Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103873
Mariam Ayobami Tomori , Omobolanle R. Ogunseiju , Joshua Nsiah Addo Ofori , Yong Cho
The construction industry remains one of the most hazardous fields, with workers exposed to strenuous and repetitive tasks. Wearable robots such as exoskeletons are emerging as ergonomic interventions that enhance strength, reduce muscle fatigue and discomfort, yet they also introduce unintended social and ethical concerns. While health and safety risks have been explored, limited research has examined the social and ethical risks associated with exoskeleton use in construction. This study investigates these risks, their effects on workers’ safety, and their influence on wearable robot implementation. Exploratory factor analysis identified seven main categories of concern: design and inclusivity, safety and autonomy, social perception and acceptance, dependency and health, usability, data privacy and security, and economic burden. The results reveal a distinction between the perceived impact of these risks and their criticality for adoption. Although many risks were viewed as highly impactful, only those related to safety, accessibility, and equitable deployment were considered very critical. Identity-related risks, for instance, were seen as highly impactful but less critical for implementation. The findings support the need for ethical and socially responsible approaches to the design and deployment of exoskeletons in construction, with the aim of protecting workers, promoting equitable adoption, and improving the human-wearable robot experience.
{"title":"An investigation of the ethical and social risks of wearable robots in the construction industry: A delphi study and focus group approach","authors":"Mariam Ayobami Tomori , Omobolanle R. Ogunseiju , Joshua Nsiah Addo Ofori , Yong Cho","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103873","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The construction industry remains one of the most hazardous fields, with workers exposed to strenuous and repetitive tasks. Wearable robots such as exoskeletons are emerging as ergonomic interventions that enhance strength, reduce muscle fatigue and discomfort, yet they also introduce unintended social and ethical concerns. While health and safety risks have been explored, limited research has examined the social and ethical risks associated with exoskeleton use in construction. This study investigates these risks, their effects on workers’ safety, and their influence on wearable robot implementation. Exploratory factor analysis identified seven main categories of concern: design and inclusivity, safety and autonomy, social perception and acceptance, dependency and health, usability, data privacy and security, and economic burden. The results reveal a distinction between the perceived impact of these risks and their criticality for adoption. Although many risks were viewed as highly impactful, only those related to safety, accessibility, and equitable deployment were considered very critical. Identity-related risks, for instance, were seen as highly impactful but less critical for implementation. The findings support the need for ethical and socially responsible approaches to the design and deployment of exoskeletons in construction, with the aim of protecting workers, promoting equitable adoption, and improving the human-wearable robot experience.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103873"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145884437","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}
With the rapid adoption of e-bikes in urban transportation, traffic safety concerns associated with their use have become increasingly prominent. Unsafe riding behaviors have been identified as a major cause of e-bike-related crashes, yet the underlying psychological determinants remain insufficiently understood. This study aims to address a critical question: Are unsafe behaviors the result of e-biker riders being clueless, careless, or lacking control? To this end, a theoretical model incorporating safety knowledge, risk perception, and perceived behavioral control was developed to predict unsafe behaviors and was validated using data from a sample of 719 urban e-bike riders in China. In addition, multigroup analyses were conducted to examine how these relationships vary across occupational (regular vs. delivery riders) and age (≤30 vs. >30 years) subgroups. The findings indicate that perceived behavioral control is the strongest predictor of unsafe riding behaviors, particularly pronounced among delivery riders. This suggests that a perceived lack of control, often attributed to external constraints, is a key antecedent of unsafe behaviors. Safety knowledge exerts an indirect effect on behavior via safety attitude and demonstrates a consistently negative influence across all subgroups. In contrast, the impact of risk perception differs significantly by age: while it helps mitigate unsafe behaviors among older riders, it is positively associated with such behaviors among younger riders, reflecting a “reverse careless” effect. These findings highlight the complexity of the psychological mechanisms underlying unsafe riding behaviors and highlight the need for targeted, subgroup-specific behavioral interventions.
{"title":"Clueless, careless, or lacking control? Understanding the psychological determinants of unsafe riding behavior among urban E-bike users","authors":"Tingru Zhang, Yinglin Wu, Yuanjia Zheng, Yanxuan Zhang, Da Tao, Disi Tian, Xingda Qu","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rapid adoption of e-bikes in urban transportation, traffic safety concerns associated with their use have become increasingly prominent. Unsafe riding behaviors have been identified as a major cause of e-bike-related crashes, yet the underlying psychological determinants remain insufficiently understood. This study aims to address a critical question: Are unsafe behaviors the result of e-biker riders being <em>clueless</em>, <em>careless</em>, or <em>lacking control</em>? To this end, a theoretical model incorporating safety knowledge, risk perception, and perceived behavioral control was developed to predict unsafe behaviors and was validated using data from a sample of 719 urban e-bike riders in China. In addition, multigroup analyses were conducted to examine how these relationships vary across occupational (regular vs. delivery riders) and age (≤30 vs. >30 years) subgroups. The findings indicate that perceived behavioral contro<strong>l</strong> is the strongest predictor of unsafe riding behaviors, particularly pronounced among delivery riders. This suggests that a perceived lack of control, often attributed to external constraints, is a key antecedent of unsafe behaviors. Safety knowledge exerts an indirect effect on behavior via safety attitude and demonstrates a consistently negative influence across all subgroups. In contrast, the impact of risk perception differs significantly by age: while it helps mitigate unsafe behaviors among older riders, it is positively associated with such behaviors among younger riders, reflecting a “reverse careless” effect. These findings highlight the complexity of the psychological mechanisms underlying unsafe riding behaviors and highlight the need for targeted, subgroup-specific behavioral interventions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103871"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840538","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103868
Zhenlin Fu , Yupeng Hu , Xinyi Lin , Lixia Jiang , Xiyi Chen , Yi Song , Zishun Yuan , Bingfei Gu , Chengxia Liu , Wang Xu
The design and manufacture of body armour currently do not consider the influence of the shape of the human body on its ballistic and ergonomic performance. Developing finite element (FE) models of body armour on the human body could facilitate comprehensively exploring ballistic and ergonomic behaviours of the body armour, but requires massive costs regarding materials and time. To efficiently realize the exploration, this study aims to develop a systemic methodology based on the virtual try-on technique, where FE models of various types of body armour can be efficiently and precisely created. The whole process incorporates: (1) the creation of geometric models based on the virtual try-on, reverse engineering, and normal offsetting; (2) the acquisition of material properties; (3) the development of the FE models of body armour. This methodology is validated to be accurate by analyzing the deviation between the FE models developed using the methodology and those based on 3D scanning, and is estimated to save approximately USD 129 and 248 min for developing one body armour model. The influential factors based on the human body, including curvature, impact position, and air gap, are studied, which verifies the effectiveness of the FE models. This methodology can facilitate analyzing and predicting the ballistic behaviours of soft body armour based on anthropometry in detail, paving the way for the design of body armour based on ergonomics with better ballistic performance.
{"title":"Virtual try-on for FE modelling of body armour on the human body against ballistic impact","authors":"Zhenlin Fu , Yupeng Hu , Xinyi Lin , Lixia Jiang , Xiyi Chen , Yi Song , Zishun Yuan , Bingfei Gu , Chengxia Liu , Wang Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103868","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103868","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The design and manufacture of body armour currently do not consider the influence of the shape of the human body on its ballistic and ergonomic performance. Developing finite element (FE) models of body armour on the human body could facilitate comprehensively exploring ballistic and ergonomic behaviours of the body armour, but requires massive costs regarding materials and time. To efficiently realize the exploration, this study aims to develop a systemic methodology based on the virtual try-on technique, where FE models of various types of body armour can be efficiently and precisely created. The whole process incorporates: (1) the creation of geometric models based on the virtual try-on, reverse engineering, and normal offsetting; (2) the acquisition of material properties; (3) the development of the FE models of body armour. This methodology is validated to be accurate by analyzing the deviation between the FE models developed using the methodology and those based on 3D scanning, and is estimated to save approximately USD 129 and 248 min for developing one body armour model. The influential factors based on the human body, including curvature, impact position, and air gap, are studied, which verifies the effectiveness of the FE models. This methodology can facilitate analyzing and predicting the ballistic behaviours of soft body armour based on anthropometry in detail, paving the way for the design of body armour based on ergonomics with better ballistic performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103868"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840539","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103867
Md Hadisur Rahman, JuHyeong Ryu
Physically demanding tasks pose significant challenges to worker health, safety, and productivity across various industrial sectors, particularly in construction. Physical fatigue, a major contributor to workplace accidents, compromises individual well-being and economic outcomes. Traditional fatigue assessment methods often lack accuracy, comfort, or real-world applicability. This study introduces a multimodal physical fatigue assessment method employing a wearable sensor to collect both physiological data, heart rate (HR) and skin temperature (ST), and kinematic data, jerk. The Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale was used to validate the method, which was tested on twenty-two participants (mean age: 28.5 ± 3.6 years) performing manual material handling tasks. The findings indicate that HR, ST, and jerk values increase as tasks become more strenuous, correlating with higher RPE scores. Integrating physiological and kinematic metrics with subjective validation effectively captures the multifaceted nature of fatigue, enabling real-time monitoring. Notably, incorporating jerk as a kinematic measure addresses limitations of previous methods by providing a rapid-response indicator of motor control and ultimately physical fatigue. This comprehensive approach has potential applications in manual material handling tasks and, with further validation, may be extended to other industrial contexts where repetitive lifting and carrying are common. By offering practical, data-driven solutions that enhance workplace safety and health, this approach can reduce accidents, injuries and support proactive risk management strategies.
{"title":"A multimodal physical fatigue assessment method using a biomarker and accelerometer-embedded wearable wristband","authors":"Md Hadisur Rahman, JuHyeong Ryu","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103867","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103867","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Physically demanding tasks pose significant challenges to worker health, safety, and productivity across various industrial sectors, particularly in construction. Physical fatigue, a major contributor to workplace accidents, compromises individual well-being and economic outcomes. Traditional fatigue assessment methods often lack accuracy, comfort, or real-world applicability. This study introduces a multimodal physical fatigue assessment method employing a wearable sensor to collect both physiological data, heart rate (HR) and skin temperature (ST), and kinematic data, jerk. The Borg's Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale was used to validate the method, which was tested on twenty-two participants (mean age: 28.5 ± 3.6 years) performing manual material handling tasks. The findings indicate that HR, ST, and jerk values increase as tasks become more strenuous, correlating with higher RPE scores. Integrating physiological and kinematic metrics with subjective validation effectively captures the multifaceted nature of fatigue, enabling real-time monitoring. Notably, incorporating jerk as a kinematic measure addresses limitations of previous methods by providing a rapid-response indicator of motor control and ultimately physical fatigue. This comprehensive approach has potential applications in manual material handling tasks and, with further validation, may be extended to other industrial contexts where repetitive lifting and carrying are common. By offering practical, data-driven solutions that enhance workplace safety and health, this approach can reduce accidents, injuries and support proactive risk management strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103867"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840540","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103869
Claudia Giliberti , Silvana Salerno
Introduction
Spine is the third most commonly injured anatomical region among Italian working women, after upper and lower limbs. Lumbar spine work injuries are well-known, particularly in the Healthcare sector, while no studies on sacral spine work-related injuries were found, although they represent a “silent epidemic” for general population, producing severe disabilities among women.
Objective
The aim of this study is to analyze sex/gender differences in compensated work-related sacral spine injuries in mainly female-dominated work sectors.
Methods
Compensated work-related acute sacral spine injuries among women and men, from the Italian Compensation Authority (Inail) database in the last five years, were studied in selected work sectors and the statistical analysis was performed as Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) and Odds Ratio (OR) (p < 0,05). Sacral spine work-related lesions such as bruises, dislocations and fractures were analyzed per sex/gender and work sectors.
Results
Women showed a statistically significant IRR for sacral spine work-related injuries in all the analyzed work sectors (IRR 2.22; CI95 % 2.11–2.34), especially in Catering, Cleaning and Trade. Women suffered more sacral fractures than men (OR 1.28; CI95 % 1.14–1.44), especially in Manufacturing (OR 1.47; CI95 % 1.08–1.99), where women are mainly employed in food processing. The role of work falls is discussed, together with the need of an intersectional ergonomic approach to prevent this underestimated risk among women.
{"title":"Work and women's sacral spine acute injuries: an underestimated risk","authors":"Claudia Giliberti , Silvana Salerno","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103869","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Spine is the third most commonly injured anatomical region among Italian working women, after upper and lower limbs. Lumbar spine work injuries are well-known, particularly in the Healthcare sector, while no studies on sacral spine work-related injuries were found, although they represent a “silent epidemic” for general population, producing severe disabilities among women.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The aim of this study is to analyze sex/gender differences in compensated work-related sacral spine injuries in mainly female-dominated work sectors.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Compensated work-related acute sacral spine injuries among women and men<strong><u>,</u></strong> from the Italian Compensation Authority (Inail) database in the last five years, were studied in selected work sectors and the statistical analysis was performed as Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) and Odds Ratio (OR) (p < 0,05). Sacral spine work-related lesions such as bruises, dislocations and fractures were analyzed per sex/gender and work sectors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Women showed a statistically significant IRR for sacral spine work-related injuries in all the analyzed work sectors (IRR 2.22; CI95 % 2.11–2.34), especially in Catering, Cleaning and Trade. Women suffered more sacral fractures than men (OR 1.28; CI95 % 1.14–1.44), especially in Manufacturing (OR 1.47; CI95 % 1.08–1.99), where women are mainly employed in food processing. The role of work falls is discussed, together with the need of an intersectional ergonomic approach to prevent this underestimated risk among women.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103869"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840541","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103864
Giovanna Camacho , Matthew L. Bolton , Amanda Watson , Henry Bearden , Sharon Lu
This study will test the usability of wearable, vibrotactile cues in providing intuitive orientation and communication cues to participants in visually challenging underwater navigation tasks. The device’s signals were designed to communicate the three levels of situational awareness (SA; perceive, comprehend, and project) intuitively, as if one was being guided by a partner’s hand. We evaluated the effectiveness of this device in a human subject experiment with divers wearing fully blacked-out dive masks. Performance with the vibrotactile display was compared against the Scubapro heads-up display, along with dive rescue team rope pulls based on performance measures (navigation, accuracy, and time). Subjective measures of mental workload, situational awareness, and usability were collected; as well as surveys designed to understand how participants classified tactor signals into SA levels. The results showed that the tactile design enhanced accuracy, but increased navigation time. This design was comparable to other standard methods across subjective mental workload, SA, and usability measures. The paper discusses the significance of these results for the navigation of both commercial and professional divers. It also explores the implications for navigation support in other visually challenging environments.
{"title":"Guiding by touch: A vibrotactile navigation system for underwater situational awareness","authors":"Giovanna Camacho , Matthew L. Bolton , Amanda Watson , Henry Bearden , Sharon Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103864","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103864","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study will test the usability of wearable, vibrotactile cues in providing intuitive orientation and communication cues to participants in visually challenging underwater navigation tasks. The device’s signals were designed to communicate the three levels of situational awareness (SA; perceive, comprehend, and project) intuitively, as if one was being guided by a partner’s hand. We evaluated the effectiveness of this device in a human subject experiment with divers wearing fully blacked-out dive masks. Performance with the vibrotactile display was compared against the Scubapro heads-up display, along with dive rescue team rope pulls based on performance measures (navigation, accuracy, and time). Subjective measures of mental workload, situational awareness, and usability were collected; as well as surveys designed to understand how participants classified tactor signals into SA levels. The results showed that the tactile design enhanced accuracy, but increased navigation time. This design was comparable to other standard methods across subjective mental workload, SA, and usability measures. The paper discusses the significance of these results for the navigation of both commercial and professional divers. It also explores the implications for navigation support in other visually challenging environments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103864"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798266","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-15DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103863
Andrea A. Vivaldi, David Claudio, Maria A. Velazquez, Laura Punnett
Multi-monitor workstations are becoming more common, offering productivity gains and better workflow. However, their ergonomic impact is still not well understood, and current guidelines have not kept up with technology. This review looks at published studies on multi-monitor setups and finds mixed methods and results on productivity, user comfort, and musculoskeletal risk. Differences in study design and reporting make it hard to reach clear conclusions, leaving gaps in guidance. To add real-world data, we surveyed 208 computer users (85 % confidence level, ±5 % margin of error). We used descriptive statistics and K-means clustering to explore patterns. About 65 % of respondents used multiple monitors. Out of 135 participants using multiple monitors, two-monitor setups were most common (71 %), with L-shaped layouts used by half of multi-monitor users. Cluster analysis showed four main user types, from triple-monitor “power users” (about 8.5 h/day) to laptop-focused dual-monitor users (about 7.2 h/day). These groups differed in screen size, layout, and how time was split between monitors. Current research lacks consistency and does not address newer options like ultrawide monitors, making practical guidance difficult. Survey data further reveal a growing reliance on dual-monitor configurations, with users likely adopting suboptimal arrangements, which may contribute to musculoskeletal discomfort. This study highlights the urgency of developing updated ergonomic recommendations and research that balance efficiency with user well-being, ensuring that productivity gains do not come at the cost of discomfort or injury.
{"title":"Workstation ergonomics in the era of multi-monitor technology: A narrative review and survey","authors":"Andrea A. Vivaldi, David Claudio, Maria A. Velazquez, Laura Punnett","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103863","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103863","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Multi-monitor workstations are becoming more common, offering productivity gains and better workflow. However, their ergonomic impact is still not well understood, and current guidelines have not kept up with technology. This review looks at published studies on multi-monitor setups and finds mixed methods and results on productivity, user comfort, and musculoskeletal risk. Differences in study design and reporting make it hard to reach clear conclusions, leaving gaps in guidance. To add real-world data, we surveyed 208 computer users (85 % confidence level, ±5 % margin of error). We used descriptive statistics and K-means clustering to explore patterns. About 65 % of respondents used multiple monitors. Out of 135 participants using multiple monitors, two-monitor setups were most common (71 %), with L-shaped layouts used by half of multi-monitor users. Cluster analysis showed four main user types, from triple-monitor “power users” (about 8.5 h/day) to laptop-focused dual-monitor users (about 7.2 h/day). These groups differed in screen size, layout, and how time was split between monitors. Current research lacks consistency and does not address newer options like ultrawide monitors, making practical guidance difficult. Survey data further reveal a growing reliance on dual-monitor configurations, with users likely adopting suboptimal arrangements, which may contribute to musculoskeletal discomfort. This study highlights the urgency of developing updated ergonomic recommendations and research that balance efficiency with user well-being, ensuring that productivity gains do not come at the cost of discomfort or injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103863"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145798267","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-14DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103865
Gu Sen , Hou Wenjun , Wang Hanyu , Wang Qingbin
<div><div>Accurate, real-time assessment of operator mental workload(MWL) is critical for ensuring safety and efficiency in complex systems like aviation. However, existing methods are limited by the latency of subjective scales and the intrusiveness of contact-based physiological sensors. In order to address the challenge of real-time, interference-free monitoring of operator cognitive states in complex systems such as flight, this study proposes and validates a new non-contact psychological load assessment method based on cardiopulmonary coupling joint entropy. We recorded electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration (RSP) signals from thirty flight trainees using a 77 GHz millimeter-wave radar as they performed a simulated flight task with four escalating levels of difficulty. Subjective workload ratings (NASA-TLX) and task performance were collected concurrently for validation. Results confirmed the experimental manipulation's effectiveness, with NASA-TLX scores(<span><math><mrow><mi>F</mi></mrow></math></span> (3,87) = 34.87, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi></mrow></math></span> <0.001), reaction times(<span><math><mrow><mi>F</mi></mrow></math></span> (3,87) = 25.712, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi></mrow></math></span> < 0.001), and error rates(<span><math><mrow><mi>F</mi></mrow></math></span> (3,87) = 34.881, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi></mrow></math></span> < 0.05) all increasing significantly with task difficulty. The joint entropy value exhibited a monotonic increase with workload levels(<span><math><mrow><mi>F</mi></mrow></math></span> (3,87) = 16.578, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi></mrow></math></span> = 0.002), demonstrating its high sensitivity. Feature importance analysis identified joint entropy as the most significant predictor of MWL. Notably, a classification model utilising only the joint entropy feature achieved superior predictive accuracy compared to a model using the full feature set, highlighting the metric's robustness and efficiency. This study validates non-contact cardiopulmonary coupling joint entropy as a sensitive and reliable biomarker for MWL. This method provides a practical path for developing intelligent safety management systems capable of warning of cognitive overload, preventing human errors, and promoting adaptive human-machine collaboration. These systems can serve as key inputs for AI-driven adaptive interfaces, promoting dynamic human-machine collaboration in line with Industry 5.0 principles.</div></div><div><h3>Relevance to industry</h3><div>This study presents a practical approach to the real-time, objective and non-intrusive monitoring of operators' MWL in high-risk sectors such as aviation and nuclear power. The verified joint entropy index can be integrated into safety management systems to develop AI-powered intelligent assistance systems and adaptive human-machine interfaces that can dynamically adjust to the operator's cognitive state. These systems can warn of cognitive overload, effectively preven
准确、实时地评估操作员心理负荷（MWL）对于确保航空等复杂系统的安全和效率至关重要。然而，现有的方法受到主观尺度的延迟和基于接触的生理传感器的侵入性的限制。为了解决飞行等复杂系统中操作者认知状态实时、无干扰监测的难题，本研究提出并验证了一种基于心肺耦合关节熵的非接触心理负荷评估方法。我们使用77 GHz毫米波雷达记录了30名飞行学员的心电图（ECG）和呼吸（RSP）信号，因为他们执行了四个难度等级的模拟飞行任务。主观工作量评分（NASA-TLX）和任务绩效同时收集以进行验证。结果证实了实验操作的有效性，随着任务难度的增加，NASA-TLX评分（F (3,87) = 34.87, p <0.001）、反应时间（F (3,87) = 25.712, p <0.001）和错误率（F (3,87) = 34.881, p < 0.05）均显著增加。联合熵值随工作量的增加呈单调增加趋势（F (3,87) = 16.578, p = 0.002），表明联合熵值具有较高的敏感性。特征重要性分析表明，联合熵是MWL最显著的预测因子。值得注意的是，与使用完整特征集的模型相比，仅使用联合熵特征的分类模型获得了更高的预测精度，突出了度量的鲁棒性和效率。本研究验证了非接触式心肺耦合关节熵作为MWL敏感可靠的生物标志物。该方法为开发能够预警认知超载、防止人为错误和促进自适应人机协作的智能安全管理系统提供了一条实用途径。这些系统可以作为人工智能驱动的自适应界面的关键输入，促进符合工业5.0原则的动态人机协作。本研究为航空、核电等高风险行业运营商的MWL实时、客观、非侵入性监测提供了一种实用方法。经过验证的联合熵指数可以集成到安全管理系统中，以开发人工智能驱动的智能辅助系统和自适应人机界面，可以根据操作员的认知状态进行动态调整。这些系统可以警告认知超载，有效防止人为错误，提高复杂系统的整体安全性和运行效率。该方法依赖于一个单一的高效特性，大大简化了在船上或现场实时部署的技术要求。
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Pub Date : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103841
Ankit Basak , Shiv Kumar Verma
Tea gardens are one of India's oldest organised sectors. However, people employed in the sector still face issues similar to those in the unorganised sector. Most studies in this domain have primarily focused on tea leaf production and operational efficiency rather than the social sustainability aspects of the tea garden ecosystem. Moreover, there is also a dearth of research that includes the perspective of females working in the domain. The current exploratory study examines the tea garden ecosystem to understand the various factors that affect workers and their working conditions, with a particular focus on gender dynamics and social sustainability. We adopted a qualitative research methodology for the study. Direct observation was conducted to study the behaviour of workers, various processes, and events in the tea garden. Videos and images were collected for a visual ethnography. Lastly, we conducted semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders in the tea garden, including workers, administrators, managers, and doctors, followed by thematic analysis to analyse the collected data. The findings reveal persistent challenges such as low wages, gender-based division of labour, lack of ergonomic support, and even the influence of gender-specific clothing on workers' health, particularly during pesticide spraying. The findings from direct observation, visual ethnography, and semi-structured interviews were then combined to provide a comprehensive view of the various issues, challenges, and working conditions faced by the tea garden workers. The research provides a foundational understanding that can inform policy, design, and future interdisciplinary studies aimed at enhancing social sustainability in similar labour-intensive sectors.
{"title":"Teatime Tales: A Deep Dive into the social sustainability of the tea garden ecosystem","authors":"Ankit Basak , Shiv Kumar Verma","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103841","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103841","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tea gardens are one of India's oldest organised sectors. However, people employed in the sector still face issues similar to those in the unorganised sector. Most studies in this domain have primarily focused on tea leaf production and operational efficiency rather than the social sustainability aspects of the tea garden ecosystem. Moreover, there is also a dearth of research that includes the perspective of females working in the domain. The current exploratory study examines the tea garden ecosystem to understand the various factors that affect workers and their working conditions, with a particular focus on gender dynamics and social sustainability. We adopted a qualitative research methodology for the study. Direct observation was conducted to study the behaviour of workers, various processes, and events in the tea garden. Videos and images were collected for a visual ethnography. Lastly, we conducted semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders in the tea garden, including workers, administrators, managers, and doctors, followed by thematic analysis to analyse the collected data. The findings reveal persistent challenges such as low wages, gender-based division of labour, lack of ergonomic support, and even the influence of gender-specific clothing on workers' health, particularly during pesticide spraying. The findings from direct observation, visual ethnography, and semi-structured interviews were then combined to provide a comprehensive view of the various issues, challenges, and working conditions faced by the tea garden workers. The research provides a foundational understanding that can inform policy, design, and future interdisciplinary studies aimed at enhancing social sustainability in similar labour-intensive sectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103841"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749070","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}
Pub Date : 2025-12-10DOI: 10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103862
N. Zhang , M. Fard , S. Tohmuang , J. Xu , J.L. Davy , S.R. Robinson
As automated driving evolves, ensuring seamless human-vehicle interaction remains a critical challenge. Building upon authors’ previous study, the present study develops and investigates how a Driver Monitoring and Feedback System (DMFS) influences takeover performance, physiological responses, and user experience in conditional automated driving. Seventeen participants engaged in simulated driving sessions with two Non-Driving Related Tasks (NDRTs), namely working and resting, both with and without an active DMFS. Metrics were collected for driving performance, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and subjective evaluations. The findings indicate that the DMFS mitigated the adverse effects of NDRTs on takeover performance by up to 47 %, particularly during resting conditions. Although the DMFS was generally perceived positively regarding effectiveness and accuracy, lower user experience scores suggest a need for a balance between functionality and user comfort. This study highlights the potential of DMFSs to enhance safety in automated driving, while also identifying challenges in maintaining driver readiness and optimising human-automation interaction. The results underscore the importance of developing adaptive, user-centric DMFS designs for future automated driving systems.
{"title":"A novel driver monitoring and feedback system improves takeover performance in conditional automated driving","authors":"N. Zhang , M. Fard , S. Tohmuang , J. Xu , J.L. Davy , S.R. Robinson","doi":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103862","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ergon.2025.103862","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As automated driving evolves, ensuring seamless human-vehicle interaction remains a critical challenge. Building upon authors’ previous study, the present study develops and investigates how a Driver Monitoring and Feedback System (DMFS) influences takeover performance, physiological responses, and user experience in conditional automated driving. Seventeen participants engaged in simulated driving sessions with two Non-Driving Related Tasks (NDRTs), namely working and resting, both with and without an active DMFS. Metrics were collected for driving performance, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and subjective evaluations. The findings indicate that the DMFS mitigated the adverse effects of NDRTs on takeover performance by up to 47 %, particularly during resting conditions. Although the DMFS was generally perceived positively regarding effectiveness and accuracy, lower user experience scores suggest a need for a balance between functionality and user comfort. This study highlights the potential of DMFSs to enhance safety in automated driving, while also identifying challenges in maintaining driver readiness and optimising human-automation interaction. The results underscore the importance of developing adaptive, user-centric DMFS designs for future automated driving systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50317,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics","volume":"111 ","pages":"Article 103862"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145749069","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}
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