort of wearing virtual reality (VR) devices using a popular multi-criteria decision-making technique, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)，which systematically organizes and simplifies complex decision-making issues by breaking them down into more manageable components. A hierarchy model was developed through factor analysis and the Delphi method, comprising a primary goal (comfort of VR devices), six main criteria (skin friendliness, breathability, weightiness, stability, tenderness and fit ), and twenty sub-criteria. The paper details the methodology employed, including the construction of a pairwise comparison matrix and the assessment of consistency. The robustness of this approach was verified via a case study. This research introduces a novel methodology for assessing VR device comfort and prioritizing the elements related to this aspect. The findings offer significant insights for manufacturers by identifying specific aspects for product design enhancement.
Development and Evaluation of a Body Mapping Tank-Top for Early Stage Scoliosis Treatment in Adolescents
Authors: Chen Jinjin , Yip Joanne , Hong Wong Yiu , Cheung Mei-chun
Published: June 2024

Scoliosis is an abnormal curvature of the spine, usually characterized by an S or C-shaped curvature in the normal coronal plane (viewed from the back). This lateral curvature may cause rotation and twisting of the spine, resulting in an asymmetrical back and potentially leading to many related physical problems. Idiopathic scoliosis, which accounts for about 80% of scoliosis cases, is the most common type. It may be associated with the interaction of polygenic inheritance, family aggregation, and environmental factors. Teenagers with spinal curvature between 10-20 degrees are considered to be in the early stages of scoliosis. It is recommended that hard braces be used for treatment in teenagers with a spinal curvature between 21 and 40 degrees. However, hard braces are often criticized for their uncomfortable fit and unsightly appearance, which can somewhat affect the treatment outcome. Nowadays, as teenagers increasingly use electronic products and develop poor standing and sitting habits, more environmental factors are triggering the onset of scoliosis. To prevent the disease from worsening, early diagnosis and effective treatment have become particularly important. Therefore, our team has developed an innovative body mapping tank top for adolescents with early-stage scoliosis. Equipped with 3-axis accelerometer sensors synchronized with surface electromyography (sEMG) signals, and combined with home-based posture training programme developed by our team, it can improve patient’s daily posture and prevent curve progression for teens with early scoliosis.
Intelligent Healthy Cabin Design Strategy Based on Context Awareness Theory
Authors: Chen Shuangying , Zhang Lingyan , Wang Yun , Zhang Qianxi
Published: June 2024

Purpose: Starting from users' daily health habits, this study analyzes the real needs of users for in-vehicle health services in driving scenarios. By integrating the context-awareness approach, it aims to enable users to interact more efficiently with the cabin in the driving environment. Methods: Firstly, the relevant theories of context awareness were reviewed, analyzing the advantages of integrating context awareness into intelligent health cabins and categorizing contexts into four types: user, environment, device, and time. Secondly, employing the context interview method and the Wizard of Oz Test, 24 white-collar individuals were deeply interviewed regarding their health service needs within the cabin. The analysis summarized the design focuses of four context types, establishing design strategies for intelligent health cabin systems based on context awareness. In the practical stage, the "Bianque" intelligent health cabin system scheme was developed based on the design strategies proposed in this paper, providing certain evidence for the design strategies. Conclusion: The application of context awareness theory in intelligent health cabins can effectively enhance user experience. Theoretically, design strategies for intelligent health cabin systems based on context awareness are proposed, and practically, the "Bianque" intelligent health cabin system design scheme is developed, along with relevant prototypes.