Looking at the world, we can see the increasing trend to find the contribution of HFE (Human Factors and Ergonomics) in the challenges facing the world and the earth, such as “HFE for a sustainable society,” “climate change and HFE,” “nature conservation and HFE,” etc. This paper discusses the importance of viewing HFE from a new perspective, explaining the importance of the systems approach.

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The Ph.D. programme in HFE has been running since 2022 in the Latin American and Caribbean Region. It is a joint initiative between Universidad del Valle and Universidad Nacional de Colombia, with support from IEA.

The forward-thinking Ph.D. programme boasts distinctive features such as multidisciplinary research groups and networking with global universities specialising in HFE. Furthermore, it provides a high-level educational programme under the following three research areas: 1) work and health, 2) innovation design and organisations, and 3) social impact and sustainability. This keynote outlines the pioneering Ph.D. program in Human Factors and Ergonomics.

Well-being is defined as a positive state experienced by individuals and societies (WHO, 2021). It is similar to health, not limited to human but global. Sustainable development can be one state of human/global health. Well-being has two aspects; one is objective aspect such as physical health., the other is subjective aspect such as psychological happiness. Those can be measured and managed through interaction between humans and environment. We can apply the recent technology, wearable sensing and AI to improve the interaction towards well-being. These approaches are strongly related to ergonomics.

As the world's ageing population continues to grow, various initiatives are actively undertaken to enhance community wellbeing. The activities of ISO/TC 314 Ageing Societies, along with an overview of the international standard developed by ISO/TC 314 Ageing Societies/WG 4 Wellbeing (ISO 25554:2024 Ageing societies — Guidelines for promoting wellbeing in communities, published in 2024), will be presented in this symposium. The standard facilitates the comparison, contrast, and sharing of knowledge regarding initiatives from different communities across various countries.

As vehicles become increasingly intelligent and connected, attention is shifting toward not only driver performance but also driver wellbeing. This presentation explores the concept of driver wellbeing as a holistic state encompassing physical comfort, mental alertness, and emotional balance. It emphasizes the growing recognition that stress, fatigue, and discomfort impair driving performance and lead to long-term health issues, especially among professional drivers. Through a human factors and ergonomics lens, the talk outlines key research domains including physical ergonomics, cognitive ergonomics, vigilance monitoring, emotional design, and integrated wellness systems. Technological innovations such as biometric sensors, mood-adaptive AI, and comfort-enhancing features (e.g., massage seats, ambient lighting) are transforming vehicles into wellness-supportive environments. Case studies from industry leaders highlight how AI and affective computing are being applied to enhance in-cabin experience. Looking ahead, the presentation discusses emerging trends such as autonomous vehicles as health platforms, personalized wellness assistants, and the need for privacyaware, inclusive design. This presentation contributes to the broader discussion by bridging disciplines including engineering, psychology, and design to propose future research directions and practical strategies for integrating driver wellbeing into vehicle system design at scale.

This talk addresses the critical role of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) in the success of AI projects. While AI technologies are advancing rapidly across domains, from healthcare to logistics, over 90% of AI initiatives still fail—largely due to insufficient integration of human-centered principles. The concept of “intelligentizing” HFE refers to embedding AI systems with intuitive, human-aware design that aligns with user expectations, mental models, and cognitive capabilities. Drawing on examples from the South Korean Government Research Initiative, "Intelligentizing Human Factors" , this presentation illustrates how AI performance can match user experiences, privacy concerns, or lack of transparency. Standards such as ISO 9241-210 are emphasized for guiding human-centered AI design. Key concepts like affordance, mental models, and socio-technical systems are explored to stress the importance of seamless human-AI interaction. Finally, successful AI requires more than technical accuracy—it must understand, adapt to, and harmonize with human needs. Intelligent ergonomics bridges this gap, ensuring AI systems are not only powerful but also usable, trustworthy, and socially accepted. As AI becomes ubiquitous, the future of ergonomics lies in co-evolving with intelligent systems to enhance both human performance and system effectiveness.

As the Taiwan Patient-safety Reporting System was established for some years, healthcare ergonomics and patient safety is promoted since early 2010s. It is still in the early stage of the efforts. This presentation shares the development of this movement in Taiwan.

It is found that the unfamiliarity and unawareness of ergonomics in the healthcare sector is the main obstacle for the movement. To cope with this, the Ergonomics Society of Taiwan initiated a taskforce dedicated on this track. Some rewarding achievements are realized by organizing various activities to promote ergonomics in healthcare work after years of devotion. Up to now, it is just a beginning and many more work are to be continued by the future generations.

Well-being is a broad concept related to what is intrinsically valuable to individuals and what defines a fulfilling life. Well-being is based on a set of objective goods that contribute to a fulfilling life, such as health, knowledge, relationships, and personal development. Ergonomics plays a vital role in enhancing human well-being by designing environments, tools, and systems that align with human capabilities and limitations. A well-structured ergonomic setup reduces physical strain, minimizes discomfort, and boosts productivity, ultimately supporting both physical and mental health.

In Taiwan, a dedicated group of human factors professionals is actively engaged in various practical fields, including industry, healthcare, the military, and transportation. Their work focuses on optimizing task performance to ensure safety, comfort, and efficiency, thereby fostering healthier and more fulfilling lives. They undertake research projects commissioned by the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health of the Ministry of Labor, major medical centers and hospitals, and advanced defense technology programs from the Ministry of National Defense. Additionally, they serve as key advisors on national committees, playing a crucial role in safeguarding the well-being of employees across the country.

International standards related to ergonomics and human factors have been developed mainly by ISO TC159. The principles and guidances of human-centered design and accessibility were standardized here have a wide range of applications, not only in TC159 but also in new TCs such as aging societies and services. This is due in large part to not only fundamental standards such as terminology, safety, and compatibility, but also strategic standards such as principles, measurements, and guidelines. In Japan, too, discussions have begun on promotion of the idea of fundamental and strategic standards, strategically utilize them, and advance international consensus building as part of a national standardization strategy. Here, we will introduce fundamental and strategic standards using ergonomics standards as an example, and provide an overview of how they contribute to the transformation of industry and society.

The Japanese government has been developing a “New International Standards Strategy” for the strategic use of international standards for the first time since 2006. This presentation will explain the key points of this strategy from my perspective as a member of the International Standards Strategy Subcommittee of the Cabinet Office, which was involved in the policy making. In particular, I will address the selection of important and strategic areas for international standardization, the expansion of the command post function in the government, and measures to discontinuously strengthen the ecosystem for international standardization. The role of academia in Japan's international standardization will also be discussed, taking into account the international standardization strategies of major countries such as the U.S., the EU, and China. At the same time, the concept of a “ruleforming market creation strategy” that can be implemented by the private sector will be explained.

Standardization in Japan has been driven primarily by the government, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and industry, but in basic fields and in recent years, in the field of cutting-edge technology, not only social implementation technology but also basic data collection and analysis in academia are extremely important. Furthermore, the consensus-building process in Japan's standardization has traditionally required the cooperation of not only industry associations but also academia. From this perspective, METI has been discussing the standardization policy to strengthen collaboration between academia and standardization. This symposium will discuss the current state of collaboration between academia and industry, issues that will contribute to the further development of standardization activities in Japan, and efforts to resolve these issues.

ISO/TC 159 in the field of ergonomics conducts standardization activities on various issues related to humans. TC 159 deals with cross-disciplinary issues such as matters related to human characteristics and problems that arise when humans use products, systems, and environments. For this reason, standard documents based on scientific knowledge and information have been published, and further developments are expected in the future. This presentation addresses the interesting aspects of standardization activities from a researcher's viewpoint, using the standardization of "accessible design," which takes into account the needs of the older people and people with disabilities, as examples.

In recent years, discussions on the construction of national databases and personal health records have progressed, and opportunities to come into contact with various big data have become more common. In this luncheon seminar, Dr. Higuchi Yoshiyuki, who has in-depth knowledge of big data analysis, will focus on the big data on workers' health examinations conducted by the Japan Preventive Medicine Association and explain the basic methods such as various research analysis designs, data trimming, and data linkage. In addition, he will explain the analysis results obtained through time-series data analysis, etc., and the health issues of workers from the perspective of appropriate health management for each age group.

Kitakyushu City has a special way of improving nursing care called the Kitakyushu Model. The model has three stages. First, it helps people to visualize their work. Next, it uses technology to help, like information and communication technologies (ICT) and nursing care robots. Finally, it organizes business operations. Since April 2021, the Kitakyushu City Nursing Care Robot Introduction Support and Promotion Center has been using this model. Aso Educational Services Co., Ltd. runs the center. This center has helped special nursing homes in the city by improving work efficiency. For example, it has introduced equipment to help with transfers, which reduces the work load for nursing care staff. It has also introduced equipment to monitor patients at night, which reduces the need for staff to patrol the floor at night. In April 2025, the center was integrated with the Kitakyushu City Nursing Care Training and Promotion Center, with Aso Educational Services continuing to provide escort support. The use of nursing care technology has allowed for more efficient use of staff, such as having elderly nursing staff assist with transfers. These changes have gotten a lot of attention in Japan and other countries. Mr. Tarumoto, the former director of the Kitakyushu City Nursing Care Robot Introduction Support and Promotion Center, will give a lecture on these initiatives.

This study examines the effect of visual motion cue location relative to NDRT content on alleviating motion sickness in moving vehicles. While visual motion cues can reduce motion sickness, their effectiveness varies, highlighting the need to identify key influencing factors. This study specifically investigates the cue location relative to NDRT content. An on-road experiment with three participants tested three conditions: (1) No Cue, (2) Cue Near, and (3) Cue Far. Vertically moving dots representing vehicle acceleration served as a visual motion cue displayed on a screen. Participants rated their motion sickness severity under each condition. Findings provide insights into optimizing visual motion cue designs to mitigate motion sickness in moving vehicles.

This study examined the effectiveness of external Human-Machine Interfaces (eHMI) in improving drivers' situational awareness (SA). An experiment was conducted using a VR-based driving simulator, where participants were tasked with driving in an urban area under two scenarios: encountering a bus equipped with eHMI and one without. The results showed that providing information about blind spots through eHMI improved drivers' SA.

This study examines whether people with mobility difficulties can use wheelchairs to explore the sea or highlands on their own, or with minimal assistance. We focused on electric wheelchairs, which require less assistance work and burden on caregivers, are comfortable to ride even on rough roads, and allow easy transfers on the ground.

Many falls occur among care workers in social welfare facilities, but the number of falls among experienced care workers is small. This study conducted an interview survey of experienced care workers working in elderly care facilities and analyzed the care workers' efforts to prevent falls (fall prevention behavior). As a result, characteristic fall prevention behavior of care workers, including behavior related to non-technical skills, was extracted.

In the medical field of fluoroscopic endoscopic treatment, which is becoming more advanced and prolonged, musculoskeletal disorders in medical personnel due to the effects of X-ray protective clothes have become a problem. Our research team aims to develop an X-ray protective gown supporter that can intentionally shift the load, which is different from conventional supporters that disperse the load on the neck and shoulders using support materials extending from the waist and back. In this paper, we report on developing an X-ray protective clothes supporter that guides the wearer to a correct posture using a mechanism in which the support material is weakened when the wearer leans forward.

The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data for proper shelf labeling when dispensing pharmaceuticals by investigating incident reports and the actual work conditions of hospital pharmacy departments, as well as by exploring proper shelf labeling when dispensing pharmaceuticals through actual rights.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common neuropathy caused by increased pressure on the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. Previous studies have shown that wrist torque can lead to an increase in pressure within the carpal tunnel, and this study investigates the effects of isometric wrist torque on the cross-sectional area of the medial nerve (MNCSA) and its recovery process using ultrasound imaging. Four torque tasks were examined, including wrist flexion and extension, as well as flexion and extension without grip force to isolate the effect of grip force on the median nerve. 50% maximum voluntary torque was set as target torque level. Preliminary results indicate that the MNCSA significantly decreased during the torque tasks, exhibited incomplete recovery within 2 seconds after load removal, and formed an intriguing recovery curve. In this study, isometric wrist torque causes compressive stress on the median nerve, and results in MNCSA changes.

The sleep of train drivers working irregular hours was recorded for about a month using a smart ring. Several pre-sleep behaviours were also recorded. We combined this multiple information and displayed it on a single screen. By displaying sleep information, including sleep stages, together with other behavioural records, drivers were able to intuitively and quantitatively understand their own sleep status, leading to behavioural changes to improve sleep.

This study applies posture estimation AI and occlusion correction technology to analyze work postures in a milking parlor of a dairy facility. In confined workspaces, occlusions and variations in work postures often cause missing joint information. However, the proposed method demonstrates that accurate posture estimation is possible in real-world environments using a single camera. Posture estimation and correction were performed on video data collected in the field, allowing for the analysis of posture changes and workload during milking tasks. This approach is expected to contribute to improving safety and optimizing work efficiency in dairy operations.

This study compares two online trading platforms by evaluating user satisfaction and usability using quantitative surveys and qualitative analyses. Quantitative results from user surveys revealed statistically significant differences across software experience, screen design, terminology clarity, ease of learning, and system functionality. Qualitative analyses, including think-aloud exercises and user interviews, similarly identified meaningful usability issues. Critical recommendations include refining information structures, optimizing screen layouts, adopting intuitive terminology, streamlining login processes, and providing tailored interfaces according to user proficiency levels. These results offer clear, evidence-based directions for enhancing usability in trading platform development.

In this study, we examined the effect of the emotional impression of a font on the speed of information processing. First, suitable fonts were identified for each emotion, and then a reaction time measurement experiment using PsychoPy was conducted. The results showed that reaction time was reduced for “anger,” “fear,” and “surprise” when the font and word emotion matched. On the other hand, for “joy” and “sadness,” the effect of the word's cognitive difficulty was suggested. These results indicate the importance of font selection in visual information processing.

This study investigated the effects of flow state induced by a competitive mirror-tracing task in a VR environment on mental workload (MWL) by seventeen male university students. The results suggest that in a VR environment, accumulated eye fatigue increases frustration, making it difficult to maintain the flow state.

As the aging population grows, healthcare demand increases, posing challenges for traditional medical models, particularly in chronic disease and geriatric care. Smart healthcare technologies, such as the Hospital Medication Recognition System, enhance operational efficiency and medication safety while streamlining clinical workflows. Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is vital in minimizing errors and optimizing healthcare processes, ultimately improving clinical decision-making. This study employs a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach, gathering feedback from nursing staff to enhance interface design, usability, and system functionality. The primary objective is to reduce technology-related stress, improve medication verification, and decrease error rates. By implementing this system in clinical settings, the research aims to advance smart healthcare, improving accuracy, user experience, and fostering innovation in medical technology.

Railway Company X is promoting the installation of platform gates to enhance platform safety. However, at stations where platform gates are installed, more stringent brake control is required, which relies heavily on the skill of train drivers. Therefore, we conducted a survey to elucidate the psychological burden and sense of security. The results indicate that platform gates give train drivers a sense of burden, but also a sense of security.

Vegetable seedling transplanting is an important agricultural task to support plant well growth. In transplanting, maintaining a half-sitting posture while performing repetitive flexion and extension movements puts a great physical load on the body. The use of assistive suits could reduce the physical load during transplanting tasks. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of assistive suits in reducing physical load during vegetable seedling transplanting. The findings are expected to contribute to product development for enhancing the health and safety of agricultural workers.

This study identifies the most productive work setup for HR practitioners and establishes a research framework for studying optimal work arrangements in Philippine organizations. Using Herzberg's Two Factor Theory as a foundation, researchers conducted online surveys and follow-up interviews, analyzing data through Jamovi. Findings reveal that work setup moderates the relationship between hygiene factors and job dissatisfaction, as well as between job dissatisfaction and productivity. Job satisfaction significantly influences productivity. This research serves as a foundation for future studies on factors affecting employee satisfaction regarding work arrangements. It provides HR departments with valuable insights about optimal setups to maximize productivity, enabling the design of effective strategies that enhance efficiency and performance. This is the first study investigating productive work setups for HR departments in the FMCG industry, providing deeper context on how work arrangements affect productivity.

This study aimed to investigate nurses' perceptions of fall risk in elderly patients during hospitalization. A self-administered questionnaire on fall risk assessment was distributed to 60 nurses responsible for evaluating the fall risk of 162 elderly inpatients at Hospital A. Multiple regression analysis revealed that nurses' perceptions of the fall risk assessment results, as well as their self-assessed accuracy of these evaluations, were significantly associated with their overall perceptions of fall risk in elderly inpatients. These findings emphasize the critical role of nurses' subjective assessments and their confidence in the accuracy of fall risk evaluations in shaping their perceptions of fall risk during hospitalization.

This study examined the effects of trunk rotation and lateral bending on fall risk estimation during tasks performed on stepladders. Postural stability was assessed by measuring foot reaction force sway during a 60-second standing balance task. The results indicated a significant increase in postural sway when all of the following conditions were present: a greater asymmetry angle, trunk flexion due to changes in gaze direction, and a reduced foothold width.

The Department of Energy (DOE) launched the Philippine Energy Labeling Program (PELP) under the Energy Efficiency Conservation Act. The program aims to promote the adoption of energy-efficient appliances by using energy labels at points of sale. With PELP's introduction, a new Philippine Energy label was introduced. Previous studies employed surveys, and only a handful have incorporated an eye tracker to determine the elements or information respondents focused on when interacting with an energy label.

This study aims to evaluate the new Philippine Energy label and address the research gap by analyzing how label information and design affect visual attention, label cognition, and purchase intention.

The study critiques the Alternative Uses Task (AUT) for limiting innovation due to functional fixedness and proposes a new divergent thinking task. Conducted in real and virtual environments, the experiment showed the new task to be reliable and valid. Future research will refine the task to fully eliminate functional fixedness.

In recent years, the development of digital media has led to an increase in online advertisements and services, making it easier for consumers to access product information. However, it has often been pointed out that conveying tactile impressions, such as texture, remains challenging. In this study, we investigated the influence of timbre on the visual perception of texture by utilizing synesthetic expressions common to both visual and auditory elements, with the aim of enhancing the communication of product images in advertising videos.

With the emergence of AI and IoT in recent years, the relationship between objects and humans has been changing. To provide better experiences, movements that evoke aesthetic qualities, vitality, and emotions are considered important. This study focuses on 'animacy perception' and aims to explore its further applications by analyzing influencing factors and conditions. Specifically, impression evaluation experiments were conducted to examine the effects of movement characteristics such as 'speed,' 'acceleration,' 'voluntary and involuntary movements,' and 'smoothness'.

Powered exoskeleton supports walking independence in individuals with spinal cord injury. However, current models often face skin problems caused by inadequate fit to the lower limbs. To address this issue, we developed a prototype exoskeleton with an adjustable mechanism. The prototype, equipped with actuators and a control system, was tested to determine whether it could correctly perform walking, sitting, and standing movements.

The purpose of this study was to measure the effect of 3D printed insoles with medial arches on the gait of elderly people. Eleven elderly residents in the community were subjects, and a 3D motion analyzer, seven infrared cameras, and three floor reaction force meters were used. Gait measurements were taken under two conditions, one with an un-arched insole and the other with a medial arch, until five normal trials were obtained. Kinematic and kinematic changes were observed with the use of the insoles.

This study examined whether modifying the lateral leg post angle in a knee orthosis could reduce external forces causing pressure ulcers. Based on kinematic support principles, three knee OA patients wore the orthosis for gait measurements. Results showed that adjusting the post angle reduced force on the lateral pad more effectively than the unmodified version, demonstrating its potential to alleviate pressure.

In ergonomics, which aims to optimize wellbeing and performance, it is desirable to develop an index that can evaluate enjoyment. In this study, we introduce the PhanPlay Index, which has already been proposed as a research issue, from a physiological anthropological perspective, together with a review of the literature, and mention the importance and usefulness of this perspective in the ergonomics field.

Research using physiological approaches in pachinko games is limited, and no studies focusing on player fatigue have been found. Since pachinko games require long hours of operation and detailed handle manipulation, they can provide a new perspective for fatigue evaluation. In this study, we introduced an ergonomic perspective to pachinko games and examined a physiological method for evaluating fatigue during games. Based on the new evaluation method, we also conducted an evaluation of current products and evaluated the fatigue in pachinko games.

The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of users' expectations and attitudes towards products and apps before use on their satisfaction ratings after long-term use. Continuous web-based questionnaire surveys were conducted over three months with 343 survey participants. First, the expectations and attitudes towards the product before use and the satisfaction immediately after use were investigated, and then the satisfaction was continuously investigated every month for three months. The multiple regression analysis used the level of satisfaction at each point in time as the dependent variable, and the variables related to expectations and attitudes before use as the explanatory variables. Significant multiple regression models were obtained at each point in time (immediately after use, 1 month later, 2 months later, and 3 months later), and it was found that expectations and attitudes before use influenced satisfaction ratings even 3 months later.

The 2023 Air Carrier Access Act amendments mandate accessible lavatory designs for narrow-body aircraft by 2035. This study bridges the gap between legislation and implementation through a systematic literature review, analyzing 17 records identified using terms including "aircraft," "accessibility," and "lavatory." We identified key accessibility requirements across different disability types and reclassified them according to design parameters. For wheelchair users, specifications include minimum door widths of 81cm, turning radius of 1.20m×1.20m, and strategically positioned grab bars. Passengers with vision impairment require tactile signage and audio/visual assistance systems, while their caregivers benefit from expanded spaces of 1.5m×1.5m. Design parameters pertain to door mechanisms, interior dimensions, support fixtures, and modular expansion capabilities. Our systematized approach integrates previously fragmented accessibility knowledge across diverse disability requirements, and it creates a foundation for future development design solutions that better serve diverse passenger needs within aircraft constraints.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of differences in the resilience of the midsole on lower limb dynamics during walking in young male subjects using sneakers used daily. The experiment was conducted on a treadmill at a speed of 4.8 km/h for 20 minutes x 3 times. Electromyography, subjective evaluation, impedance, and arch height ratio were measured. The results showed an interaction between midsole and time in the impedance values, suggesting an influence on lower limb swelling.