The Japanese Journal of Ergonomics
Online ISSN : 1884-2844
Print ISSN : 0549-4974
ISSN-L : 0549-4974
Volume 45, Issue 5
Displaying 1-6 of 6 articles from this issue
General remarks, Kansei Information Processing Research Group
Contribution
  • Takahiro TAMESUE, Tetsuro SAEKI
    2009 Volume 45 Issue 5 Pages 270-277
    Published: October 15, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: December 03, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The authors propose a method for estimating and/or predicting the listening score and psychological impression of speech audibility taking into account an effect of the hearing loss due to aging under fluctuating noise. In a real acoustic environment in which audio signals are transmitted and listened to, both the sound pressure level and the frequency component of the noise show an irregular fluctuation over time. Taking the above into consideration, the index of I which reflects the mutual relationships between the spectrum level of the speech peaks and that of the noise within a short time scale, is introduced. Prediction accuracy of I is estimated, regarding how the listening score and psychological impression of speech audibility change in the case of listening to monosyllables under an actual noise environment. The predicted results are in good agreement with the observed values from psychological listening experiment that both the audio signal and the noise which passed through frequency filters simulating hearing loss due to aging are transmitted to subjects with normal hearing.
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  • Masayuki OHYA, Yasuaki FUKUTA, Hiroaki YAMADA
    2009 Volume 45 Issue 5 Pages 278-285
    Published: October 15, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: December 03, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    In this study, an office work machine which comprises of 6 processes was examined by working factor to classify the working structure. Then, proficiency in 6 single works and 3 combined works (cell productions) was analyzed using the work achievement method, and the evaluation index was presented.
    The results are summarized as follows.
    (1) The evaluation of proficiency in work achievement Q showed that proficiency was 74.68% in each single work, 71.70% in combined work A accompanied by bodily labor, 65.52% in combined work B accompanied by intellectual labor, and 68.53% in combined work C accompanied by both bodily and intellectual labor. In short, combined work C approximated the average of combined work A and B.
    (2) It is shown that there was negative correlation between rate of variability δ and tendency index b ; that is, when rate of variability δ decreased, tendency index b increased in all works. On the examination of the correlation, significance was observed.
    (3) The evaluation index was presented by which proficiency was easily assessed and evaluated in each single work and cell production.
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  • Koki SHIBASATO, Hirofumi OHTSUKA, Chihiro OHBAYASHI, Shigeyasu KAWAJI
    2009 Volume 45 Issue 5 Pages 286-293
    Published: October 15, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: December 03, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    From the viewpoint of human centered approach, an upper limb motion model is indispensable in order to construct a harmonized human-machine system such as power assist system or collaborater. In a positioning operation, human decides how to move his upper limb after a visual recognition of own operating error from the target. The authors have proposed “the visual feedback model” for the representation of such human behavior. In this paper the issue of the visual feedback model in rapid motion is pointed out theoretically from the aspects concerning the rapid movement and the slow movement in a voluntary motion, and a new “mixed visual and force feedback model” of an upper limb motion is proposed. The model is constructed, as a feedback system to be harmonious with an impedance of upper limb, with both the feedback loop of time delayed visual information and the inner feedback loop of no-delayed force information. The positioning experiment was performed for the single-link manipulator with the virtual indicating needle. And it is shown that the proposed model much improves the representation of human behavior in the rapid movement. Finally, from the viewpoint of operation force the validity of the proposed model is also confirmed.
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  • Chie SOGA, Shinji MIYAKE, Chikamune WADA
    2009 Volume 45 Issue 5 Pages 294-302
    Published: October 15, 2009
    Released on J-STAGE: December 03, 2010
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Currently, numerous complexities are increasingly leading to mental stresses for professionals. It is necessary to develop techniques and equipments to evaluate mental stress. Our past study revealed that task-induced physiological changes did not return to the baseline level. In this study, we investigated the relationship between the physiological responses and subjective feelings during the performance of mental tasks and after the tasks. We recorded the physiological responses and subjective feelings of 18 healthy young males while they successively performed arithmetic tasks at 4 levels of difficulty and while they rested between each task. The subjective feelings were analyzed by factor analysis, and the relationships between physiological responses and the factor scores were determined. From the results, during the tasks, RR intervals (RRI) and skin potential level (SPL) were correlated significantly with the factors of satisfaction and concentration-vigor, and tissue blood flow of nose (TBF_N) and photoelectric plethysmogram (PTG) decreased below the baseline level. No significant correlation was found between physiological responses and scores of feelings after the tasks. RRI and SPL recovered to the baseline level immediately after the tasks. However, TBF_N and PTG did not recover to the baseline level soon.
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