Applied Ergonomics最新文献

{"title":"Effect of two dynamic seat cushions on postural shift, trunk muscle activation and spinal discomfort in office workers","authors":"Sirinant Channak ,&nbsp;Erwin M. Speklé ,&nbsp;Allard J. van der Beek ,&nbsp;Prawit Janwantanakul","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104337","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104337","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>We investigated the effect of two dynamic seat cushions on postural shift, trunk muscle activation and spinal discomfort. In this repeated-measures study, 30 healthy office workers were randomly assigned to a sequence of three conditions: sitting on a dynamic seat cushion-A, cushion-B and control (no seat cushion). The two dynamic seat cushions had different inflation levels. Participants typed a standard text for an hour and were monitored for postural shift by using a seat pressure mat, transversus abdominis/internal oblique and lumbar multifidus muscles activity by using surface EMG, spinal discomfort by using Borg's CR-10 scale. Two-way repeated ANOVAs showed no statistically significant interaction effects between condition and time on postural shift and muscle activation. Post hoc Bonferroni tests showed that postural shifts and lumbar multifidus activation during sitting on cushion-A were significantly higher (p &lt; 0.01) than in the control and cushion-B conditions. Both cushions reduced spinal discomfort, compared to the control condition (p &lt; 0.05).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 104337"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141333382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perceived impacts of stressful events on train driver performance","authors":"N.T. Liddell ,&nbsp;P.M. Salmon ,&nbsp;A. Naweed ,&nbsp;G.J.M. Read","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104335","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Acute stress exposure can significantly impact a train driver's capacity to maintain safe train operations. However, research examining how train drivers perceive the impacts of acute stressors is limited. This study investigated train driver perceptions regarding performance impacts of stressful events and potential strategies for reducing negative impacts. 71 Australian train drivers were presented with three stressful event scenarios via an online survey and asked to rate the impacts on driving performance. Results showed that participants perceived that stress would enhance performance, but that impacts differed depending on the event type. The findings suggest that train drivers may not be subjectively aware of negative impacts of acute stress, which has important practical implications for risk management following an incident. Qualitative results revealed the most frequently reported stress impact related to cognition. Practical implications and future research directions to prevent and manage stressful event exposure are discussed.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 104335"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687024001121/pdfft?md5=96bbc5594de292f7468847fd8b762dfb&pid=1-s2.0-S0003687024001121-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141328688","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Road to serenity: Individual variations in the efficacy of unobtrusive respiratory guidance for driving stress regulation","authors":"A.J. Béquet ,&nbsp;C. Jallais ,&nbsp;J. Quick ,&nbsp;D. Ndiaye ,&nbsp;A.R. Hidalgo-Muñoz","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104334","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104334","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Stress impacts driving-related cognitive functions like attention and decision-making, and may arise in automated vehicles due to non-driving tasks. Unobtrusive relaxation techniques are needed to regulate stress without distracting from driving. Tactile wearables have shown efficacy in stress regulation through respiratory guidance, but individual variations may affect their efficacy.</p><p>This study assessed slow-breathing tactile guidance under different stress levels on 85 participants. Physiological, behavioral and subjective data were collected. The influence of individual variations (e.g., driving habits and behavior, personality) using logistic regression analysis was explored.</p><p>Participants could follow the guidance and adjust breathing while driving, but subjective efficacy depended on individual variations linked to different efficiency in using the technique, in relation with its attentional cost. An influence of factors linked to the evaluation of context criticality was also found.</p><p>The results suggest that considering individual and contextual variations is crucial in designing and using such techniques in demanding driving contexts. In this line some design recommendations and insights for further studies are provided.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 104334"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141322120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A year-long case study of multicomponent interventions to promote physical activity in office workers: A randomized control trial","authors":"Alec Gonzales ,&nbsp;Jia-Hua Lin ,&nbsp;Jackie S. Cha","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104333","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104333","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The purpose of this study was to identify if workplace interventions, (i.e., mindfulness classes and monetary incentives for gym attendance), influenced workers’ physical activity. Office-based participants were randomized into one of four intervention assignments: 1) CONTROL (no interventions) (<em>n</em> = 40), 2) MINDFULNESS (<em>n</em> = 33), 3) GYM INCENTIVE (<em>n</em> = 41), or 4) BOTH mindfulness and gym incentive (<em>n</em> = 31). Activity-tracker and self-reported metabolic expenditure and step counts were gathered between January 2020 and December 2020 whereas the eight-week long interventions were provided between January and March 2020, when the impact of COVID-19 pandemic started. While physical activity decreased during the follow-up months, percent changes of physical activity at 1-, 2-, and 9-month follow-ups compared to baseline show no significant differences between or across the four intervention assignments (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). These results suggest that the intervention assignments had no effect on physical activity from baseline. The lack of effectiveness of these interventions on participant physical activity could be attributed to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and any effects of the interventions could not outweigh the effects of the pandemic.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 104333"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141322118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Design and evaluation of the OmniSuit: A passive occupational exoskeleton for back and shoulder support","authors":"Rachel van Sluijs ,&nbsp;Tamina Scholtysik ,&nbsp;Annina Brunner ,&nbsp;Laura Kuoni ,&nbsp;Dario Bee ,&nbsp;Melanie Kos ,&nbsp;Volker Bartenbach ,&nbsp;Olivier Lambercy","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Many physically straining occupations involve lifting movements over the full-vertical range of motion, which over time may lead to the development of musculoskeletal injuries. To address this, occupational exoskeletons can be designed to provide meaningful support to the back and shoulders during lifting movements.</p><p>This paper introduces the main functional design features of the OmniSuit, a novel passive occupational exoskeleton. We present the technical and biomechanical considerations for the expected support level, as well as an evaluation of the physiological benefit and usability of the exoskeleton in a sample of 31 healthy volunteers performing physically demanding tasks in a laboratory setting.</p><p>The OmniSuit exoskeleton significantly reduced Deltoid, Trapezius and Erector Spinae muscle activity between 4.1%MVC and 15.7%MVC when lifting a 2.5<!--> <!-->kg weight above shoulder level (p<!--> <!-->&lt;<!--> <!-->0.001), corresponding to a reduction of up to 49.1% compared to without exoskeleton. A position-dependent reduction of Erector Spinae muscle activity was observed (p<!--> <!-->&lt;<!--> <!-->0.001), with reductions ranging between 4.6%MVC and 14.0%MVC during leaning and squatting, corresponding to a reduction up to 41.5% compared to without exoskeleton. The measured muscular support and the predicted support torque based on the biomechanical model were found to show a similar profile for those phases of the movement which are most straining to the shoulder and back muscles. Participants reported experiencing good device usability and minimal discomfort (&lt;1/10) in the shoulder and back during task execution with exoskeleton support.</p><p>These first results validate that the considered biomechanical model helped design an ergonomic and efficient exoskeleton, and confirm the potential of such wearable assistive devices to provide support over multiple joints during physically demanding tasks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"120 ","pages":"Article 104332"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687024001091/pdfft?md5=79bfd80df5a992de26a2f5048f327c9d&pid=1-s2.0-S0003687024001091-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141322119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The UK VIRTUS helmet: User feedback from Operation TORAL in Afghanistan","authors":"J. Breeze ,&nbsp;J. Davis ,&nbsp;R. Coates ,&nbsp;C. Abbott ,&nbsp;P. Evans ,&nbsp;E.A. Lewis","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104323","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104323","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In 2015, the VIRTUS helmet was introduced to UK Armed Forces and will ultimately replace the Mark 7 combat helmet. The VIRTUS helmet has a reduced trimline compared to the Mark 7 helmet and can incorporate attachments such as a visor, mandible guard and nape protection.</p><p>An anonymous questionnaire was provided to 200 UK Armed Forces personnel deployed to four locations on Operation TORAL in Afghanistan between September and October 2019. This is the first User feedback survey assessing the VIRTUS helmet in an operational environment.</p><p>Users were measured to ascertain the fit of their helmet and asked to rate perceived helmet mass and comfort using a 5-point Likert scale. Users were also asked whether the VIRTUS helmet was better than previous helmets and about their use of the nape protection. The VIRTUS helmet was perceived to be an improvement over previously issued UK combat helmets in terms of both comfort and mass.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 104323"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141200413","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of floor inclination on handle push and pull forces production of the upper limb","authors":"Matthieu Abautret ,&nbsp;Benjamin Goislard De Monsabert ,&nbsp;Chantal Maïs ,&nbsp;Guillaume Rao","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104322","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104322","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Floor inclination can alter hand force production, and lower limb kinetics, affecting control operations, and threatening operator safety in various domains, such as aviation, naval, construction industry, or agriculture. This study investigates the effects of different floor inclinations, on handle push or pull force production. Participants performed maximal isometric contraction tasks requiring to exert a maximal voluntary force either by pulling or pushing a handle, at different floor inclinations from −30° to +30° about the transverse and longitudinal axes. Maximal hand force and Ground Reaction Forces about both feet were recorded. The results revealed non-equivalent variations in hand and feet responses as a function of inclination angle. Specifically, there was a significant reduction in handle push-pull force production, up to 70% (p &lt; 0.001) for extreme inclinations, around both axes. This study provides critical data for design engineers, highlighting the challenge of production forces at steep angles.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 104322"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687024000991/pdfft?md5=347a9154ae13beee1ad3268b3fd66656&pid=1-s2.0-S0003687024000991-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141186893","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life onboard a submarine: Sleep, fatigue, and lifestyle behaviors of sailors on a circadian-aligned watchstanding schedule","authors":"Sarah A. Chabal ,&nbsp;Rachel R. Markwald ,&nbsp;Evan D. Chinoy","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104321","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104321","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study characterizes, for the first time, the lives of U.S. Navy submariners engaged in normal, sea-based operations while following a circadian-aligned 24-h watchstanding schedule. Fifty-eight submarine crewmembers provided objective (actigraphy) and subjective (questionnaires) sleep data, and information about mood and lifestyle behaviors during 30 days underway. Projected performance scores and estimated circadian phase times were also calculated from actigraphy-based sleep/wake data. Submariners’ objective (6.62 ± 0.94 h; mean ± SD) and subjective (5.90 ± 1.38 h) daily sleep quantities while underway were largely comparable to the sleep reportedly received by Sailors across other Navy platforms and watchstanding schedules. Additionally, submariners' actigraphy-predicted circadian phases shifted progressively toward better alignment with watchstanding schedules across time. Nevertheless, subjective sleep quality was low, submariners engaged in unfavorable lifestyle behaviors (lack of regular meals and exercise), and participants reported decreased mood at the completion of their underway time. Recommendations for countermeasure development are provided.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 104321"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368702400098X/pdfft?md5=a8de284078ea29c2c268b9a9b0660e67&pid=1-s2.0-S000368702400098X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141185085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Priority influences task selection decisions in multi-task management","authors":"Christina M. Lewis,&nbsp;Robert S. Gutzwiller,&nbsp;Chelsea K. Johnson","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The role of task priority on task selection in multi-task management is unclear based on prior work, leading to a common finding of ‘priority neglect’. However, properties such as urgency and conflict may influence whether operators weigh priority in their decision. We examined the role of instructed task prioritization, bolstered by more urgent and conflicting conditions, on how operators select among emergent, concurrent tasks when multitasking. Using the Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB) multitasking platform we tested both an auditory communications task and a manual tracking task as the priority tasks. Results showed that instructed priority significantly increased target task selection under the conflicting task conditions for both tasks. Urgency itself may modulate whether instructions to prioritize affect task selection choices when multitasking, and therefore counter to prior results instructions may yet be useful for helping operators select a higher priority task under conflict, a generalizable effect to be further explored.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 104317"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141185087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The operational development of diagnostic seasickness criteria through a human cyber-physical system","authors":"Nicole Catherine Taylor,&nbsp;Anriëtte Bekker,&nbsp;Karel Kruger","doi":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.apergo.2024.104316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Thresholds that guide diagnoses of probable and acceptable seasickness levels on board ships are scarcely reported in literature. Motion sickness incidence and motion sickness dose value thresholds exist, but are defined for specific environments, such as naval, or offered merely as optional criteria for ship performance metrics. The presented work communicates a novel means of developing seasickness diagnostic criteria during ship operation, based on observations from shipboard measurement systems and seafarers using an innovative platform. The innovative platform provides personalised seasickness criteria that are accessible during ship operation to estimate the probable level of seasickness on board. Results are compared to that from a traditional method of data acquisition and analyses, post operation, revealing a similar trend in diagnostic threshold magnitudes (13–85 m/s^1.5) that can be applicable to voyages with different durations (0.5–6 hr) considering desired levels of seasickness (10–50 %). The seasickness criteria are envisioned to be pertinent for the prediction of probable seasickness levels based on sea state forecasts and ship motion estimation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55502,"journal":{"name":"Applied Ergonomics","volume":"119 ","pages":"Article 104316"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687024000930/pdfft?md5=6fd9911dfac8b19b157e60392df18abb&pid=1-s2.0-S0003687024000930-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141176764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}