In this study, we investigated embodiment in drone operation. Through experiments in which operators maneuvered drones through various narrow gaps, we found that when the ratio of gap width to drone width was less than 1.3, the time taken to pass through increased and the impression of safety decreased. This similarity to human walking characteristics when passing through narrow spaces suggests the development of an embodiment towards drones. Furthermore, the results of experiments on drones using visual illusions suggest that the appearance of their shapes may influence the spatial perception of the surrounding environment and potentially enhance operating performance.

Braille publications, such as Braille books and textbooks, utilize a combination of raised convex dots and lines, and indented concave dots and lines, to create diagrams and graphs. Extensive research has focused on the ease of identifying raised convex stimuli such as convex dots and lines, resulting in the establishment of standards such as the JIS. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the ease of distinguishing concave stimuli, such as concave dots and lines. Hence, quantitative guidelines to determine the most easily identifiable concave stimuli are warranted. Among these stimuli, ruled lines comprising concave lines, frequently used in braille publications for graphs, must be designed and produced considering the distance between concave and convex lines to ensure tactile readability when used as supplements. Therefore, this study specifically targeted ruled lines comprising common concave stimuli in braille publications and aimed to assess the influence of the distance between concave and convex lines on tactile readability. The results indicated that narrow distances, such as 2 mm or 3 mm, were more easily identifiable, while wide distances, particularly 5 mm or 6 mm, posed significant challenges for tactile recognition. These insights may aid in the proofreading process of braille publications.

In this study, the discussion centered on operator’s impression of lifting operations while focusing on something strange felt by the operator when using power assist devices. We conducted an impression evaluation experiment by semantic differential method on the lifting operations with some assist force applied using the device simulating power assist devices. First, as a result of analyzing the experimental results by principal component analysis, the characteristics of the operator’s impressions on the lifting operations were summarized into three categories. The first was a sense of safety, the second was a sense of operation and the third was a sense of passive. Next, probability models based on graphical modeling were derived using partial correlation coefficients among the evaluation items. Under the conditions of this experiment, we found that something strange was correlated with impressions with strong emotional components when the assist force on the object was larger. The findings of this study suggest impressive requirements for object lifting operations using power assist devices.

In large-scale production facilities like steel mills and petroleum refining plants, there is a growing need for labor efficiency and reduced manpower. However, automation, such as facility robotization, incurs significant costs, making immediate implementation unfeasible. Consequently, manual labor is likely to persist. While historically dominated by adult men workers, the workforce is now more diverse, including older individuals and women. The equipment, traditionally designed for adult men, may now pose physical challenges for the broader workforce. This report focuses on the valve opening and closing operations in petroleum refining plants, investigating the actual burden of these tasks.

As Japan is surrounded by the sea, many people go diving for leisure or work. However, since diving is an underwater activity in an environment where the human body is subjected to water pressure, there are always risks for divers which in the worst cases can lead to fatal accidents. To avoid such tragedies, a way to monitor the health and movements of a diver in seawater is much desired. In this paper, we have focused on bioelectric ECG and EMG measurements that have the possibility of comprehensively monitoring of diver health and behavior. We have expounded the principles and characteristics of three bioelectric measurement methods in water: 1） isolating all bioelectrodes with waterproof tape in both seawater and freshwater; 2） not isolating all bioelectrodes in freshwater; and 3） isolating some bioelectrodes in seawater （by utilizing its conductivity）. Among these methods, the third was seen to be the most suitable for bioelectric measurements in seawater where the majority of diving is conducted since the number of bioelectrodes can be reduced to around half by using the conductivity of seawater. We have thus introduced an optimal method of bioelectric measurement during dives in an actual undersea environment.