AHFE Open AccessApplied Human Factors Research
Editors: Tareq Ahram, Waldemar Karwowski
Topics: Human Factors Engineering
Publication Date: 2022
ISBN: 978-1-958651-43-8
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1002689
Articles
Electronic prototype for the acquisition, processing and visualization of cardiac signals
Nowadays, one of the most prominent medical problems are cardiac pathologies, and because of this, the instruments created to study the heart are of great importance. Nowadays, with the advance of technology, it is desired that these instruments are simpler to use, smaller, have more features and obtain the best quality of biomedical signals.This article describes the analysis and processing of heart signals, obtained through an accessible electronic prototype that allows generating a presumptive diagnosis of cardiac signals, such as arrhythmias and heart murmurs. The detection of a valvular lesion would help in the identification of abnormalities in the cardiac period. During the experimental phase of this proposal, the sensitivity and specificity results suggest a low-cost option, which makes it accessible as a presumptive diagnostic tool for the detection of valvular heart disease within the health area, especially in times of pandemic by COVID-19 in the city of Cuenca. Cardiac auscultation is important for the prevention of heart diseases; therefore, the contribution of this prototype is intended to be a support tool for the specialist in heart diseases.
Eduardo Pinos, Mateo Valverde, Ismael Narvaez
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Methods for automatic glaucoma detection and feature extraction by different techniques at the pre-processing stage in fundus images
Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative, progressive and silent disease that affects the optic nerve, characterized by an increase in intraocular pressure causing irreversible damage to the optic nerve. The difficulty in early diagnosis of glaucoma has posed challenges at the technological and medical level, since it requires not only several years of study, but also experience on the part of medical specialists to examine the images and make a timely diagnosis.During this pandemic of COVID-19 many patients with this pathology have suffered constant changes and intraocular pressure has increased considerably, so early detection is of vital importance, in addition to providing appropriate and timely treatment so that the patient does not lose vision in its entirety and mitigate the effects that COVID-19 has caused in these patients.In this article we present the different techniques for the diagnosis of glaucoma and the automatic detection methods, as well as the analysis of image processing and the results obtained in the preprocessing stage, the characterization of this disease according to different points of view, we also present a thorough analysis of each of the methods proposed for the support of medical diagnosis, the characteristics of each of the classifiers and data of great relevance for future work.
Eduardo Pinos, María Cordero-Mendieta, Roberto Coronel-Berrezueta
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Three-dimensional construction of the corneal geometry from tomographic images and biomechanical parameters of the cornea
Currently, there are various diseases that affect the corneal structure, when not treated in a timely manner can cause damage to the corneal structure, which affects the correct vision of people, in these cases the patient goes to the ophthalmologist, who through clinical studies determines the pathology and the degree of impairment of the corneal structure, in many cases surgery is necessary to correct this damage, however, there are cases in which after surgery the cornea suffers further damage to its structure, further affecting the visual acuity.To avoid damage after surgery, more effective methods are searched to determine whether the patient requires surgery or not, by analyzing the corneal biomechanics and its properties, in addition, the morphological analysis of the corneal tissue that allows observing the physical changes produced by these diseases. With the purpose of studying the physical structure and the forces applied on the corneal tissue, this article presents a construction of the corneal surface, for this, different types of elastic, hyperelastic and visco-elastic materials for simulation have been analyzed, whose characteristics resemble the flexible behavior of the corneal tissue in conditions of tension and deformation, in addition, a three-dimensional corneal geometry has been obtained from images of corneal tomographies, which were extracted from ophthalmologic examinations. Consequently, the unification of the three-dimensional geometry of the cornea with the properties of elasticity, Poisson's ratio and density assigned to a simulation material, results in a corneal model that resembles the natural corneal tissue.
Eduardo Pinos, Roberto Coronel, Maria Cordero
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
The Impact of Technology Threat Avoidance Theory Constructs on Cybersecurity Avoidance Behaviour
In the field of cybersecurity, human behaviour is considered as the weakest link. We applied gamification techniques to the development of an Augmented Reality game, CybAR, which was designed to educate users about cybersecurity in an effective and entertaining way. Technology Threat Avoidance Theory (TTAT) provided the theoretical model for understanding cybersecurity avoidance behaviour. Its constructs of perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, fear, safeguard effectiveness, self-efficacy and safeguard costs were considered as direct antecedents of cybersecurity avoidance motivation and indirect predictors of cybersecurity avoidance behaviour. The purpose of the research was to examine the role of these TTAT constructs in explaining individuals' cybersecurity avoidance behaviour. Structural equation modeling was used to analyse the relationships and test the hypotheses. A cross-sectional survey of 128 students at Macquarie University was conducted to assess the effect of the TTAT on motivation and behaviour. The results showed positive support for most of the proposed relationships, with the exception of safeguard cost on cybersecurity avoidance motivation as well as perceived susceptibility on fear construct of the threat, but safeguard cost factor positively contributed to students' cybersecurity avoidance behaviour. Coping appraisal variables (perceived effectiveness, self-efficacy) were the strongest predictors of cybersecurity avoidance behaviour, especially safeguard effectiveness. Threat severity was also a significant predictor of the fear factor.
Hamed Alqahtani
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Army Crew Training: Coaching with Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS)
The training of military crews of armoured vehicles can be enhanced by applying AI-based methods to the training drills. Defence Research and Development Canada used a Human Behaviour Representation approach to create an armoured crew simulation trainer for the Canadian Armed Forces. The Human Behaviour Representation (HBR) approach is a form of rule-based AI that applies a cognitive task analysis to derive a synthetic operator. The cognitive task analysis resulted in a Task Network Model (TNM) for each crew member of the Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) and for the entire crew. These TNMs were inputted into a discrete event simulator to create a synthetic training environment that combines virtual and human members of the LAV crew. The training platform allows a human member of the team to interact with the synthetic crew through voice production software that was integrated with the synthetic environment.The paper presents the development of the Intelligent Tutoring System module for the LAV crew simulation platform that serves as a human instructor for conducting basic LAV drills. The paper outlines the architecture, functionality, and testing of the module. The work shows how the HBR approach can be used to develop a synthetic coach for training a military crew. The work is a step in developing and testing a general training system for small military teams. The training system will allow to conduct basic crew drills, in which a human crew member will be trained with the synthetic crew members, thus overcoming some of the obstacles that military crew training faces: a logistic difficulty to gather a full crew at the same time and place and a deficiency of qualified instructors. The paper outlines the steps for the follow-up work required to develop a generic AI-based autonomous systems for basic training of small military teams.
Vlad Zotov
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Methodology to evaluate the impact of learning with the use of physical modeling of structural prototypes
The education of architecture students requires theoretical and practical training in all subjects corresponding to the curriculum. This research shows the methodology to evaluate the impact of the learning of architecture students with the use of physical modeling of structural prototypes, with which it is possible to integrate the conceptual part with the practice. The research method is quantitative quasi-experimental, which must be used on a sample of students, from the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of Guayaquil, who must undergo an entry assessment (beginning of the semester), then experiment with the physical modeling of the structural prototypes and, finally, an exit assessment (end of the semester). The results will demonstrate the academic performance after experimenting with the prototypes; the impact on the integration of cognitive processes, the development of creativity, research and innovation.
Eva Velez, Dolores Chica, Marcial Calero, Laura De Jesús Calero Proaño
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Continuous improvement as a competitive strategy within organizational quality processes
The business environment is constantly changing, due to the different realities and complexities (socioeconomic, political, market, environmental, technological, axiological, among others) that surround them, generated by competitive components that push towards operational excellence. In this context, continuous improvement is understood as a process that helps maintain and improve competitiveness in each business process, with the purpose of providing quality service and consolidating customer satisfaction. The objective of the study is to analyze the methods of continuous improvement for the strengthening of competitiveness related to quality in organizational processes. An investigation is proposed with a mixed non-experimental, field and longitudinal perspective; using hermeneutics as a method of interpretation. Among the results, it stands out that once the value chain and the diagnosis were applied by applying the ISO 9001: 2015 checklist, it was determined that certain non-conformities affected the production, commercial and financial processes. The conclusions denote that using the Kaizen method, results are obtained that allow the consolidation of operational excellence, over all those that have direct inherence with the attention to consumers.
Paola Soraya Silva Tobar, Wladimir Chacón Paredes, Cesar Guevara
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Affordance-Based-Design
In order to analyze the research progress, research hotspots and theoretical basis of Affordance-Based-Design, and explore new trends in the future, this paper systematically reviews the research progress of Affordance-Based-Design with the help of the WOS literature database, combining with literature clustering, literature metrology, and other methods. A total of 534 papers belonging to 61 countries, 670 research institutes, and comprising 2822 keywords, are retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection for network construction and analysis. The results show that the number of literature within the scope of retrieval is on the rise, and the process has experienced three stages. The United States, the United Kingdom and China are leading in this direction, while South Korea's influence on Affordance-Based-Design has increased rapidly in the past five years. The research hotspots mainly focus on user experience in products and interfaces, innovative design methods and practices, real and virtual environments, Social media and communications, Mechanism of user behavior and so on. It can be seen from the co-citations of references that the evolution of affordance theory has mainly experienced two aspects, that is, the transformation of the nature of affordance and the expansion of design objects under the guidance of affordance. Based on affordance theory, it is possible to design products, interfaces, and environments that are both practical and easy to be perceived by expected users, thereby reducing user learning costs and improving user experience. Especially in the context of the rise of the metaverse concept, designing a more immersive virtual environment based on affordance theory is the research frontier of Affordance-Based-Design.
Yuan Yuchen, Ren-Ke He, Chaomin Ma
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
The effect of non-driving task takeover request message timing on novice drivers' driving trust
The unpredictable behavior patterns of self-driving vehicles in SAE level 3 autonomous driving can be untrustworthy to the driver. In self-driving vehicles, vehicle actions must be fed back to the user so that they are aware of the vehicle's actions. Otherwise, opaque information can lead to distrust of the vehicle by the driver. Flat-view displays (HUDs) provide an opportunity to visually and effectively inform drivers about vehicle perception and interpretation of the driving environment. Research has illustrated the importance of where and when HUD information is displayed. In "warning" situations, the timing of the display of necessary information can have a significant impact on driving safety; if warning messages are not properly placed or timed, drivers may have difficulty (or even fail to detect) the warning, thereby seriously endangering their safety and that of others. Drivers must detect and understand vehicle action messages when they are first displayed and turn their attention to the road as soon as possible so that they can take over the vehicle, react to potential hazards ahead or around them, and successfully avoid an accident. As a result, where/when the HUD is placed to display this dynamic information is critical; otherwise, the HUD's benefits will be negated. In this work, a driving experiment divided 26 participants into two groups (conservative drivers and novice drivers) and focused on the impact of HUD information presence timing on user experience and trust, measuring the impact of three HUD information presence timings (50m/70m/90m) on novice driver trust across four driving tasks (steer/stop/start/change lanes). The experimental setup was conducted in a simulated cockpit with a screen placed in front of the cockpit and a record of real driving displayed on a canvas screen. Subjects completed the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), the Trust Scale (TS), and the Preference for Overall Driving Experience (PREF) scale by watching a video. After completing the scales, user interviews were conducted to understand the reasons for the users' subjective preferences and other additional information. The results showed that the HUD message display enhanced the user experience and trust in the automated system. Significant differences were found in the timing of HUD messages by driving scenario as well as in preferences for the timing of HUD messages by driving style. The interaction of driving style with the driving environment and HUD complexity warrants further study. We present optimized design strategies for the timing of HUD information appearance based on the research.
Muyi Li, Ren-Ke He, Yuan Yuchen, Chaomin Ma
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Interactive Distance Perception
The issue of distance and spatial cognitive differences on the process of interacting behavior is of increasing interest and involves multiple fields of inquiry. However, there is a lack of bibliometrics and literature reviews on this topic to systematically evaluate the current state of research. This study synthesizes previous research on the interactive distance perception and its related influencing factors, and summarizes it by clustering and trending the relevant research literature through bibliometrics. The conclusions show that the overall number of literatures within the search area is on the rise, and the research directions are gradually refined, with the research hotspots mainly focusing on social distance, risk perception, mental health, and influence factors and life. Relying on the theoretical system based on distance perception and interaction behavior model, the application of virtual or augmented reality interaction distance perception and virtual social life scenarios becomes a new trend for future research development.
Chaomin Ma, Duzhi Yang
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
How petrochemical industry survive in post-COVID-19: A STAMP-based system science research & recommendations for large-scale sociotechnical systems
The COVID-19 profoundly impacts petrochemical manufacturing, and different organizations have specific response measures to such major public health incidents. Notably, As a representative interdisciplinary subject in systems science & systematics, work system and safety in Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) research can play an essential role in investigating the humans and organizations of the petrochemical industry. Although the global outbreak has gradually stabilized, this industry has experienced a challenging period in 2020. How does they survive this struggle? Is there a predicament with their responses? How can HFE researchers apply the knowledge of system safety to the future development of petrochemical manufacturing? Therefore, This research conducts Accimap and System Theoretic Accident Modeling Process (STAMP) analysis for one representative oil refinery in China. This procedure is a qualitative data analysis in the system security discipline. The researchers investigate the relationship between human and organizations in the context of the epidemic from the systematic perspective, discover related problems, thereby consider the future of petrochemical manufacturing.The highlights of this research are: the application of STAMP to COVID-19 research, which is a knowledge innovation of practice in system security; Using the comprehensive wisdom of safety science from the systematic perspective; Applying qualitative data, and exporting highly visual information diagram to interface with readers in a wider range of expertise, creating in more potential possibilities.The researchers use Accimap to process the qualitative data in large-scale socio-technical systems and build a complete and transparent organization diagram; Also, The researchers use STAMP to locate deficiencies in its system control process. Consequently, this research uses the data results, combine with the current situation of international petrochemical industry, to put forward guiding recommendations for its development in the post-pandemic era.
Wei Dai, Hu Zhiqian, Biwen He
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Status Quo and Strategies of Prefabricated Buildings in the Context of Carbon Neutrality and Carbon Peaking
Carbon peaking and carbon neutrality are among the most important arenas for sustainable design and increasingly attract broader interest from both countries and companies. Prefabricated buildings are typical approaches to building houses by assembling modules prefabricated in plant. However, the broken industrial chain in this field leads to problems in the poor cooperation and management built in the design process. Strategies and methods for engaging every part in this field more deeply in co-creation are needed to address these issues. Following systematic review of case study and policies from governments, we explored the efficient design strategies with the goal of building a more sustainable prefabrication industry in China to meet the requirements of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. The results from the case study are meaningful and generic, with clear indicators of sustainability. The lessons learnt and approaches discussed in this paper provide a starting point for decreasing companies' carbon emission with prefabrication.
Zeyu He
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Cyber-Physical Behaviour Detection and Understanding using Artificial Intelligence
The advancement of cyber-physical behaviour detection and understanding in context of urban environment safety and security has been developed in the S4AllCities project (S4AllCities, 2020). Specifically, various concepts of fundamental artificial intelligence and reasoning have been successfully developed and will subsequently be tested in situ in S4AllCities pilot sites during the coming year 2022 (Sabeur et al, 2021). The detection of anomalies in TCP and UDP communication-based protocols taking place in context of urban spaces have been investigated. These were also complemented with the detection of unusualness in crowd physical behaviour in the same urban spaces. The aim is to combine both modes (cyber and physical) of detection and behaviour understanding, in order to advance our situation awareness in context of native knowledge and reasoning for efficiently maintaining safety and security across the urban space. Native knowledge concerns the evaluated risks and mitigation measures for response to potential cyber-physical attacks on the urban space. In this study, the deployed machine learning techniques achieved good performances for classifying cyber and physical behaviour under various scenarios of potential attacks. Our future work is to exercise the performance, evaluation and validation of our intelligent algorithms using in situ cyber and physical observation scenarios of the urban spaces of the three S4AllCities pilot sites in Europe.References:S4AllCities (2020). Safe and Secure Smart Spaces for all Cities H2020 project ID number 883522. https://www.s4allcities.eu/project. Sabeur Z., Angelopoulos C.M., Collick L., Chechina N., Cetinkaya D., Bruno A. (2021) Advanced Cyber and Physical Situation Awareness in Urban Smart Spaces. In: Ayaz H., Asgher U., Paletta L. (eds) Advances in Neuroergonomics and Cognitive Engineering. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 259. pp. 428-441. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80285-1_50
Zoheir Sabeur, Alessandro Bruno, Liam Johnstone, Marouane Ferjani, Djamel Benaouda, Banafshe Arbab-zavar, Deniz Cetinkaya, Muntadhar Sallal
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Digital Twins for the Intelligent Detection of Malicious Activities in Urban Spaces
The S4AllCities project has progressed rapidly during the last twelve months since it began in 2020 for the development of three distinct digital twins that collectively augment intelligence concerning cyber and physical security monitoring in smart urban spaces. These respectively specialize on; a) Distributed Edge Computing IoT (DEC-IoT); b) Malicious Actions Information Detection System (MAIDS); and c) Augmented Context Management System (ACMS) (S4AllCities, 2020). These three twins are built under a distributed System of Systems (SoS) architecture. Further, they each acquire real-time observations of both cyber and physical spaces while processing data for the critical extraction of knowledge at their levels. The extracted knowledge, represented as “events” at each of the respective twins levels, is communicated across the S4AllCities SoS Apache Kafka communication client/ server protocols. These respectively specialize in advancement of situation awareness at their levels. Namely, for the intelligent edge processing of observations in the urban space under the DEC-IoT; the detection of unusualness and understanding of cyber and human behavior under the MAIDS; while augmenting all awareness for the final release of threat alerts and proposed regulated responses (ACMS). In this paper, we will introduce the S4AllCities SoS overall architecture and the three twins high level functions. Then we will focus on describing our development of the MAIDS sub-modules and their functions under the De-Facto Joint Director of Laboratory (JDL) data fusion framework. The JDL framework efficiently enables the intelligent monitoring, detection and interpretation of the potential presence of threats and/or attacks in urban spaces. These attacks are either of cyber, physical, or both malicious nature. The well-known Endsley model for the cognitive advancement of situational awareness is mapped into the JDL framework in the context of critical decision support on cyber-physical surveillance in urban spaces. The JDL is much more adaptive for big data processing, machine learning, context knowledge modelling and augmented situational awareness of the cyber-physical space.
Zoheir Sabeur, Alessandro Bruno, Liam Johnstone, Marouane Ferjani, Djamel Benaouda, Deniz Cetinkaya, Banafshe Arbab-zavar, Muntadhar Sallal, Benjamin Hardiman
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings