The operator's seat on construction machinery is required to be comfortable, but there have been few research reports on this subject. The purpose of this study is to derive a development index by quantifying the seating comfort. In this study, 67 operators with experience in operating construction machinery were subjectively evaluated for sitting comfort in a static posture on 11 operator's seats available in the market. From the evaluation results, items that affect sitting comfort were extracted, and the relationship between each item was confirmed.

In this study, we conducted one-on-one interviews with plant workers at the production sites of Japanese companies in Japan and overseas, and used the data from these interviews to visualize the actions taken to ensure normal operations at the plants and their sources. Furthermore, with the aim of establishing a methodology for safety management based on the concept of “productive safety”, we developed leading indicators and other tools to evaluate the state of implementation of “productive safety”.

This study explored the impact of classroom seat designs on comfort and learning outcomes. Since students spend hours sitting during classes, variations in seat design and materials can affect their posture, physical comfort, attention, and learning performance. This study evaluated two common types of classroom seats found on Taiwanese campuses. A comfort assessment was developed through a literature review, and a classroom experiment was conducted to analyze whether different seat designs influence students' perceived comfort and learning outcomes. Environmental factors such as temperature, lighting, and noise were controlled to minimize external influences. The results revealed significant differences in comfort levels between the two seat types. While differences in learning outcomes were relatively limited, a potential trend affecting learning performance was observed. Based on these findings, this study provided specific recommendations for improving classroom furniture in Taiwanese schools to enhance teaching quality and learning experience.

We proposed a post-training debriefing method that promotes the acquisition of applied lessons by applying the incremental inductive learning method to firefighters' training and encouraging them to reflect on their own activities. The effectiveness of the training was examined by clarifying the current issues through a training survey of firefighters and by conducting a trial experiment with student participants.

In recent years, there has been a growing trend away from reading, with fewer opportunities to develop concentration and imagination. In this study, methods to eliminate university students' disengagement from reading were examined. As one means of eliminating reading disengagement, the study focused on the sense of immersion during reading and examined methods of silent reading that enhance immersion. Experimental participants were asked to read a literary work, and through questionnaires and interviews, the relationship between time and immersion during silent reading with emotion was investigated.

Deep learning (DL) is transforming ergonomics, offering new ways to assess and improve workplace safety and human performance. This review explores recent advancements in DL applications for ergonomics in 2024, focusing on cognitive workload assessment, posture recognition, human-robot collaboration, and real-time ergonomic monitoring. By analyzing recent studies from Google Scholar, we identify key trends, innovations, and challenges, including data limitations, model interpretability, and the need for human-centered AI design. Emerging technologies such as large multimodal models (LMMs) and digital human modeling (DHM) are also examined for their potential impact. This study provides a comprehensive overview of how DL is reshaping ergonomic assessments, offering valuable insights for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers. Our findings highlight opportunities for further research and the practical implementation of AI-driven solutions to enhance workplace ergonomics and safety.

In excavators, each joint of work equipment is operated with two levers. In the conventional operating method, the move direction of the joints and the lever operation direction do not coincide, making the operation unintuitive. In this study, we investigated an operating method in which the move direction of the joints and the lever operation direction coincide, and evaluated the operability with this method by using the excavator operation simulator.

At present, assembly work in the manufacturing industry is mainly carried out according to work instructions. In particular, in the cell production system often seen in Japanese factories, one worker assembles a single product from start to finish, so it takes time for the worker to memorise the work content and be able to work smoothly. In recent years, with the development of mixed reality technology, its use for work support has been considered. In this study, we proposed a work support system using mixed reality, created the proposed system and evaluated the system through experiments.

In Quantitative of Construction Vehicle Seat Comfort(1), we analyzed the subjective evaluations of 67 operators with operating experience to identify the items that affect seat comfort, and confirmed the relationship between each item. In this study, we attempted to quantify sitting comfort by analyzing the relationship between the subjective evaluation of operators in static posture, seat dimensions, and body pressure distribution as the amount of seating condition, and by measuring the operators' operating posture and body pressure distribution as the amount of seating condition.

This study investigates the impact of three Auditory User Interfaces (AUIs) on takeover performance and mental workload in autonomous vehicles (AVs). As AVs reduce the need for driver engagement, users can focus on non-driving-related activities (NDRAs), which often require visual attention. When a takeover is needed, auditory communication plays a crucial role in ensuring effective information delivery. This research examines how different levels of auditory explanations for takeover requests influence driver response, considering initial trust in automation (TiA). Twenty participants (8 females, 12 males) were categorized into high- and low-TiA groups. Each experienced different AUIs across eight driving trials while performing a typing task as an NDRA in a simulator. Takeover reaction time, glance frequency, and perceived mental workload were measured to evaluate takeover performance and cognitive demand. Results revealed performance differences between user groups, offering insights into trust-aware auditory interaction design for AVs in NDRA scenarios.

Sleep deprivation is an important social issue. Twenty percent of Japanese adults feel the need to sleep while traveling in a vehicle. This study aims to improve the quality of sleep in moving vehicles and contributes to reducing the feeling of sleep deprivation. EEG and vehicle vibration data obtained from 17 passengers' sleep in moving vehicles were used to identify vibration components observed just before sleep stage transition by dynamic linear modeling.

E-scooters are allowed to run on sidewalks at a speed of 6 km/h. However, they may cause anxiety for pedestrians. In this study, we investigated the safe separation distance for both pedestrians and e-scooter riders using a questionnaire on awareness when e-scooters and pedestrians pass each other, as well as the separation distance and wobbling during riding. The results revealed that a separation distance of about 1.25 m reduces anxiety for both parties.

Mental fatigue negatively impacts cognitive performance and reduces workplace efficiency, highlighting the importance of effective rest-break strategies. This study examines how rest-break conditions—combinations of physical (active: walking vs. passive: sitting) and cognitive activities (high-arousal: short-form videos vs. low-arousal: gentle music)—affect cognitive performance recovery. A within-subject pilot experiment with 4 participants is designed. Participants undergo a 20-minute Stroop task to induce cognitive fatigue, followed by a 10-minute rest under one of four conditions: walking while watching short-form videos, walking while listening to gentle music, sitting while watching short-form videos, or sitting while listening to gentle music. Cognitive performance recovery is evaluated via changes in Stroop test reaction time, error rate, and Stroop effect magnitude. This study aims to identify the most effective rest-break combination, providing evidence-based recommendations for realistic workplace applications to enhance cognitive recovery, manage mental fatigue, and promote employee well-being.

This study focused on the nudge theory and verified the effectiveness of the nudges in reducing the risk of WMSDs. We created twelve nudges to improve posture during desk work, and conducted the experiments using the pair comparison method and observation of behavioral changes caused by the nudges. The result showed that the nudges improved the participants' awareness to correct their posture.

We have demonstrated that the luteal phase is characterized by increased drowsiness while maintaining a high level of critical flicker fusion frequency. Therefore, we hypothesized that teleworkers experience heightened tension during the luteal phase to resist sleepiness and maintain work efficiency. To verify this hypothesis, we evaluated autonomic activity by measuring heart rate variabilities in the context of work.

Sleep is a key mechanism for the body to recover and regulate. The quality of sleep is closely related to health. Sleeping posture and snoring conditions significantly affect sleep quality. Insufficient and irregular sleep can lead to serious long-term health issues. This study explores the relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) and sleeping posture. Existing detection methods are complex and costly, making them difficult to apply widely. Therefore, this research develops an innovative sleep detection system based on deep learning techniques with image and sound recognition. The system utilizes home cameras and a self-designed mobile application to monitor personal sleeping posture and real-time snoring conditions. We aimed to enhance the feasibility of home health monitoring and increase opportunities for early prevention and personalized sleep management.

A correlation was obtained between the amount of change in the sound of intestinal peristalsis and the psychological change by pressure stimulation to the lower back, suggesting that intestinal peristalsis may be effective for psychological improvement.

With the diversification of office environments in recent years, the introduction of sofas in relaxation and communication areas has increased. Sofas are soft and sink deeply into the seat, which causes the body to collapse in posture and places a heavy load on the body, but they also provide a sense of relaxation. In this study, we consider that the factors that make people feel comfortable with sofas are softness and the amount of sinking. We define these factors as “contact comfort” and analyze the evaluation structure of these factors.

Burnout is a complex phenomenon that arises from the interaction between individuals and their working conditions; it cannot be reduced to an individual stress response. From a Latin American perspective, I propose a nosological framework that articulates political, economic, normative, technical, and clinical dimensions, recognizing burnout as a historically and socio-culturally situated condition. This perspective conceptualizes burnout as a dialectical and dynamic process of transformation. It is not merely a reactive state, but also a mediating mechanism shaped by the interplay between subjects and the structural conditions of work organizational forms, institutional policies, and broader socio-political contexts particularly under conditions of chronic tension or pressure. Within this framework, engagement is not understood as the opposite of burnout. Rather, both are seen as interrelated components of the same process, coexisting within a broader dynamic of energy mobilization associated with efficiency, productivity, overcommitment, and the internalization of performance demands. This transfer of energy manifested in the drive to do more, to commit further, and to exceed expectations can, paradoxically, contribute to the emergence of burnout. The most extreme manifestation of this condition is karoshi, a term that denotes death or suicide resulting from overwork. From this standpoint, it is imperative to denaturalize labor precariousness and promote analytical frameworks that foreground health, well-being, and quality of life as central pillars in the organization of work. Consequently, this proposal advocates for a shift in perspective: from the individual to the collective, from symptomatology to structural determinants. The objective is to foster healthier intersubjective dynamics in the workplace and to advance toward a more dignified, humane, and sustainable vision of labor.

The standard for mental workload ISO 10075 Part 2 which specifies design principles, was revised in 2024. The previous edition focused on mental fatigue, monotony, reduced visilance , and mental satiation as defined in Part 1. The revised edition describes design principles based on work organization, task, job, and work equipment making easy to understand for designers.

In hot environments, an increase in core body temperature may reduce work ability. This study proposes a method for predicting core body (tympanic) temperature during exercise using a human thermal model that accounts for thermoregulatory responses and verifies its validity through experiments. Furthermore, a regression equation is created to calculate tympanic temperature from predicted values under multiple conditions to develop a simple prediction method.

This study examined differences in infant autonomic nervous system responses between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding using heart rate variability analysis. Results showed autonomic activation in both methods, but breastfeeding demonstrated significantly higher activation, suggesting potential support during early autonomic development. TRANSLATE with x English ArabicHebrewPolish BulgarianHindiPortuguese CatalanHmong DawRomanian Chinese SimplifiedHungarianRussian Chinese TraditionalIndonesianSlovak CzechItalianSlovenian DanishJapaneseSpanish DutchKlingonSwedish EnglishKoreanThai EstonianLatvianTurkish FinnishLithuanianUkrainian FrenchMalayUrdu GermanMalteseVietnamese GreekNorwegianWelsh Haitian CreolePersian TRANSLATE with COPY THE URL BELOW Back EMBED THE SNIPPET BELOW IN YOUR SITE Enable collaborative features and customize widget: Bing Webmaster Portal Back

The aim of this study was to obtain basic knowledge on hand ergonomics by quantifying the mechanical loads on the fingers in different mug grasping postures. The analysis revealed that the mechanical load on the fingers are higher in the order of handle grasping, upward grasping and lateral grasping.

As part of the SIP 3rd term project by the Cabinet Office, we are conducting "Research on User Interface Infrastructure for Using Information Virtual Space." In order to clarify age-related changes on the motion characteristics when operating touch devices, we measured touch operation on 176 male and female subjects aged 20 to 90 in Tokyo. We report the results here.

Despite rapid advances in AI technology, many challenges remain in providing feedback to help the visually impaired understand their surroundings. although verbal descriptions using AI are possible, it is difficult to accurately determine the location of objects in dynamic environments, such as busy pedestrian crossings or inside train stations. However, it is difficult to accurately determine the location of objects in dynamic environments such as busy pedestrian crossings or train stations. We aim to develop a system that complements these approaches and utilizes human sound source localization ability to track dynamic objects. This study investigates the effects of different stereoacoustic parameters on the ability of humans to track objects.

We attempted to estimate the activity levels of elderly individuals using an inertial sensor- equipped cane. We estimated the activity levels of 20 elderly participants using machine learning techniques based on inertial sensor data and compared the results with those obtained from a commercially available activity tracker. As the results, it was found that the estimation accuracy was low in some cases. Then, we tried to introduce fine-tuning and classify the participants based on how they used the cane and estimation accuracy was improved. Therefore, we plan to further improve accuracy by considering the variations in cane usage.

This study quantitatively analyzed the knee brace corrective moment in different stance phases. Ten knee OA patients underwent four walking trials, measuring knee joint moments and valgus corrective moments. The results indicated that the corrective moment varied across phases, providing insights into how knee braces counteract varus knee moments at different stance phases.

This study focused on smoke sensation and throat sensation as factors influencing product characteristics of cigarettes and heated cigarettes. Multiple regression analysis and influence analysis of numerical data based on design revealed that smoke sensation for cigarettes and throat sensation for heated cigarettes strongly influence the overall sensation during smoking. For co-smokers, it was suggested that smoke sensation may interfere with throat sensation in heated cigarettes, and it was inferred that adjustment of smoke quality and quantity had an effect.

The aim of this study was to improve the operability of joystick controllers, and an experiment was conducted in which participants operate a joystick to follow a cursor displayed on the screen. The angle of the joystick operating direction was varied in relation to the cursor movement direction. The physical workload on the thumb and joystick operability were evaluated by subjective evaluation and work performance. The results indicated that there was no significant difference in operability when the difference between the directions of joystick and cursor movement directions was 0, 30, 45 and 60 degrees. However, the operability significantly decreased when the angle difference was 90 degrees.

Most studies on seasonal differences in comfortable ambient temperature have used uniforms, and few studies have used real-life clothing. The purpose of this study is to examine how seasonal differences in comfortable ambient temperatures are affected by differences in clothing. We conducted a prefferd temperature experiment in which subjects adjust to a comfortable ambient temperature during the four seasons. The experiment was conducted under two conditions: one with uniforms (Condition A), assuming spring and fall, and the other with the clothes worn on the day of the experiment (Condition B). During the experiment, temperature, humidity, and physiological quantities such as skin temperature were measured. In addition, reports of thermal sensation and thermal comfort to the room were obtained. Ambient temperature at the end of the experiment was approximately 26°C in both conditions during the fall. In winter, it was about 26°C in condition A and about 25°C in condition B.

PET beverage bottles employ labels to display product information and information mandated by law. However, the labels' dimensions limit the amount of legible information that can be displayed, complicating the recycling process.

This study utilizes laser printing to display critical information on label-less PET bottles, evaluating the visibility of the text across various bottle types and contents.

In today's information-overloaded society, content that gives a poor first impression is often ignored and left uncomprehended. This study aims to identify factors that make web pages seem unappealing to read and establish criteria for mechanically detecting such pages. The proposed criteria are based on feature extraction from three perspectives: 'dot ratio,' 'number of UI elements,' and 'spatial frequency.'

This pilot study examined touchscreen motion characteristics with finger or stylus under normal and restricted visual field conditions. A preliminary experiment that varied icon sizes and distances suggests that restricted visual field is linked to lower efficiency, accuracy, and perceived ease-of-use. Initial motion analysis shows that difficulties in gaze-hand coordination under restricted visual field may have contributed to the performance decline.

We summarize and explain the previous researches that studied the method for improve the in-vehicle sound quality , and analyze the characteristics of "reverse gear alarm" in the recent vehicles. As a result, these vehicles incorporate musical elements such as beautiful "harmony" and "sustain characteristics" among conventional knowledge. The use of musical elements will be important in the future.

This study explores how to optimize the user experience by the principles of Gestalt psychology in the UI design of an online shopping application. Basic principles such as “proximity” and “closure” are analyzed. It also shows how these principles can be combined with minimalism design to create an intuitive and efficient user experience. This study aims to provide theoretical and practical insights for building more intuitive and functional UI designs.

Utilizing Quality Function Deployment and Analytic Hierarchy Process techniques, we design a combination furniture that reflects the needs of the user. Using a simple cubic structure as a foundation, we combine tables, chairs, and storage boxes for efficient use of the living space. Based on the results of a questionnaire survey, a design process was developed to organize user requirements and translate them into design elements.

The pharmacist detects inconsistencies and errors in prescribing and dispensing during the inspection, and also checks the quality of the drugs. Since overlooking errors during the inspection process increases the risk of medication errors to the patient, this study clarified the tendency of overlooking errors through a simulated experiment. Twenty-two fictitious prescriptions and 66 drugs, including prescribing and dispensing errors, were checked by 5 pharmacists in their 1-2 years of practice and 3 experts with more than 20 years of experience. Interviews were conducted after the experiment to determine why errors were detected and overlooked.

Fluoroscopic endoscopic medical personnel wear radiation protective clothing weighing approximately 3-8 kg for long periods of time to prevent radiation exposure, and this burden causes musculoskeletal disorders and postural deterioration. In order to reduce the load on the wearer, we have developed a device that is worn inside the garment and guides the wearer into proper posture while reducing the load by distributing the load of the garment around the shoulders.

When medical radiation is used, shielding the physician with protective clothing is important . However, in endoscopic procedures, the physician’s standing position vary for each procedure. As a result, there is a possibility that the exposure dose differs between the left and right side. This study investigates a method to measure the actual difference in exposure doses caused by the variations in the endoscopist’s techniques and standing positions.

In their previous study, the authors proposed a model to predict nurses' workload in real time based on information in a hospital ward, with the aim of applying the model to nurses' workload management. In this study, we analyzed the changes in leadership and followership behaviors exhibited by team members when the estimated future workload was presented in the hospital ward using this model, based on the data of team members' speech and behavior in a simulated ICU environment.

As a case study, we aimed to confirm the effect of light touch on the static standing posture during VR pass-through based on the case of one healthy adult who had no problems in maintaining a static standing posture and viewing XR images. We set VR conditions of usual and VR pass-through, and contact conditions of non-contact and light touch by finger. There was no difference in the postural sway between the normal and VR pass-through conditions. Postural sway was decreased in the light touch by finger compared to the non-contact condition.

To consider collision accidents at intersections involving older drivers, 25 younger and 24 older people observed various movies passing through an intersection using a HMD to record their driving behaviors. However, devices that add weight to the observers' heads might influence their driving posture. The head and back angles showed no differences between conditions with and without the HMD for both age groups, even when visual or physical discomfort was reported.

Using a virtual space makes it possible to measure body postures even in complex environments. In this study, we developed a virtual corridor with a corner and measured the body postures while walking in that space using a head-mounted display and its controllers. The results demonstrated that some of the gait parameters (walking speed and stride length) were equivalent to those obtained from a markerless motion capture system.

In this study, we searched for an index that can express cognitive function decline based on lifestyle patterns. We measured life log data such as sleep and observed the relationship with MMSE, which represents cognitive function, and found that the high cognitive function group had a stable sleep pattern. The results showed a significant negative correlation (p<0.05). This method may contribute to the detection of cognitive function decline.

Assuming a scenario where a silver car passes through a level crossing, the relationship between the varied gap width of the level crossing with rubber fillers, crossing speed, the burden of crossing, and the degree of snagging was investigated with 20 elderly participants. When the gap width was narrowed to 30mm, it was found that both the burden and degree of snagging decreased, while the crossing speed of the silver car was not improved.

Civic pride refers to the pride and attachment that citizens feel toward their own community, and is attracting attention from the perspective of urban policy and community revitalization. This study analyzed how the development of products for local production for local consumption contributes to the fostering of pride and attachment among citizens, in contrast to research on civic pride, which has so far focused on the relationship with the urban environment. In conclusion, it was found that planning and development using local resources contributes to the enhancement of civic pride, but the manner in which it is affected differs depending on the type of activity.

Human factors/Usability Engineering (HF/UE) for medical devices also applies to combination products (drug + medical device). In Europe and the United States, HF/UE requirements for combination products are clarified by various guidelines. User interfaces for combination products in Japan differ greatly from Europe/US. Moreover, Japan has its own unique medical system and medical environment, hence HF/UE suited to the Japanese situation should be considered.

The incidence of diseases among seafarers is reported to be higher than that of land-based workers, and, excluding infectious diseases, musculoskeletal diseases such as arthritis and back pain are the most common. One of the most physically demanding tasks on board is pulling a sea anchor rope from the sea. In this study, an assist suit was developed to reduce the burden during pulling, and its usefulness was confirmed by measuring surface electromyography.

The relationship between the user's physical characteristics and sit-ski design in the Para-Nordic skiing, sitting category is focused on this study. Interviews and serveys of athletes were conducted to examine the design requirements for users with various physical characteristics. A new sit-ski design will be proposed that reflects these requirements.

This study analyzed driving performance data to clarify the driving speed characteristics of railway drivers practicing energy-saving driving. We compared the mean driving speed of energy-saving drivers with that of non-energy-saving drivers and found that energy-saving drivers tended to avoid acceleration when approaching a station, which contributed to reduced energy consumption.