Improving our understanding of muscle response towards assistive force is important not only to ensure the effectiveness of assistive devices but also to avoid injury due to excessive assistance. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare muscle activities towards assistive force during isometric elbow flexion in young and elderly participants. The study involved right-handed young (n = 9, 25.3 ± 2.4 years) and elderly (n = 9, 68.4 ± 3.3 years) male participants and determined the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) and maximum workload for each participant. The participants performed isometric elbow flexion under two conditions of submaximal workload (20% and 40%) and three levels of assistive force (0%, 50%, and 100%). The electromyographic activity of agonist and antagonist muscles decreased with increased levels of assistive force under both workload conditions in both groups. In addition, a more effective reduction in electromyographic activity was observed during 50% assistance in both muscles for both groups. In summary, assistive force relieved the exertion in the agonist muscle in both young and elderly groups; however, their effects were influenced by the level of assistive force.

Study was conducted with an aim to i) study the lower limb biomechanics of healthy workers, ii) determine changes of human biomechanics with different modes of load carriage and iii) suggest biomechanically efficient mode of load carriage. Study was conducted on 20 workers in the age range 20 to 55 years. Qualisys Motion Capture System (Sweden), Kistler Force Plate (Switzerland) and Polar S810i HR monitor, Finland were used. Heart rate was recorded at rest and during different modes of load carriage with 40% of body weight i.e. loads on head, shoulder and hand. Movement of lumbar spine while carrying loads was recorded by using Industrial Lumbar Motion Monitor (iLMM), USA. Walking speed for head load, shoulder load and hand load were 4.19±0.55 km.hr^-1, 4.09± 0.82 km.hr^-1 and 3.94± 0.84 km.hr^-1respectively. Stride length was longer in case of head mode (1.20±0.45 meter) followed by hand (1.19±0.01 meter) and shoulder mode (1.12±0.04 meter) of load carriage. Average Twisting Velocity of lumbar spine was found lowest in case of head mode of load carriage followed by shoulder and hand mode. Heart Rate cost of carrying loads on head, shoulder and hand were 50±10.54 beats/min, 52.95±10.88 beats/min and 57.45±10.04 beats/min respectively. Energy cost of cost of carrying loads on head, shoulder and hand were 294±61.99 jule/min, 311.346±63.97 jule/min and 337.81±59.03 jule/min respectively. Results demonstrated a significant relationship between kinetic and kinematic parameters of workers at different load conditions. Findings would provide substantial input for designing work and work rest cycle for industrial workforce.

Human head needs to be protected from any risk as multiple sensory organs are located there. Hence it is very important to design products with a high level of comfort and fit in order for the product to perform its function. With the advancement of 3D scanning facilities, it is possible to acquire highly accurate and precise surface contour which can be used for designing customized products. With the availability of wide range of 3D scanners, it is necessary to evaluate the user experience of products developed from different scanners based on their accuracy and precision in scanning. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of accuracy of three 3D scanners in product designing and evaluating user’s comfort and fit parameters for the developed products. Participants were scanned using three different 3D scanners (Artec Eva 3D scanner, Cyberware 3030 color scanner and Structure sensor scanner). A mask frame was developed from every scan and then 3D printed for evaluation. The individuals were made to evaluate the designed mask frame to understand their comfort and fit experience. Based on the responses from the participants it was found that the mask frame developed from the scan acquired from Artec Eva 3D scanner was found to be the most comfortable one and had the best fit. The scans acquired from Cyberware 3030 color scanner had missing data and was reported slightly dissatisfaction on fit. The scans from the Structure sensor lacked precision and fine details, and the frame got the lowest rating at comfort level.

A workplace with good consideration of ergonomics in the design which can prevent musculoskeletal discomfort, improve productivity and work efficiency, reduce production costs and optimize human well-being. This paper aims to summarize the research findings of six aspects of applying ergonomics principles in workplace design. This paper will answer the following questions: (1) Why should use ergonomics principles in workplace design? (2) Who should consult and consider in workplace design? (3) When should use ergonomics principles in workplace design? (4) Where should apply ergonomics in workplace design? (5) How to use ergonomics in workplace design? (6) What are the ergonomics principles in workplace design? The workplace design should consider full spectrum of users group with different physical and psychological needs. Ergonomics should be well considered in the design stage and the pre-occupant and post-occupant inspections should be used to evaluate the actual environment. The design should consider both the work and non-work area in the workplace that including the design of workstation, staff facilities, tools and work environment. Staff consultation should be organized in the design stage for collecting the opinion of the staff. A good workplace design can enhance employees' satisfaction and well-being. The environmental comfort model by Visher (2008) illustrated that there are three levels of comfort, (1) physical comfort; (2) functional comfort; and (3) psychological comfort. In addition, a good quality of environmental quality will create a higher quality of employees' work life and ultimately will have positive effect to the employee well-being and quality of life. In conclusion, ergonomic workplace design can facilitate occupational safety and health, work efficiency and employee well-being.

Pressure and distortion imposed by automatic care beds can lead to negative effects during interaction process. Motion discrepancy between human body and care bed surface causes shear as another type of risks. While relationship between structure design and risk remains unclear. To quantify design limitation and predict the feasibility of Automatic Care Bed(ACB) in lateral turning over Tasks, a virtual man-bed system was established according to two types of structures. A mannequin was modified to simulate patients of different types of figure. Eighteen subjects (6 males and 12 females) were measured by a pressure mapping system for interaction data collection. Distortion, pressure and friction caused by motion discrepancies were quantified to assessed the negative effect of existing structures of care beds. Possibility of structure redesigned is recommended to reduce pressure and distortion. Some auxiliary structures are used to relieve shear and friction.

This paper presents the methodologies and the systematic approaches of human factor ergonomics considerations in designing a Glucose Sensor device. The Glucose Sensor device is a non-invasive version of glucose sensor utilizing NIR (Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy) for medical application that provides diabetes screening as an early symptom in diagnostic. Contextual inquiry (CI) was conducted at the early stage to gather all the users' inputs and feedback and KJ Analysis was applied to prioritize the voice of customer. Hence, the customer needs could be identified as our design requirements. This study encompasses the ease of use and the usability of the Glucose Sensor device on the two main product features which are thumb module design and LCD placement. Prototypes had been developed to assess the design effectiveness and the discussion will be carried out at the end of this paper.

The compression forces on disc of spine were recommended from The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The safety level for disc compression forces during lifting object in manual material handling should less than 3,400 N. There are many studies about disc compression forces in manual material handling, but manual human handling less researched. The aim of this study is to compare L4/L5 compression forces in four manual human lifting techniques and three phases of lifting and transferring. Thirty two subjects lifted a 60±5 kilogram person in four techniques: two-handed seat carry, four-handed seat carry, Fore-and-Aft carry and Chair carry from table height 50 cm walked 9 m, rested 3-5 minutes between each technique. Lifting and transferring was divided 3 phases (origin lift, carry and destination lift). Five cameras were installed in different angle of views to record subject movement during lifting. The static mode of the University of Michigan's Three-Dimensional Static Strength Prediction Model (3DSSPP) was used to predict lumbar disc compression forces (L4/L5) in each technique during lifting. Only origin lift phase has the average maximum L4/L5 compression forces more than 3,400 N especially Two-handed seat carry and Four-handed seat carry techniques. The results of L4/L5 compression forces of manual human lifting might help to prevent lifters or authorities from back injury.

Walking is essential to our everyday lives, both socially and in our ability to perform basic everyday tasks. However, a significant number of people suffer from walking difficulties, especially people of older ages. Smart walkers are assistive devices that support independent living by extending the capabilities of four-wheeled walkers. The augmentative nature of this device means that there is a need for compatibility with the user's gait and balancing needs. This aspect has not yet been fully explored as most previous studies have focused upon the technological features of smart walkers. This paper aims to highlight and elaborate upon some of the challenges associated with developing smart walkers from an ergonomics perspective.

Background: Ergonomic hazards are the most important causes of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in aged para rubber farmers. Ergonomic management comprising working condition improvement and muscle strengthening exercise has been well-documented in terms of workers’ health benefit. However, those interventions were not adequate to sustain the advantage. Few studies have demonstrated the effect of integrating participatory ergonomic management (PEM) in Non-Weight-Bearing Exercise (NWE) and Progressive Resistance Exercise (PRE) and none has focused on aged para rubber farmers with knee osteoarthritis. This study investigated the effect of PEM-NWE, PEM-PRE and standard treatment (STG) on self-care and functional ability in the aged population.

Methods: A single-blinded, clustered randomized controlled trial was carried out. Participants (n =75) from 3 different communities in southern Thailand were randomly assigned to PEM -NWE, PEM-PRE, and STG. Self-care and functional ability (pain, stiffness, and physical function) were examined at baseline (B), during the intervention at week 5 (W5) and after its completion at week 9 (W9). Mean comparison of those outcomes overtime was made using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM).

Results: Compared to the standard treatment, the means both groups PEM-NWE and PEM-PRE were significantly increased in self-care. However, no significant difference between PEM-NWE and PEM-PRE was found.

Conclusions: Either or both interventions should be incorporated into nursing practice in order to promote occupational health and enhance quality of work life for the Thai aged farmers. The further study on their cost-effectiveness is highly recommended.

This research study aims to identify the present and probable problems of the current ultrasound workstation being used at De La Salle University - Medical Center and provide improvements and recommendation to their current workstation to increase comfort and decrease pain. The current workstation was assessed and evaluated using different ergonomic tools. Data gathered were compared with the ergonomic standards to determine if the current workstation is fit for the radiologic technologists and safe from risks and injuries. The study focused on solving the problem regarding their posture while performing the ultrasound procedure. The RULA scores were 5.43 and 4.86 for the right hand (abdomen and thyroid) and 3.43 for the left hand, which indicates that further investigation and change on the current workstation is needed soon. The Postural Analysis showed that they stretch their wrist 65% of the time, their right elbow not assisted 80% of the time, and they raise their shoulder 81% of the time. While the Nordic questionnaire, focus group discussion, and comfort survey indicated that the participants experienced pain in their body parts specifically their right wrist, right shoulder, arm, and back.

Voice interaction between users and IT devices has become possible through voice user interface. Since VUI is based on vocabulary language, the most basic form of human communication, it lowers the entry barrier for those who experience difficulty using graphic user interface (GUI) or situations where using IoT devices with tiny screen or no screen at all. User experience can be a critical marker for the development of technology, however, few academic researchers have attempted to investigate the users' speech behavior pattern when they use VUI. Therefore, this study aims to provide insight about guidelines and design feedback for the novice users through observation in their adaption process of VUI. The author investigated speech patterns of error correction through observing ‘iPhone Siri' users who have less experience on VUI. Through the 7 days Siri usage history, the speech behavior patterns of error correction were analyzed in tone (amplitude, pitch, and duration), and in sentences (sentence elements or structure) based on the Communication Accommodation Theory. The results of this study can be summarized as follow; 1) After the first error, users change their speech tone and sentences at a similar rate, 2) but, when the second error occurred, they change sentences more, 3) the speech behavior patterns after error were different depending on the types of errors and 4) the users' speech behavior patterns were changed depending on time period of use. This study has primarily focused on variation in use behavior by observing real user experience. Through demonstrating how users respond to the situations of errors, this research has practical implications for the industry as it can positively contribute to the development of VUI voice feedback design and improve user experience on VUI.

The aim of this study is to establish pedestrian experience(PX) principles of the mobility handicapped. Due to the increasing attention to the pedestrian-friendly walking environment, walkability has been studied in the various field. However, walkability has been studied mainly in terms of ease and safety of walking although the walking environment has various functional aspects to a pedestrian as well as walking. It is difficult to reflect various experiences of the pedestrian as a concept of walkability. PX is a concept that expands the walkability to mirror diverse experiences of pedestrians. PX research needs to be given priority for those who often face with discomfort during walking. To constitute PX principles, we investigated which goals the existing studies set to design a pedestrian-friendly walking environment. The PX principles were supplemented by two methods; in-depth interview with the workers who works for the mobility handicapped and diary method with the mobility handicapped. The participants of in-depth interview worked for six types of the mobility handicapped; the visually impaired, hearing impaired, mentally handicapped, physically challenged, the aged, and a child. The types of those who participated in the diary method were the hearing impaired, mentally handicapped, physically challenged. Four PX principles and eight-teen sub-principles were derived. PX principles we suggested would help to design walking environment for the pedestrian.

This study evaluated flexible display concepts (foldable, rollable, and bendable) using the strategy canvas, and determined screen sizes suitable for each of five major smartphone tasks on foldable display concepts and preferred folding methods. Before using the strategy canvas to compare design concepts, two focus group interviews were conducted. The first interview was done with four design major students and the second with four human factors engineering major students. A total of 44 evaluation criteria obtained from these interviews were comprised of advantages, disadvantages, and characteristics of each flexible display concept. Thirty three evaluation items were selected and used when five researchers independently evaluated each flexible display concepts. The means of five evaluations were used to draw the strategy canvas. The foldable display concepts were scored the highest while the rollable display concept was scored the lowest. For the preferred screen sizes and the folding methods, a small screen size was preferred for the calling task, while a medium screen size was for the search and game tasks. An outward-folded screen type was preferred over an inward-folded type for one-fold screen concepts, while a z type (outward- and inward- folded screen) was preferred among three two-fold screen concepts. Overall, the z type was the most preferred concept. These findings will help to design ergonomic foldable display products and to improve rollable design concepts.

The Philippines is considered as the BPO capital of Asia due to Filipinos ability to speak English as a second language. Because of this, BPO has become an industry that contributed to the economic growth for decades.

Since the industry that employs workers at various times of the day, particularly at nighttime, various talent management programs have been in place to attract a skilled workforce. However, in the light of attractive compensation and generous benefits – companies overlooked the important aspect of ergonomics issues in call center management such as workstation design, shiftwork and its effects and computer-related disorders. It was observed that call center work in the Philippines lacked focus on considering these factors, making talent management more diagnostic than preventive in avoiding employee burnout, thus making skilled talent move from one call center to another, or worse to another industry and making a career change for good.

This paper will provide a conceptual framework of linking ergonomics and sustaining talent in the Business Process Industry, a look at the Philippine setting. By addressing so, it will also measure the employees' productivity which resulted in the competitiveness, growth and profitability of these call centers. This paper aims to investigate the transformative nature these BPO has employed ensure they get to keep the best talent not because of the attractive compensation and benefits they offer but the level of seriousness management has placed to alleviate workplace conditions to address these ergonomic issues of shiftwork, workstation design and computer-related disorders.

Working on a computer for four to six hours a day can lead to high incidences of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Several factors of WMSDs including personal, work characteristics, work environment and stress. Several tools have been used to investigate incidences and factors affecting WMSDs. Most tools need experienced investigators to perform data collection and they have not covered risk factors. There is an Online Self-report Questionnaire on Computer Work related Exposure (OSCWE), which can assess risk factors of WMSDs. But, its internal consistency was low in some items. This study aimed to revise the OSCWE and investigate its content validity in order to use it in more general target groups. A new version of OSCWE was developed by 3 physical therapy lecturers involving teaching of ergonomics. The steps of developing comprised of reviewing literature, revising questionnaire and investigating content validity for 2 rounds by 10 specialists in ergonomic field. The items with low internal consistency were modified and add items to identify level of physical activities and work station were included. Snowball sampling and consensus methods were used. The test was performed two rounds by selecting 5-likert score of two questions of each item in OSCWE. Those questions were “Does the item correspond with the OSCWE's objective?” and “Should this item be in questionnaire?”. Descriptive analysis and Fleiss kappa were calculated for content validity in each item that correspond with the objectives and suitable to be in the new version of OSCWE. Ten specialists who validated the content had averaged years of ergonomic experience 15.3±9.04 years with ranged 5-29 years with educational qualification at doctoral degree. The new version of OSCWE was found that Kappa value of two questions in two rounds were between 0.52-0.61 when assessing all domains. The results showed moderate to substantial agreement. Moreover, Kappa values of two questions in two rounds were between 0.43-0.81 when assessing each domain. The results showed moderate to almost perfect agreement. Exceptionally, Kappa value of work environment of the second question “Should this item be in questionnaire?” of first round was 0.29 which were rated as fair agreement. The average score of each item of OSCWE was found to correspond with the objective and should be included in the questionnaire, except, the personal domain. The mode values of all Items were more than and equal to 3 score which were fair to good level. To be discussed, this questionnaire was developed from the first version of OSCWE which were used in computer workers. The first version had low internal consistency of some items. While this version tried to improve validity of those items which should be more beneficial to determine factors affecting WMSDs, physical activity level, and disorders among computer users in more general population. This study found that OSCWE questionnaire was accepted for its content validity in each item of the five domains. But, some items should be improved for more acceptability level and general use.

Medication error is the most frequent category of errors among others, according to the 2015 annual report of the Taiwan Patient-safety Reporting system (TPR). This type of errors is especially prevalent among hospital inpatients. For those inpatients treated with high-alert medications, any error in their treatments may cause serious adverse outcomes for them. The aim of this study is to review the process of high-alert medications for hospital inpatients with an emphasis on ergonomic perspective. First, a committee was formed consisting of physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and ergonomists. Then, the committee visited four medical institutes to observe their procedures of prescribing, dispensing, and administrating high-alert medications to inpatients. Next, physicians, pharmacists, and nurses in the institutes were interviewed for understanding their daily practices and related issues or problems. Finally, data collected from the observations and interviews were further discussed in the committee to identify room for further improvement in reducing errors and enhancing usability. The observations and interviews focused on the three major stages: physician order entry, pharmacy dispensing, and medication administration. In the stage of physician order entry, Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems were used in all the institutes. However, all the systems were different in terms of their functionalities, user interfaces, and databases. Issues about information display, such as the size of order entry window, use of colors and blinks, alert display, and information visualization, were pointed out for further improvement. In the stage of pharmacy dispensing, the major issues were workplace layout and physical environment. Moreover, information could be more visualized. Finally, in the stage of medication administration, multitasking was the common practice and may lead to work overload. Therefore, simplifying procedures or providing aids may improve the work quality of nurses. Furthermore, labels on the medications and the display on the administration devices could be redesigned. Many ergonomic issues were found in the process of high-alert medications for hospital inpatients. These issues could increase mental workload and/or reduce situation awareness of these healthcare practitioners, and consequently might cause errors. In this preliminary study, we identified the problems in the medication process and provided possible solutions. Further empirical research on these identified ergonomic issues in the process of high-alert medications for hospital inpatients should be worthwhile.

Nurses are well-known for their dedication to hard work, performing multiple roles of nurse, manager, partner, parent and so on. To promote their work and life satisfaction, this study examined the interactive effects positive spillover (PSP), negative spillover (NSP), compensation (COM) and segmentation (SEG) caused on the interfaces between multiple roles and work and life satisfaction. In 2015, we collected a total of 910 valid data (male=118 female=792) using the academic online survey service. Questionnaire was composed of the work and life satisfaction items, the Multiple Roles Map (MRM) Questionnaire and demographic items. A logistic regression analysis (LRA) supported the significant relationship between predictor and outcomes and led to five conclusions; (1) The NSP effects were more strongly associated with higher work satisfaction than the PSP effects among male nurses, (2) The PSP effects were more strongly connected with work satisfaction than the NSP effects among female nurses. (3) The male nurses coped with negative events in family and private roles by positive events in nurse role. (4) The female nurses compensated the negative events in nurse roles by positive events in family and private roles. (5) Enrichment of the manager role among male nurses and that of the partner role among female nurses will be meaningful to promote their work and life satisfaction.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have posed a global impact (and concern, therefore) on both individuals' health and industries. In India majority (92%) of the total workforce are in the informal economy, also referred to as the unorganized sector in the country. Among the unorganized sector stone polishing is one where a large number of workers are involved and quite prone to various injuries and accidents. Thirty (30) male stone polishing workers were randomly selected from the Guwahati city of Assam. A modified Nordic questionnaire was used for exploring and assessing their pattern and duration of work, job stress and postural discomfort. The analysis of different working postures of the stone polishing workers was carried out using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method. The commonness of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck, shoulder, back and knees were found to be very high among the stone polishing workers which may result in a significant number of complaints or injuries in the future. The grand score of REBA has been found high which indicated that the postural load of the workers is prone to develop musculoskeletal problems.

Wearing virtual reality glasses are likely to cause visual fatigue and simulator sickness. In this research, effects of controller and body postures on simulator sickness and visual fatigue are studied by conducting experiments. 32 participants were asked to finish a series tasks while wearing virtual reality glasses. They were asked to fill in questionnaires before and after each experiment to measure visual fatigue and simulator sickness. As a result, participants in standing postures have more severe symptoms of visual fatigue than in sitting postures. And participants who use traditional controllers have more severe symptoms of visual fatigue and simulator sickness than those who use head-movement controller. The result may be useful in design of the interaction of virtual reality glasses.

Neck pain is one of main health problems of office workers. They work with computers in the same position for long period of time. Previous studies show the prevalence of neck pain (45.5%) in office workers. This can lead to direct and indirect costs of health care. It is essential to develop predictors for preventing people from neck pain. Previous studies show that musculoskeletal disorders are related to physical fitness level. Many factors in physical fitness can predict the incident of musculoskeletal disorders.There is still few studies which are specific to neck pain and physical fitness. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate the relation between physical fitness level and prevalence of neck pain in office workers. A preliminary cross-sectional survey study included office workers who work in Faculty of physical therapy, Mahidol University. Participants were advertised with information and advantages of the study. The total of participants in this study were 18 office workers (10 females and 8 males). The test-retest reliability (ICC) of physical fitness tests were between 0.52-0.99. Physical fitness of participants were measured in five domains including 1) range of motion, 2) neck endurance, 3) strengthening of deep neck flexor muscle, 4) grip strength and 5) cardiorespiratory fitness by using cervical range of motion goniometer, neck flexor endurance test, neck flexor strength test by a pressure biofeedback, a hand grip dynamometer and three minutes step test, respectively. Compared the results which norms, subjects can be classified into normal group and below normal group. The Thai version of the modified neck disability index was used for examine the prevalence of neck pain. The neck disability scores were calculated, participants with the score more than 20% of full score were included in neck pain group. Statistic analysis analyzed by SPSS version 20.0. Intraclass correlation coefficient was calculated for test-retest reliability. Descriptive statistics showed that neck strength, neck endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness and range of neck flexion in participants with normal physical fitness level tend to have less prevalence of neck pain than that of participants with below normal physical fitness level.

The aim of this study was to determine PA, sitting time at work and WMSDs in computer workers. We conducted a preliminary cross-sectional study in twenty-one computer workers. Participants age were between 22 to 45 years and were also excluded if they could not stand at work. The online Self-Report Questionnaire on Computer Work-related Expose (OSCWE) was used to assess symptoms of WMSDs during the last 12 months and sitting time at work. Thai Physical Activity Guideline (TPAG) questionnaire was also used to determine physical activity levels and calculate energy expenditure. Twenty-one participants completed the questionnaires. Twenty-eight percent of participants had neck and shoulder WMSDs. Twenty-three percent of participants had PA in level 1 and level 3 defined by TPAG. Energy expenditure of PA and sitting time at work for participants without WMSDs were 1431.48±1721.17 kcal/week and 5.94±1.91 hr/day, respectively. While the above parameters in the WMSDs group were 1324.52±1125.64 kcal/week and 6.83±2.05 hr/day, respectively. Participants without WMSDs had more PA and less sitting time at work than ones who had WMSDs. Although, participants had less PA and more sitting time at work also tended to have WMSDs. Future study should increase the number of subjects to explore the relationship between PA, sitting time at work and WMSDs. Decreasing sitting time at work can also prevent WMSDs in computer workers. Therefore, PA and sitting time at work should be concerned in workplaces.

It is known that worker's performance is related with several factors such as working postures and environmental factors. This study aims to attract attention to the importance of quantifying and assessing factors in a home appliance manufacturing facility. Twenty five assembly line workers are asked to assess environmental conditions and fill out Cornell discomfort survey based on the tasks they perform. Then, video records are analyzed to identify working postures by use of OWAS. Statistical analysis are made to identify whether the factors have a significant effect on the tasks performed or not.

Brazil is the world's leading poultry meat exporter since 2004. The poultry slaughtering workers are exposed to risk factors for work-related upper limb musculoskeletal disorders, such as repetitiveness, high frequency of technical actions, forceful exertions, inadequate posture, insufficient time for recovery, use of tools and exposure to cold temperatures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the risks associated with the repetitive movements of upper limbs in different tasks performed in a poultry slaughterhouse. In the poultry slaughterhouse 1,200 workers slaughtered 100,000 chickens per day during two work shifts. Ten percent of the company's employees were evaluated during the execution of work tasks, using the OCRA Checklist method. Each worker was filmed for a period of 5 minutes. The Student t-test (SPSS 17.0) was used, adopting p≤0.05, in order to compare the risk variable between the sides of the body. The 30 work activities analyzed were from the following sectors: packing (n=12); cutting (n=11); evisceration (n=3); reception (n=2); chiller (n=1); and freezing tunnels (n=1). The average of occupational repetitive actions performed by poultry workers was 64.4±16.1 per minute, representing 9 points in the OCRA's scale (0 to 10 points scale). The average score of OCRA's checklist of all the workstations analyzed was 22.7±5.6 points (moderate risk). The Checklist scores for the right upper limbs (average 22.5 - moderate risk) were significantly higher (p = 0.033) than the left upper limbs (mean of 21.7 - moderate risk), representing a higher risk for the right side of the body. Considering the five risk categories proposed by the OCRA Method, 11 work tasks (37%) were considered high risk, and 19 (63%) presented moderate risk. It is concluded that the majority of the slaughterhouse workers were vulnerable to ergonomic hazards by repetitive movements and to a greater probability of developing upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (>21.5% probability for high risk and 10.8 to 21.5% for moderate risk).

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are considered to be a major occupational health problem and also affecting quality of work life, medical costs, efficiency at work and productivity in most workplaces. Industrial workers have been identified as high risk for developing MSDs. The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence and to identify the potential risk hazards on musculoskeletal discomfort occurrence among electronic workers in Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was completed by 321 electronic workers in all departments in a large electronic factory. Data were collected using questionnaires including demographical-occupational data and self-reported musculoskeletal discomfort. Descriptive and binary logistic regression statistics were used to identify ergonomic hazards of reported musculoskeletal discomfort.

Most workers were men (71.40%) with average age of 32.09 years (S.D. = 8.38), and had experience in this factory for 7.76 years (S.D. = 8.20). 76.80% of electronic workers self-reported work-related musculoskeletal discomforts in at least one body part. The most three high prevalence were found at low back (51.4%), followed by lower leg (50%) and shoulder (44%). The workers reported usually working time in a standing posture (74.15%) with average 52.06 minute (S.D. = 2.64). It has been also found that manual material handling was a common task (86.90%) with average weight 8.33 kg. (S.D. = 7.13). Binary logistic regression showed that standing posture (OR=3.75; 95% CI 1.84 to 16.66) was significantly associated with musculoskeletal discomfort (p<0.05).

The prevalence of MSDs among workers in this study is found high. The study revealed that prolonged standing has led to musculoskeletal discomfort among electronics workers, especially in the lower back and lower leg regions. Therefore, work re-design should provide short breaks every hour and muscular stretching to reduce MSDs. Improvement of working condition is recommended in the study to prevent high risk activities at specific complained body parts

Work in the automotive assembly plant is physically strenuous and assembly team members are particularly at risk for developing symptoms of musculoskeletal discomforts (MSDs) compared to other sectors. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of musculoskeletal discomforts based on the frequency, severity and performance interference among production assembly team members in an automotive component assembly plant. A cross-sectional study was carried out among the production assembly team members who performed manual assembly welding task. The Cornell Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (CMDQ) data sheets were used in interview with the assembly team members to obtain the prevalence of MSDs. The prevalence of pain in the upper back, lower back, right shoulder and right wrist have been reported to be higher in comparison with pain in other parts of the body. The current study identified the severe musculoskeletal discomfort allies with production assembly line. Assembly team member's lines 4 were reported high mean frequency discomfort, severely discomfort and interfered assembling task performance. It has been discovered; nonetheless, that assembly team member's assembling task performance has interfered with lower back pain. MSD's survey appeared to be very helpful to screen the production assembly team member's health,well-being and performance. The results are also useful for assessing the ergonomics risks factors in the future study.

A console of a submarine is a collection of user interfaces composed of control devices and two vertically installed displays. Since console operators receive most visual information from these displays for a long time, it may cause musculoskeletal disorders and psychological discomfort if the screen is not in the right position. Therefore, the aim of this study is to derive optimal design values for the position and tilting angle of displays. We identified the environmental constraints of control room and the visual angle of the operators. In addition, we considered the physical characteristics of target user population. Thus, we used anthropometric data of Korean males aged from 20s to 30s, who are representative user segments that operates the console. Tasks were divided into ‘direction’ tasks that operators usually perform, and ‘detection’ tasks, which should be performed in case of emergencies. The variables of monitor height, maximum vertical height, work surface height, eye height, and distance between eye and monitor were selected, and conditional equations were established with consideration of design factors and environmental constraints. With these equations, the optimal value was derived through a GRG (Generalized Reduced Gradient) method. After, we evaluated the appropriateness of the proposed optimal values with a full-scale mockup of a console. 10 ergonomics experts conducted usability test, and reaction time (RT) as well as electromyography (EMG) activity of the cervical vertebral were measured during the experiment. As a result, participants reacted within a fairly short time with little fatigue on the cervical vertebral. Overall, we successfully suggested the optimal ranges of tilting angles for two vertically arranged monitors while considering context-of-use, anthropometric characteristics of South Koreans, and human visual characteristics.

The paper attempts to highlight indigenous Jugaad practices of the people of villages in India. Jugaad has played an important role in solving problems. The style of innovations is defined by the kind of resource available and the availability of optional resources. It also outlines some conventional techniques and tools that are essentially found in the rural part of India. The paper presents two broad areas of product innovation in villages and towns of India. One being the design innovation and the other being the bare necessity of functional expectation for the masses. It includes a classification of these local innovations termed as Jugaad according to the type whether incremental, modular, architectural or radical. The innovation in India originated many centuries ago from the time of Indus valley civilization. Villages and towns remained distant to the available technology which is more enjoyed in the urban areas in terms of sharing the benefits of laboratory advancements of technology and innovations. Study of some Jugaad products such as knife, lamps etc. provide origin and evolution of Jugaad products. It also presents the different categories of product with regards to functionality technique and resources used. Jugaad innovators sense and respond to the social and environmental changes. The financial constraints, absence of need of procuring certification & validity, lack of cut throat competitions among other factors put an easier and simpler route of execution of Jugaad ideas. Jugaad presents creativity in its blatant and crude form. Jugaad innovations consider the affordability of the product or services in terms of the low earning villagers and towners. Being indigenous in nature such innovations are cheaper and exhibit less dependence on expensive resources. People with sufficient higher spending power often purchase branded products ranging from agriculture to household utility furniture. Much of village population depends on their livelihood they earn from agriculture. Agriculture is the main occupation in most rural part of India. Which indicates that most villages continue to flourish with their indigenous tools and techniques. However increased migration may potentially disturb the practice of indigenous innovations to some extent.

In recent years, due to the enforcement of the discrimination method for disabled discrimination (2016/4), reasonable consideration is required for handicapped people of Japanese universities. However, at present, many colleges, especially science universities like Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT), are not being promoted rational consideration such as maintenance. In addition, foreign students who are on an increasing trend in recent years are also required to establish their acceptance system and school support system. Therefore, this research aimed at universities that are easy for all people to use, based on the subject of our research, we conducted research on the ease of use of KIT, mainly for disabled students and foreign students.

Drivers must be able to focus on the real-time information of the traffic environment and make suitable changes according to the information received while driving. This process involves in an important cognitive function -cognitive flexibility, which is defined as the ability to modify previously behavior following changes that alter the outcome of that behavior. However, this ability may be easily altered when exposed to acute stress, especially for novice drivers. The literature regarding how acute stress influences cognitive flexibility function and the underlying cognitive neural mechanism in novice driver are scarce. Due to the high time resolution, the present study aimed to adopt the event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the answer to this question. A total of 39 healthy novice drivers were recruited to participate our experiment. They were required to conduct a task-switching task under stress or control conditions, which were induced by the Trier Social Stress Task (TSST) or control procedure. Positive affect and negative affect schedule (PANAS) was used to assess stress reactivity throughout the experiment. The results showed that a higher negative affect in the stress condition compared to the control condition, indicating a successful stress induction. The behavioral results showed that the stress group had a trend for longer response time than the control group. The ERP results revealed that the control group had a reduce P1 and less positive N1 amplitude in the switch trials than the non-switch trials, but this effect was missing in the stress group. These results indicated that acute stress impaired cognitive flexibility function both on the behavioral performance and cognitive neural mechanism. This study contributed to the expanding theoretical base of understanding the cognitive neural mechanism behind acute stress influencing cognitive flexibility. These findings also have implications for the safe driving habits of novice drivers and for traffic administrators when deciding the responsibility for traffic accidents.

The aim of this study is to examine the physical ergonomic conditions of the operating rooms and to evaluate the risk factors in the hospitals of IIzmir. This study was descriptive and cross-sectional design. The research was conducted in a total of 58 operating rooms of a university and eight hospitals of the health ministry. In the study, the data were collected by using the form of the ergonomic conditions and risk factors in the operating room by the researcher through observation in the operating theater rooms and face to face with the head nurses in the operating room. None of the operating rooms included in the study have a surgical smoke evacuation system (n: 58). At the same time, 5.2% of the operating rooms (n:3) do not have an evacuation system for anesthetic gases. The average hourly air changes of the operating rooms are 29.27 ± 4.40 times, all of which are open air. The average temperature of the operating rooms was found to be 20.29 ± 2.09°C and the average humidity was found to be 36.48 ± 14.40%. The noise level in the operating rooms (n: 58) included in the study was found to be 54.29 ± 7.85 dB (A). During the operation, 29.3% of the operating rooms do not have high stools used for the purpose of allowing the health personnel to rest for a short period of time. At the same time, there is no pressure absorbing mat in any operating room. No special equipment is available at any hospital for conditions such as transporting / lifting patients in operating rooms. As a result of the study, it has been found that the operating rooms which are evaluated as a result are inadequate in terms of physical and ergonomic conditions, such as surgical and anesthetic gas evacuation system, noise level in the operating room, equipment used for operations such as patient handling / lifting, high stool-pressure absorbing mat. It is important to improve the working health of the operating rooms that are inadequate in terms of physical ergonomic conditions.

Physical inactivity is revealed as the global health problem that contributes to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). High technological developments including smart phones or computers can cause of increased sedentary work and decreased leisure time of activities in healthy adults particularly in office workers. Sitting at desk or computer is routine in office workers. They did not require moderate or high physical workload. These caused of physical inactivity in office workers. Therefore, the facilitating factors or barriers related to physical activity (PA) participation should be identified. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of PA and to determine the facilitating factors and barriers associated to PA participation in office workers. Two study design were conducted: cross sectional survey and qualitative research. First, PA was collected by Thai version of short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). The participants were classified into high and low level of PA. Second, the facilitating factors and barriers of individual and environmental perspectives associated to PA participation in each level of PA were determined for 15-30 minutes. Data were analyzed by the descriptive statistics and content analysis. Our results found 18 of 22 office workers completed the IPAQ. Their mean ages were 32.61±4.62 years and spent 1585.89±1140.74 MET-min/wk. Of 18 office workers, 2 from low PA and 4 from moderate to high PA participated the in-depth interview. The health appearances and facilities could facilitate them to participate PA while lack of time and motivation were identified as the barriers. Our findings indicated the factors influenced on PA participation, therefore, it useful for planning the new strategy of PA promotion.

The effect of target contrast on saccadic latency and amplitude was investigated. Participants were asked to gaze the visual targets presented randomly with different contrast and direction, while their saccadic eye movement data were collected as EOG signals. As a result, saccadic latency was affected by target contrast within the limited range regardless of the direction of saccadic movements, and saccadic amplitude was not affected by target contrast. The results partially indicated that the potential use of appropriate contrast can be designed as indices for changing the characteristics of saccadic movements.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Thai dancing on the median neural tension, chronaxy, sensory response and grip strength in subjects associated with early stage work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Method: Thirteen computer users with early stage WMSDs voluntarily participated in the single group pre-post designed study. The neural tension of median nerve was measured via an elbow extension range of motion. Chronaxies from strength-duration curve test, the minimum time necessary to excite nerve tissue to stimulate a muscle was measured by electrical stimulator. The tested muscle was the flexor superficial digitorum muscle which was a representative muscle innervated by median nerve. The sensational response was assessed by using Semmes-Weinstein monofilament test. Muscle power from the grip strength test was also examined. All tests were performed prior to and immediately after Thai dancing (10 min). The Thai dancing program comprised of 6 basic Thai dancing movements viz. Prom See Na, Yong Fon Hang, Lor Kaew, Cha Nee Raimai, Ram Yua and Sod Soy Mala consisting of a combination of dance approximately 5-40 times for each movement, in a total of 5 min of dance. The participants were asked to follow the dance provided via clip video by having a first 5 min of practice and another 5 min of true dancing. Result: There were a significant decrease of neural tension (p<0.02) and chronaxy before and after Thai dancing (p < 0.05) and an increase of power grip strength. While the sensory responses before and after Thai dancing were not significantly changed by using the Wilcoxon signed rank test (p > 0.05) The decrease of neural tension (higher degree of elbow extension) and chronaxy and the subsequent increase of power grip strength indicated an improvement of physiological response of median nerve when the neural tension was decreased. Conclusion: The subjected using the computers for a long period could develop median neural tension. This study found Thai dancing could help by reducing the neural tension and improve the nerve functions such as sensation, muscle power, and chronaxy value. Therefore, Thai dancing for 10 min could be beneficial for the people suffering from the early stage WMSDs especially for computer users.

Background: Though curved display products such as curved monitors, TVs, and smartphones are available, it seems still inconclusive whether or not curved display is ergonomically advantageous over flat display, and if so in terms of what ergonomic aspects. To examine a visual display comprehensively, three aspects, productivity, safety, and well-being, should be considered. Objective: We aimed to determine whether or not display curvature is ergonomically recommendable, especially for monitors and TVs. Methods: Overall, we examined the effect of display curvature on visual task performance, visual fatigue, and/or watching experience by conducting three different studies. In Study 1, we examined the effect of display curvature (400R, 600R, 1200R, and flat) on visual task performance and visual fatigue. A visual search task was performed on 50" multi-monitors. In Study 2, we examined the effect of display curvature (600R, 1140R, 2000R, 4000R, and flat) on visual task performance, visual fatigue, and display satisfaction. A proofreading task was performed on 27" monitors. In Study 3, we examined the effect of display curvature (2300R, 4000R, 6000R, and flat) on presence and display satisfaction. A TV watching task was done on 55" TVs. Results: First, curved displays increased productivity. The mean visual search accuracy and speed were both higher at the 50" 600R and 1200R multi-monitor settings, and the mean proofreading speed was the fastest at the 27" 600R curved monitor setting. Second, curved displays increased safety. The mean visual fatigue was lower at the 50" 600R and 1200R multi-monitor settings. However, the effect of display curvature on visual fatigue was not significant in the case of the 27" monitors. Third, curved displays improved well-being. Compared to the 55" flat TV, the mean spatial presence and engagement did not significantly decrease up to a more lateral viewing position especially when the display curvature was similar to the viewing distance. The effect of display curvature on display satisfaction was, however, not significant in Studies 2 and 3. Applications: The findings of three studies suggest that display curvature, if its level is carefully selected, can improve monitors and TVs in terms of productivity, safety, and/or well-being.

Technologies have become an inseparable part of our life. The benefits of technology have impacted every aspect of our daily life: from education, entertainment, transportation to communication. It has become very difficult for most people to go through the day without technology such as computers and cell phones. One example of technology that is very widely used by all kinds of people is smartphones. The number of smartphone users increases every year. Smartphones are not only used by teenagers and adults, but also by kids and elderly people. The use of smartphones is not limited to communication only, but also has extended to social media, online shop and games. Nowadays, elderly people wish to use their smartphones regularly to communicate and socialize with their family and friends. However, using a smartphone is still not an easy thing to do for some elderly people. Using a launcher can assist elderly people and enhance their experience when interacting with smartphones. Android has several launchers that are specially designed for elderly people, such as Big, Necta and Wiser, which can be used in every smartphone type. Yet, the usability of these launchers is still to be evaluated. Our research aims to develop a usable Android launcher to help elderly people in Indonesia use smartphones more effectively and efficiently in their daily lives. Through usability testing, we evaluated three existing Android launchers (Big, Necta and Wiser) to measure how far the usability criteria have been met and to identify other needs yet to be accommodated. Nine elderly people who use smartphones on a regular basis were involved as participants. To measure the usability of the launchers, five usability criteria were used: effectiveness, efficiency, satisfaction, usefulness, and learnability. We administered the System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaire and an interview to gain insights on user experience when using the launchers. The usability testing of three existing launchers showed that the effectiveness (percentage of participants' success to complete the tasks under the standard time) of Big is 1.85%, Necta is 1.85%, Wiser is 11.1%, and the efficiency (percentage of participant's success to complete the tasks without error) of Big is 22%, Necta is 28%, and Wiser is 24%. The SUS scores for all three launchers tested were below the acceptable standard, namely 49.72 (Big), 66.38 (Necta), and 51.11 (Wiser). Based on the usability tests and the interviews, we managed to identify 24 user's needs to be accommodated. We developed and further prototyped an Android launcher for elderly people in Indonesia. The usability evaluation on the newly developed launcher showed that the effectiveness increases to 42.5%, the efficiency increases to 65%, and also the SUS score rises to 69.17. Overall, the new Android launcher developed in this research has shown to be more usable since it has reached a higher usability level than the other three existing launchers. This new and usable launcher is expected to provide help for elderly people in Indonesia when using their Android smartphones so they can experience a more effective and efficient interaction.

Nowadays, banner ads have been widely used to advertise various products and services as it generates huge revenues for website owners and became the most popular marketing tool of businesses. However, research shows that these banner ads are often overlooked by users which undermine the main purpose of the advertisement. A previous study determined the optimal banner ad location in order to achieve higher memory retention rate of banner ads using three factors. The factors included were banner ad location (top left, top center, top right, bottom left, bottom center, bottom right), banner ad format (leaderboard, rectangular) and user's gender (male, female). The determined optimal banner ad location was then compared to user's location preference which was quantified using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The previous study concluded that the top center is the optimal location to achieve higher memory retention rate considering the user location preference. This study used the top center as a constant location factor in order to determine the optimal banner location considering the animation speed and user's gender. The study followed a general factorial design of 4 x 2 general factorial design with six replicates corresponding to the animation speed (static, slow, medium, fast) and user's gender (male, female). A total of 48 respondents (24 male, 24 female) participated in the experiment. The memory retention was quantified using the recall and recognition test score for the product and brand name. The Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed that both the animation speed and gender are significant in terms of memory retention on the product while only the animation speed is significant on the memory retention on the brand name. Moreover, the Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) method was used for multiple comparisons of the factors. Results showed that the fast animation speed is significantly different than the other levels and has the highest mean memory score. Furthermore, scores of males showed significantly higher memory scores than females.

The aim of the study is to test the effects of smartphone width on touch performances in order to investigate the appropriate size of smartphone for one-handed interaction. We used four different width level for the experiment, which were 67mm, 70mm, 72mm, and 74mm. Participants were asked to perform tapping task. We measured two touch performances, success rate and task completion time. The success rate of 67mm device was higher than that of other devices. We confirmed that this results come from the poor performances at marginal screen area. However, task completion time of 67mm device was unexpectedly poor than that of other devices.

Touchscreens have been used for human-machine interactions in vehicle for years; researchers paid more attention to using touchscreen displays when driving was the primary task and the driving performance was the main concern. However, it is not legal to operate touchscreen devices while driving in most of modern countries. On the other hand, a driver may occasionally control in-vehicle systems through touch or even gestural operations on the touch display. The situation is becoming more and more popular and worthwhile further study. The current study investigated three different installations of a multi-touch screen in vehicle at high (around the driver's eye height in sitting), middle (around the height of the driver's shoulder) and low (around the height of the driver's waist) positions. Twenty-seven voluntary participants (aged 23.93±0.68 years old) were recruited to perform single-touch and gestural operations in a simulated car cabin. Their performance in accuracy for the two experimental tasks and subjective responses regarding difficulty, fatigue and preferences of the task and interfaces were recorded. The results of the study showed that, regardless of the single-touch target clicking task or the multitouch target fitting task, the averaged errors over all target positions were the least for the middle installation and were the highest for the low installation. When user performance for different target sizes was compared in the gestural operations, participants tended to deviate more when the target size was small (100-pixel diameter) but manipulated the size more accurately when it was big (200-pixel diameter). The subjective evaluation through questionnaires showed that participants preferred the middle installation. The high installation was considered more difficult and caused greater fatigue on right neck, shoulder, upper extremities, wrist, and thumb belly areas. Based on the results of the current study, the middle installation is recommended for its higher accuracy and less fatigue. The upper installation, despite being recommended by other literature, caused greater errors, higher difficulty and fatigue, resulting the least preference. The difficulty and fatigue was not revealed for the lower installation, but it caused lower accuracy in gestural operations. This study could contribute to future design of in-vehicle touch interfaces in that the accuracy of single-touch and multi-touch tasks may be improved by installing the touchscreen at a middle height (around shoulder level). Future studies may consider verifying experiments in an interface simulating real in-vehicle information systems and increasing the number of data collected so that the result can be more applicable in reality.

Metro Manila has the worst traffic situation in the world, according to the GPS-based application Waze. Moreover, three out of ten Filipinos say that commuting is the worst part of their day, citing traffic congestion and crowded transportation as their top reasons. One of the solutions introduced by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) to decongest traffic congestion is the point-to-point (P2P) bus service. Using the P2P bus allows shorter travel time due to fixed schedule of departure and absence of intermediate stops between two terminals. The service claims a more convenient travel with enhanced passenger experience to attract private-vehicle owners to use public transportation. Although travel time is shortened, average commute time of P2P buses still takes up to two hours. Sitting for a long period of time has an adverse effect in the health. Hence, there is a need to evaluate whether P2P bus seats fit the Filipino anthropometry and assess if these buses conform to standards of environmental conditions as they were manufactured in other countries. The ergonomic evaluation of P2P buses was conducted through quantitative and qualitative assessments: (1) measuring bus seat dimensions and comparing them with the corresponding adult Filipino anthropometric measurements, and (2) measuring environmental factors: temperature, illumination, and sound level and comparing them with standards (3) conducting surveys among passengers regarding their personal experience and preference of P2P buses. The P2P Bus service operators currently utilize a total of eleven (11) bus models; all of which were evaluated in the study. None of the bus models completely conform to all of the critical Filipino anthropometric measurements. Only four buses have collected illumination level within the acceptable values of greater than 107.6 lux. The collected mean sound levels on all buses conform to the standards of less than 100 to 110 dB. Seven (7) out of the eleven (11) buses, have temperatures that conform to the allowable range of 19 ⁰C to 26 ⁰C. A total of two hundred nine (209) P2P bus passengers, 19 samples for each of the 11 buses, were asked to participate in the survey. Results of the survey were consistent with the quantitative assessment; non-conformance to anthropometric measurements was reflected on the problems identified by the passengers. One hundred thirteen (113) out of the 209 passengers said that they are fully satisfied with the overall comfort of the buses. Overall rating of the bus models revealed that only three (3) bus designs were rated ‘good'. This shows that the buses currently being used have much to improve. This study can be used by bus manufacturers to improve design for buses and provide bus operators significant guidance in ensuring the P2P system's safety, comfort, and convenience that Filipino commuters deserve.

Recently, articles on issues to do with priority seats have been trending on the Internet. We investigated whether the idea of “priority” that is put forward really is something that can protect the people who need priority seats. In a field survey, we took a photo of people sitting in priority seats and observed their actions. One third of them were using a smartphone. Here we put forward three hypotheses to ensure that priority seats go to those who need them. The first is “exclusive seats,” in which only people who need the priority seats can use them. The second is “to install stickers to indicate which people are not allowed to use priority seats.” The third is “to install a handrail that reacts to the right user’s fingerprint.” We thought about the future potential of these hypotheses. Whatever the case, we must be aware of the concept of “priority + α.”

The automobile is an extremely convenient form of transport and has contributed significantly to the advancement of society, but the spread of cars has also brought social problems such as reduced safety (traffic accidents), traffic congestion, and increased fuel consumption. In recent years, there have been expectations that self-driving technology can resolve these issues, and not only automotive manufacturers but also various IT firms in the US and Europe such as Google and Apple are racing ahead with their initiatives. However, little research has been conducted on how passengers feel about this kind of automated control.

In the experiment reported in this paper, three scenarios were selected from a collection named “Scenarios that make drivers feel anxious,” which had been extracted from a questionnaire with a large number of respondents. The three scenarios were “A. Merging traffic,” “B. Vehicle ahead braking suddenly,” and “C. Curves.” Two of the components (“Distance to other vehicles” and “Speed of vehicle”) were used as variables in a driving test performed using an autonomous vehicle simulator. The level of anxiety and whether or not it was acceptable were recorded for each variable using a questionnaire. A model was created for the relationship between the aforementioned variables and the sense of anxiety felt by individuals, and an “acceptable value” was computed in the form of “A distance (speed) of up to X is acceptable.”

This study aims to validate a product design model using the concept of pre-purchase affect in a case study of car design in the Philippines. It is hypothesized that car attributes related to form can explain the experience of intense emotion in the car buying process and that this experience influence purchase intention. A field study was conducted in car dealerships of four car companies in the Philippines. A total of 103 samples were gathered consisting mostly of expert car buyers. Results of the study indicated that affective responses of consumers are triggered by both product form and function. However, more variables related to product form can explain the intensity of PPA such as shape and dimension. Intense experience of affect triggered a greater chance of purchasing the product.

In recent years, kansei engineering has become crucial in industrial fields. It works as a new value axis that differs from such conventional ones as functionality and price that have served as competitiveness sources in manufacturing. Based on the vast growth in the apparel industry and greater customer awareness and intelligent observation of various products, such a conventional value axis as functionality and price is insufficient to satisfy customer's needs. It is now crucial to study consumers' kansei or emotional values and build it within products. Kawaii value is one critical Kansei value in Japan. It is a Japanese word that is translated into English as cute, lovely, or adorable. However, it has a deeper meaning since it also represents an element of Japanese culture and not just a word with a single meaning. This research aims to define kawaii from Saudi women's perspective and identify the desired key emotional values for Saudi women and their importance compared to kawaii value. Using a qualitative research approach, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted and the grounded theory approach was used to analyze the data. Kawaii from Saudi women's perspective was defined and Saudi women's adaptation for kawaii value was clarified. The results showed that kawaii is not a critical value for Saudi women, however chic, elegance, and luxury are crucial desired emotional values for Saudi women.

Approaches and methods used in the design research process have been discussed over the years. Yet, most of the discussions did not take into account the perceptions of the students. While a fundamental understanding of design research may assist students in the real world, those students may fail to apply the foundations to a complex design problem or only use those methods they feel comfortable with and deem useful. To offer insight on this particular area, a paper questionnaire was distributed to more than one hundred design students in order to understand students' perceptions on design research and their habits. Findings showed that design students felt that research was important to their design process and they spent more than 40% of time on researching in their design process. In general, students believe that more research is necessary at the beginning of the design process, such as the stages of planning, defining problem and parameters. In addition, undergraduate and graduate students viewed various research methods in different regards. The understanding of the perceptions of current undergraduate and graduate students regarding design research will provide teachers with a better understanding of the influence of the students' background on the design process and how to cope with those influences. The results can be used to improve the design education.

Pineapple growing is one of the most aggressive agricultural activities and worker protection is a considerable technical challenge. Previous studies point to the lack of efficacy of personal protective equipment (PPE) usually used by workers to protect themselves against accidents with poisonous animals and punctures by pointed leaves, particularly on harvesting activities. In view of these results, this study proposes a two-phase approach. First, a set of PPEs commonly used by rural workers was experimentally evaluated for its effectiveness in protecting workers against real venomous snake attacks. Four sets of PPEs were tested, including shoes and protective gloves, leggings and over sleeves, each set with three different models. The PPE that passed the real attack tests were then evaluated by a group of workers in real use situations, according to qualitative criteria, including comfort and usability. The results of the experimental evaluation showed that only 5 models were effective in protecting the workers against snake attacks, including one shoe model, two models of leggings and two models of gloves. The usability analysis of these PPE revealed that some of them were considered uncomfortable, not effective and obstructive. The next phase of this study relies on the results of the first phase and aims the conception, design and fabrication of a PPE set for the activity of growing pineapples. To generate the design parameters, it will be used an approach based on ergonomic work analysis and conventional design methods, with an emphasis on the QFD method. It is expected that the new set of PPEs will effectively protect the workers and facilitate, or at least not interfere adversely with task execution.

The objective of the current study was to examine the effects of display curvature on smart watch touch interaction. A total of 36 younger individuals with the mean (SD) age of 22.2 (3.3) yrs were divided into three groups according to the length of their dominant hand. Each hand-size group was comprised of 12 individuals. Two smart watches were used, one with a flat display and the other with a curved display. To evaluate touch interaction, two types of touch gesture (short and long touches) and four types of swiping gesture (upward, downward, leftward, and rightward swiping) were considered. The flat display smart watch provided better touch and swiping feels during upward and downward swiping, higher swiping satisfaction with respect to touch, swiping, and gap feels, and higher overall touch interaction satisfaction with respect to touch and swiping gestures. The curved display smart watch provided more errors during leftward and downward swiping. Touch and swiping feels during upward and downward swiping were more influenced by display curvature. In the case of the smart watch display that is curved along the wrist, the index finger appeared to lose contact with the touch screen earlier than intended during upward and downward swiping.

The aim of this study is to identify human factor issues related to the shared control system. With the rapid development of machine and robot technology, an enormous number of system introduces the human-machine cooperation to reduce physical and psychological workload. In the shared control system, which is one type of the human-machine cooperation, the machine agent senses the environment and then autonomously takes the initiative to choose its activity responding to the environment. There are many human factor issues in this kind of system. However, most of the research on the shared control system is focused on the performance improvement of the machine, not on human factor issues. Literature review was conducted to collect and understand the academic literature that containing information about the shared control system. The topic varies from defining the shared control system to evaluating the system. Collected problems and guidelines are classified from the perspective of the human agent. Control authority, trust, workload and performance are frequently appeared issues. In addition, it is found that there are relationships between issues. By considering the derived human factor issues in the system design step, it is possible to develop more effective the shared control system. The result of this study can be applied to other types of human-machine cooperation system.

The size of smartphones has been increasing and many users find them inconvenient to operate. When a user touches an icon that is located on the side away from their hand, at the bottom of the panel, or close to their hand, they may have to stretch, abduct, or bend their thumb, causing discomfort. The situation is extreme when the user inputs letters because the keys are small. By using an accessory such as a ring or hand strap, a user can hold a smartphone in a different posture compared to that used without an accessory so as to operate the smartphone more easily. This study investigates the effectiveness of a rubber-band accessory by measuring the IP-joint and CM-joint angles when a subject touches four keys located at the corners of a Japanese keypad.

Haptic textures can be used as a haptic cue to help users choose the correct buttons. However, the images of the button's function created by touching a haptic texture depends on factors such as the user's knowledge, experience, context, etc. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the characteristics of anisotropic haptic textures used on the surface of paired buttons through an experiment. In the experiment, we used shark skin as an anisotropic material for the buttons. The riblet grooves on the shark skin are aligned from head to fluke; thus, most people would feel the strongest friction by rubbing the surface of the shark's flank skin toward the direction of the fluke.Therefore, wedefined the direction from head to fluke as the directional criteria of the shark skin. To measure the objective and subjective frictional force of the shark skin, a rubbing tester and the forefinger of the dominant hand of 30 young individuals were used. All participants pointed out that they felt the anisotropic haptic texture by rubbing the shark skin. Over 27 participants created a directional image in which the button suggested antidirectional criteria, which most of the participants felt very smooth to touch. The frictional coefficient in the direction of anticriterial was the significantly lower. Based on the results of participants' directional image, we evaluated the effectiveness of the haptic texture on the paired buttons. In the evaluation experiments, 60 participants tried to choose the button that controls the front fog lamp of a car from similar paired buttons by touching them from above. The buttons were arranged from right to left on a switch box, and had symbols to indicate whether they were for the front or rear fog lamps. The participants were divided intotwo groups of thirty participants each. For group 1, the paired buttons had similar haptic textures, while for group 2 the paired buttons had oppositely-oriented haptic textures. From the percentage of correct answers given by the two groups, the participants in group 2 gave more correct answers than those in group 1, although they did not know about the symbols attached to the buttons indicating the front and rear fog lamps. Therefore, we concluded that the anisotropic haptic texture of paired buttons could suggest directional image to the user and add a cue for choosing the paired button correctly.