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Human Factors in the Digital Society
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Human Factors in the Digital Society

A topical collection in Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417).

Viewed by 49176

Editors

Prof. Dr. Francesco Facchini

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Politecnico di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: warehouse management systems; logistics; waste management; artificial neural networks; ergonomics; cognitive ergonomics; Industry 4.0
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Salvatore Digiesi

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Mechanics, Mathematics and Management, Polytechnic University of Bari, Via Orabona 4, 70125 Bari, Italy
Interests: human performance modeling; ergonomics; waste management; mechanical industrial plants; sustainable logistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Carlotta Mummolo

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Newark, NJ 07103, USA
Interests: human performance; healthy aging; motor vs. cognitive assessment; motor rehabilitation

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

New Internet-based technologies have enormous potential to affect human wellbeing. This necessitates valid and consistent assessment of human factors and human performance in every area of the digital society, ranging from the everyday life of citizens to the work environment.

Different contexts are linked to similar challenges, and require similar problems to be solved: the common roots are human behaviors and new information technologies. As a result, the human-centered social-cyber-physical system has become the common reference framework in today’s society.

To attain a holistic understanding, it is important to identify challenges and opportunities related to human factors and human performance in the digital society: research in this context is still new, and significant achievements are limited.

Human factors in the digital society at large assume new perspectives, as they tend to be linked to tasks of a more cognitive rather than a physical nature. For instance, decision-making based on real time data is a new challenge for humans in various everyday scenarios. Moreover, monitoring of physical systems by the ‘Internet of Everything’ is becoming a widely adopted practice in several contexts, especially industry. Accurate modelling of cognitive tasks will enable proper investigation of the ergonomics of workplaces and of the safety and maintenance of production systems. The design of human-centered social-cyber-physical systems should also consider older individuals and people with disabilities—i.e., people less familiar with and, therefore, less inclined to adopt new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Assessing the cognitive abilities of differently aged people in the digital society requires a deep understanding of complex phenomena involving transversal competence. These are just some examples of relevant issues connected with human factors in the digital society.

The Topical Collection aims to collect recent innovative research on human factors and human performance in the digital era. Scientific contributions, ranging from basic research to applied research with pilot industrial applications and demos, are welcome. The interdisciplinary nature of this Topical Collection is consistent with contributions from different areas of competence, ranging from industrial to biomedical engineering.

Prof. Dr. Francesco Facchini
Prof. Dr. Salvatore Digiesi
Dr. Carlotta Mummolo
Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Human factors and human performance in the digital society
  • Human-centered social-cyber-physical systems
  • Cognitive vs. motor human tasks
  • I4.0 Ergonomics
  • Smart operators for safety and maintenance of digital factories
  • Testing motor and cognitive tasks
  • Human memory
  • Workforce aging and people with disabilities in the digital society
  • Human performance modelling

Published Papers (16 papers)

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2022

Jump to: 2021, 2020

17 pages, 924 KiB  
Article
Rhythmic-Synchronization-Based Interaction: Effect of Interfering Auditory Stimuli, Age and Gender on Users’ Performances
by Alessio Bellino
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 3053; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063053 - 17 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1823
Abstract
Rhythmic-synchronization-based interaction is an emerging interaction technique where multiple controls with different rhythms are displayed in visual form, and the user can select one of them by matching the corresponding rhythm. These techniques can be used to control smart objects in environments where [...] Read more.
Rhythmic-synchronization-based interaction is an emerging interaction technique where multiple controls with different rhythms are displayed in visual form, and the user can select one of them by matching the corresponding rhythm. These techniques can be used to control smart objects in environments where there may be interfering auditory stimuli that contrast with the visual rhythm (e.g., to control Smart TVs while playing music), and this could compromise users’ ability to synchronize. Moreover, these techniques require certain reflex skills to properly synchronize with the displayed rhythm, and these skills may vary depending on the age and gender of the users. To determine the impact of interfering auditory stimuli, age, and gender on users’ ability to synchronize, we conducted a user study with 103 participants. Our results show that there are no significant differences between the conditions of interfering and noninterfering auditory stimuli and that synchronization ability decreases with age, with males performing better than females—at least as far as younger users are concerned. As a result, two implications emerge: first, users are capable of focusing only on visual rhythm ignoring the auditory interfering rhythm, so listening to an interfering rhythm should not be a major concern for synchronization; second, as age and gender have an impact, these systems may be designed to allow for customization of rhythm speed so that different users can choose the speed that best suits their reflex skills. Full article
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2021

Jump to: 2022, 2020

21 pages, 1782 KiB  
Article
Project Management Information Systems (PMISs): A Statistical-Based Analysis for the Evaluation of Software Packages Features
by Rosa Micale, Concetta Manuela La Fata, Alberto Lombardo and Giada La Scalia
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(23), 11233; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112311233 - 26 Nov 2021
Viewed by 3509
Abstract
Project Managers (PMs) working in competitive markets are finding Project Management Information Systems (PMISs) useful for planning, organizing and controlling projects of varying complexity. A wide variety of PMIS software is available, suitable for projects differing in scope and user needs. This paper [...] Read more.
Project Managers (PMs) working in competitive markets are finding Project Management Information Systems (PMISs) useful for planning, organizing and controlling projects of varying complexity. A wide variety of PMIS software is available, suitable for projects differing in scope and user needs. This paper identifies the most useful features found in PMISs. An extensive literature review and analysis of commercial software is made to identify the main features of PMISs. Afterwards, the list is reduced by a panel of project management experts, and a statistical analysis is performed on data acquired by means of two different surveys. The relative importance of listed features is properly computed, and the interactions between the respondent’s profiles and PMIS features are also investigated by cluster and respondents’ analyses. The paper provides information for researchers and practitioners interested in PMISs packages and their applications. Furthermore, the analyses may help practitioners when choosing a PMIS, and also for developers of PMISs software in understanding user needs. Full article
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13 pages, 533 KiB  
Article
A Taxonomy of Technologies for Human-Centred Logistics 4.0
by Alexandra Lagorio, Chiara Cimini, Fabiana Pirola and Roberto Pinto
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(20), 9661; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11209661 - 16 Oct 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3652
Abstract
Following the spread of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, the role of digital technologies in manufacturing, especially in production and industrial logistics processes, has become increasingly pivotal. Although the push towards digitalization and processes interconnection can bring substantial benefits, it may also increase the [...] Read more.
Following the spread of the Industry 4.0 paradigm, the role of digital technologies in manufacturing, especially in production and industrial logistics processes, has become increasingly pivotal. Although the push towards digitalization and processes interconnection can bring substantial benefits, it may also increase the complexity of processes in terms of integration and management. To fully exploit the potential of technology, companies are required to develop an in-depth knowledge of each operational activity and related human aspects in the contexts where technology solutions can be implemented. Indeed, analyzing the impacts of technology on human work is key to promoting human-centred smart manufacturing and logistics processes. Therefore, this paper aims at increasing and systematizing knowledge about technologies supporting internal logistics working activities The main contribution of this paper is a taxonomy of the technologies that may be implemented in the different internal logistics areas to support a Logistics 4.0 model. Such a contribution is elaborated in accordance with a deductive approach (i.e., reasoning from the particular to the general), and backed up by an analysis of the literature. The taxonomy represents a useful framework to understand the current and possible technological implementations to drive logistics processes towards Logistics 4.0, with specific attention to the relation between human operators and technologies. Full article
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22 pages, 1874 KiB  
Article
The Human Performance Impact on OEE in the Adoption of New Production Technologies
by Sebastiano Di Luozzo, Georgiana Ramona Pop and Massimiliano Maria Schiraldi
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(18), 8620; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11188620 - 16 Sep 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2594
Abstract
The initial adoption phase of new production technologies is the period between the first production run or technology reconfiguration and the achievement of a stable target output. This time frame is generally characterized by productivity unsteadiness, quality performance variability, and unexpected machine failures [...] Read more.
The initial adoption phase of new production technologies is the period between the first production run or technology reconfiguration and the achievement of a stable target output. This time frame is generally characterized by productivity unsteadiness, quality performance variability, and unexpected machine failures together with increasing production volumes due to the process setup and instability, which inevitably affects production output. In this context, human performance represents an additional source of variability and process instability that is dependent on the workers’ productivity, learning curve and related training activities. Hence, to effectively assess the ramp-up phase of new production technologies, an appropriate evaluation of human performance is required. This paper proposes a comprehensive framework and criteria to perform a consistent assessment of the initial adoption phase of new production technologies by introducing two OEE measurement methodologies that distinguish between human performance, process configuration and technical features of the production technology. The proposed framework is then applied to and validated by a case study concerning the introduction of a semi-automatic packaging machine in a primary multinational company in the logistics industry. This case study shows the difference between the two OEE measures, along with the values interpretation and useful insights for achieving a stable production output. Full article
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28 pages, 561 KiB  
Article
Respite for SMEs: A Systematic Review of Socio-Technical Cybersecurity Metrics
by Max van Haastrecht, Bilge Yigit Ozkan, Matthieu Brinkhuis and Marco Spruit
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(15), 6909; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11156909 - 27 Jul 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3891
Abstract
Cybersecurity threats are on the rise, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to cope with these developments. To combat threats, SMEs must first be willing and able to assess their cybersecurity posture. Cybersecurity risk assessment, generally performed with the help of metrics, [...] Read more.
Cybersecurity threats are on the rise, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle to cope with these developments. To combat threats, SMEs must first be willing and able to assess their cybersecurity posture. Cybersecurity risk assessment, generally performed with the help of metrics, provides the basis for an adequate defense. Significant challenges remain, however, especially in the complex socio-technical setting of SMEs. Seemingly basic questions, such as how to aggregate metrics and ensure solution adaptability, are still open to debate. Aggregation and adaptability are vital topics to SMEs, as they require the assimilation of metrics into an actionable advice adapted to their situation and needs. To address these issues, we systematically review socio-technical cybersecurity metric research in this paper. We analyse aggregation and adaptability considerations and investigate how current findings apply to the SME situation. To ensure that we provide valuable insights to researchers and practitioners, we integrate our results in a novel socio-technical cybersecurity framework geared towards the needs of SMEs. Our framework allowed us to determine a glaring need for intuitive, threat-based cybersecurity risk assessment approaches for the least digitally mature SMEs. In the future, we hope our framework will help to offer SMEs some deserved respite by guiding the design of suitable cybersecurity assessment solutions. Full article
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21 pages, 1626 KiB  
Review
Accessibility in Native Mobile Applications for Users with Disabilities: A Scoping Review
by Patricia Acosta-Vargas, Belén Salvador-Acosta, Luis Salvador-Ullauri, William Villegas-Ch. and Mario Gonzalez
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(12), 5707; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11125707 - 20 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4722
Abstract
The objective of this scoping review is to characterize the current scenario of mobile applications considering accessibility issues for people with cognitive, motor, and sensory disabilities. Nowadays, mobile devices have grown exponentially, giving way to new ways of relating, managing, and working. In [...] Read more.
The objective of this scoping review is to characterize the current scenario of mobile applications considering accessibility issues for people with cognitive, motor, and sensory disabilities. Nowadays, mobile devices have grown exponentially, giving way to new ways of relating, managing, and working. In this context, mobile devices seek to democratize access to knowledge on different topics; however, the application of accessibility guidelines is neglected. The reviewers extracted the most relevant articles published between 2000 and 2020 from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. In this scoping review, the PRISMA-ScR checklist was used to extract scientific articles; Cohen’s kappa coefficient = 0.4117 was applied, which implies moderate concordance of reviewers; 22 primary studies were extracted from a total of 211. The results obtained in this research suggest applying WCAG 2.1 in mobile applications to achieve an adequate level of accessibility. Future work suggests designing review tools that include machine learning based on artificial intelligence algorithms. Full article
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15 pages, 3496 KiB  
Article
An Agent-Specific Stochastic Model of Generalized Reaching Task Difficulty
by Andrea Lucchese, Salvatore Digiesi, Kübra Akbaş and Carlotta Mummolo
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4330; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104330 - 11 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1231
Abstract
The ability of an agent to accomplish a trajectory during a certain motor task depends on the fit between external (environment) and internal (agent) constraints, also known as affordance. A model of difficulty for a generalized reaching motor task is proposed as an [...] Read more.
The ability of an agent to accomplish a trajectory during a certain motor task depends on the fit between external (environment) and internal (agent) constraints, also known as affordance. A model of difficulty for a generalized reaching motor task is proposed as an affordance-related measure, as perceived by a specific agent for a given environment and task. By extending the information-based Index of Difficulty of a trajectory, a stochastic model of difficulty is formulated based on the observed variability of spatial trajectories executed by a given agent during a repetitive motor task. The model is tested on an experimental walking dataset available in the literature, where the repetitive stride movement of differently aged subjects (14 “old” subjects aged 50–73; 20 “young” subjects aged 21–37) at multiple speed conditions (comfortable, ~30% faster, ~30% slower) is analyzed. Reduced trajectory variability in older as compared to younger adults results in a higher Index of Difficulty (slower: +24%, p < 0.0125; faster: +38%, p < 0.002) which is interpreted in this context as reduced affordance. The model overcomes the limits of existing difficulty measures by capturing the stochastic dependency of task difficulty on a subject’s age and average speed. This model provides a benchmarking tool for motor performance in biomechanics and ergonomics applications. Full article
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25 pages, 13077 KiB  
Article
The Role of Maintenance Operator in Industrial Manufacturing Systems: Research Topics and Trends
by Alessia M. R. Tortora, Valentina Di Pasquale, Chiara Franciosi, Salvatore Miranda and Raffaele Iannone
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(7), 3193; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11073193 - 02 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3920
Abstract
Maintenance contributes to gaining high business performance, guarantees system availability and reliability as well as safe and sustainable operations. Maintenance activity effectiveness depends on competences and the skills of operators whose performance strongly affects maintenance and production operations. The research field of human [...] Read more.
Maintenance contributes to gaining high business performance, guarantees system availability and reliability as well as safe and sustainable operations. Maintenance activity effectiveness depends on competences and the skills of operators whose performance strongly affects maintenance and production operations. The research field of human issues in industrial maintenance was deeply addressed in the literature; however, the current industrial paradigm, which focusses on the integration of new technologies in conventional manufacturing operations to support human performance, sheds light on new challenges for enterprises and opportunities for research in this field. While some literature reviews in the field of human errors and human factors are available, no study investigated the main topics, research trends and challenges related to the role of maintenance operators in manufacturing systems. This paper addresses the current state-of-the-art role of maintenance operators in manufacturing systems, providing an overview of the main studies. A systematic literature review was carried out to identify significant papers. Then, a topic modelling algorithm was used to detect the main topics of the selected papers to provide the research trends of the subject. The identified topics provided interesting research insights on the human role in industrial maintenance. Research trends and further research opportunities were defined. Full article
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18 pages, 6914 KiB  
Article
A Rule-Based System for Human Performance Evaluation: A Case Study
by Iva Mikulić, Dragutin Lisjak and Nedeljko Štefanić
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(7), 2904; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11072904 - 24 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2159
Abstract
The issues of many organizations are related to the proper evaluation of human performance and efficient decision-making. The expert system application within the decision-making process is not a novelty, but the widespread of its implementation regarding performance evaluation has not been recognized yet. [...] Read more.
The issues of many organizations are related to the proper evaluation of human performance and efficient decision-making. The expert system application within the decision-making process is not a novelty, but the widespread of its implementation regarding performance evaluation has not been recognized yet. To overcome this problem, a case study of rule-based expert system application in the decision-making process regarding human performance in periodical technical inspection stations in Croatia is presented. The rule-based expert system improves the quality of traditional decision-making as designed rules provide a visual, transparent, and accurate comparison of observed values with the expected values. Moreover, it provides easy problem identification. Therefore, rules regarding periodical technical inspection inspectors’ performance are designed and embedded in the expert system architecture. However, more effort should be made into data analysis to define parameters and their relations for the purpose of designing rules. Thus, the binary logistic regression and an ANOVA statistical test were conducted to identify which parameters can be assumed as relevant indicators regarding the performance of periodical technical inspection inspectors. In this study, the expert system application has resulted in faster response, greater efficiency, and increased objectivity. That is of utmost importance for providing an efficient and transparent periodical technical inspection system. Full article
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2020

Jump to: 2022, 2021

13 pages, 1169 KiB  
Article
Bi-Objective Design and Management of Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems to Optimize Technical and Ergonomic Performances
by Marco Bortolini, Lucia Botti, Francesco Gabriele Galizia and Alberto Regattieri
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(1), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010263 - 29 Dec 2020
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2078
Abstract
In the last decades, Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs) rose as an emerging manufacturing strategy matching the modern industrial and market requirements asking for a wide variety of products in flexible batches. A traditional reconfigurable manufacturing environment consists of dynamic cells, called Reconfigurable Machine [...] Read more.
In the last decades, Reconfigurable Manufacturing Systems (RMSs) rose as an emerging manufacturing strategy matching the modern industrial and market requirements asking for a wide variety of products in flexible batches. A traditional reconfigurable manufacturing environment consists of dynamic cells, called Reconfigurable Machine Cells (RMCs), including a set of machines called Reconfigurable Machine Tools (RMTs). Such machines are characterized by fixed elements, i.e., basic modules, and dynamic elements, i.e., auxiliary modules, allowing them to perform different operations. Despite their automation level, these systems require the intervention of the human operators in performing specific tasks, e.g., handling of the auxiliary modules from the warehouse to the RMTs and their assembly/disassembly to/from the RMTs. This issue rises relevant ergonomic and safety questions due to the human–machine collaboration. Following this stream, this paper proposes and applies a bi-objective optimization model for the design and management of RMSs. The technical objective function minimizes the reconfiguration time, i.e., the time needed to equip the RMTs with the required auxiliary modules, and the part and auxiliary module travel time among the RMCs. The ergonomic objective function minimizes the repetitive movements performed by the human operators during the working activities according to the ISO 11228-3 standard. Results show the existence of a good trade-off between the two objective functions, proving the possibility to improve the ergonomic conditions of the human operators without excessively increasing the total time needed for RMTs reconfiguration and for part and auxiliary module travelling. Full article
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25 pages, 3478 KiB  
Review
Web-Based Serious Games and Accessibility: A Systematic Literature Review
by Luis Salvador-Ullauri, Patricia Acosta-Vargas and Sergio Luján-Mora
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7859; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217859 - 06 Nov 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4534
Abstract
Nowadays, serious games, called training or learning games, have been incorporated into teaching and learning processes. Due to the increase of their use, the need to guarantee their accessibility arises in order to include people with disabilities in the educational environments in an [...] Read more.
Nowadays, serious games, called training or learning games, have been incorporated into teaching and learning processes. Due to the increase of their use, the need to guarantee their accessibility arises in order to include people with disabilities in the educational environments in an integral way. There are reviews of the literature on video games but not on web-based serious games. Serious games are different from the previous ones because their educational processes allow reinforcing learning. This literature review was conducted using the recommendations for systematic reviews proposed by Kitchenham and Petersen. Three independent reviewers searched the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, and Web of Science databases for the most relevant articles published between 2000 and 2020. Review selection and extraction were made using an interactive team approach. We applied the study selection process’s flowchart adapted from the PRISMA statement to filter in three stages. This systematic literature review provides researchers and practitioners with the current state of web-based serious games and accessibility, considering cognitive, motor, and sensory disabilities. Full article
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21 pages, 2274 KiB  
Article
Workers’ Aging Management—Human Fatigue at Work: An Experimental Offices Study
by Marcello Fera, Vittoria De Padova, Valentina Di Pasquale, Francesco Caputo, Mario Caterino and Roberto Macchiaroli
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7693; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217693 - 30 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2143
Abstract
The aging issue in the work context is becoming a significant element of the future sustainability of service and industrial companies. It is well known that with increasing worker age the problem of maintaining the performance and the safety level when fatigue increases [...] Read more.
The aging issue in the work context is becoming a significant element of the future sustainability of service and industrial companies. It is well known that with increasing worker age the problem of maintaining the performance and the safety level when fatigue increases is a crucial point, and fatigue increases with the age. Due to social and political developments, especially in Western countries, the retirement age is increasing and companies operate with a higher workforce mean age. Therefore, the problem of recognizing and measuring fatigue has become a key aspect in the management of aging. Note that in the scientific engineering field, the problem of fatigue evaluation when a worker is performing his/her work activities is an important issue in the industrial and service world and especially in the context of the researchers that are investigating the human reliability assessment. As it is clear from the literature, the industrial operations management are suffering from some misleading concepts that only the medicine scientific context can clarify. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to define what are the open issues and the misleading concepts present in the classical fatigue evaluation methods, and second to define two experimental curves of fatigue that will help the decision makers to minimize the impact of fatigue on the workers, thus maximizing the sustainability of the working tasks assigned. This aim is achieved by examining the medical literature about the measurement of a particular kind of fatigue related to the circadian cycle, i.e., the cognitive one; after that, a survey about the possible technologies for measurements is performed. On the basis of technology selection, an experiment on real work activities is performed and some remarkable results about the fatigue in the workers observed and the technology use and its limitations are defined. Full article
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11 pages, 2675 KiB  
Article
A ‘Speed—Difficulty—Accuracy’ Model Following a General Trajectory Motor Task with Spatial Constraints: An Information-Based Model
by Salvatore Digiesi, Andrea Lucchese and Carlotta Mummolo
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(21), 7516; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10217516 - 26 Oct 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1539
Abstract
Accuracy in executing a motor task, i.e., in following a given trajectory under geometrical constraints, is of great interest in work operations as well as in biomechanics applications. In the framework of the Fitts’ law research on motor tasks, experimental studies usually refer [...] Read more.
Accuracy in executing a motor task, i.e., in following a given trajectory under geometrical constraints, is of great interest in work operations as well as in biomechanics applications. In the framework of the Fitts’ law research on motor tasks, experimental studies usually refer to simple trajectories which are of low interest in practical applications. Furthermore, available models lack predicting accuracy in executing motor tasks since do not systematically investigate effects of both speed and task difficulty (index of difficulty (ID)). In this paper, the authors propose a ‘Speed-ID-Accuracy’ model aiming at overcoming abovementioned limits. The model is of general validity as is based on an information-based formulation of a trajectory ID; the model proposed put into relation accuracy in task execution with a general trajectory and with the speed of task execution. Modeling accuracy, defined as standard deviation of the endpoint position, is carried out by regressing data available in the literature. The model proposed proves to be more accurate than the classical ‘Speed-Accuracy’ model in fitting available data. Such a result has been found in both numerical cases relating to ‘tunnel’ and ‘circular’ traveling tasks. Limits of data from field experiments are stressed out and future research field of investigations in work environment and biomechanics are figured out. Full article
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15 pages, 1444 KiB  
Article
Combined Method for Evaluating Accessibility in Serious Games
by Luis Salvador-Ullauri, Patricia Acosta-Vargas, Mario Gonzalez and Sergio Luján-Mora
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(18), 6324; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10186324 - 11 Sep 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4565
Abstract
Nowadays, one of the learning resources in the educational area are serious games, also called training games; they are games designed with a different purpose than fun, whose main objective is to reinforce the new concepts more creatively. However, not all existing serious [...] Read more.
Nowadays, one of the learning resources in the educational area are serious games, also called training games; they are games designed with a different purpose than fun, whose main objective is to reinforce the new concepts more creatively. However, not all existing serious games are accessible in a way that allows access to a more significant number of users. Therefore, this research proposes to apply a combined method to evaluate accessibility in serious games, considering the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. As a case study, we evaluated the accessibility of 82 serious games developed by Physical Education Technology Interactive Simulations at the University of Colorado. We propose to replicate this combined method for users with various types of disabilities, considering the various accessibility barriers. As future work, we suggest generating an accessibility heuristic evaluation focused on serious games, based on the accessibility issues identified. Finally, we believe it is essential to strengthen accessibility policies in each country, as well as implement best practices that generate innovation by incorporating diversity in building and designing more inclusive serious games. Full article
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21 pages, 1408 KiB  
Article
Human Cognitive and Motor Abilities in the Aging Workforce: An Information-Based Model
by Salvatore Digiesi, Daniela Cavallo, Andrea Lucchese and Carlotta Mummolo
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(17), 5958; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10175958 - 28 Aug 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2001
Abstract
In the digital society, individuals are in charge of performing tasks based on the information gathered by huge amount of data and effectively use them to manifest their cognitive and motor abilities. In this paper, on the basis of experimental studies available in [...] Read more.
In the digital society, individuals are in charge of performing tasks based on the information gathered by huge amount of data and effectively use them to manifest their cognitive and motor abilities. In this paper, on the basis of experimental studies available in literature concerning lab tests on motor or cognitive abilities of differently aged subjects, an information-based theoretical model is proposed. The model allows to quantify the information content of a motor or a cognitive task and provides estimates of information processing time of individuals of different age and sex in accomplishing tasks with prevalent motor or cognitive nature, in spite of the fact that a “pure” cognitive or a “pure” motor task are rarely observed in practical cases. The model is then applied to a case study from automotive industry in which workforce aging phenomenon is experienced. Potential applications of the model go beyond the case study developed. Quantifying the information content of a general motor-cognitive task paves the way to new understanding and modelling of movements and performance time of both natural and artificial systems with applications in industrial robotics (e.g., human-robot cooperation), biomechanics, and neurorehabilitation. Full article
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17 pages, 3767 KiB  
Article
Things2People Interaction toward Energy Savings in Shared Spaces Using BIM
by Bruno Mataloto, Hugo Mendes and Joao C. Ferreira
Appl. Sci. 2020, 10(16), 5709; https://doi.org/10.3390/app10165709 - 18 Aug 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2439
Abstract
People in shared building space have an important role in energy consumption because they can turn on/off equipment and heat/cooling systems. This behaviour can be influenced by giving then locally tailored context information (energy consumption, temperature, luminosity) and information about the cost of [...] Read more.
People in shared building space have an important role in energy consumption because they can turn on/off equipment and heat/cooling systems. This behaviour can be influenced by giving then locally tailored context information (energy consumption, temperature, luminosity) and information about the cost of their actions. This paper presents an approach to create personalized local energy consumption predictions in a building using past sensor data, correlated with external conditions to create local context predictions. This prediction is sent in real-time to people’s mobile devices in order to influence their behaviour when increasing or decreasing temperature using heating or cooling systems. This information is essential for sustainability actions in shared spaces, where this information can have an important role. Also, the data (temperature) representation in the building information model (BIM) module can help the user understand environment conditions and, together with the user sharing their thermal feelings, can be used to change behaviour. This approach using BIM’s representation models allows Things2People interaction to improve energy savings in these shared spaces. Full article
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