Human factors and ergonomics

In the last years Customer Experience (CX) has become a novel approach to obtain a competitive advantage for numerous companies. The complexity of interactions among the customer, the physical environment, the company's employees, the product and/or related services requires transdisciplinary methods and tools from marketing, engineering, human resources and culture, technology, organization, management and phycology. The present papers aims to provide an overview of what Customer Experience is, how it can be used to design the meaningful touchpoints between the customer and the company and propose a CX-oriented strategy to design them in stores. Some interesting insights are discussed thanks to experiments performed in a real test case.

Keywords: Customer experience , Journey Mapping , Retail channels , Touchpoints

A Product-Service System (PSS) is an innovation strategy, shifting the business focus from designing physical products only, to designing a system that combines tangible products, intangible services, supporting network and infrastructure, which are jointly capable of fulfilling specific customer needs. Due to the widespread of this paradigm, the present research provides a methodological framework and related tools to support the design of PSSs. The aim is to propose a user-centered approach to involve end-users during the different stages of PSS development.

Keywords: Hardware-in-the-Loop , Product-Service System , User-Centered Design , Virtual reality

The present work aims at the development of an advanced control system implemented through Adams/View-Matlab/ Simulink co-simulation for a high-performance motorcycle dynamics study. In particular, the purpose of this study is to create a model able to consider several aspects of the rider-motorbike dynamic simulation and its control system, generally treated separately in the literature, making also use of an original and accurate modelling of the rider. From a previous multi-body model of motorcycle/virtual rider, developed by the authors, a flexible tool is created to simulate system dynamics to follow any trajectory at a prescribed velocity profile. Considering high-performance motorcycle dynamics are greatly influenced by the rider's weight, his movements have been accurately replicated to obtain the most realistic results. To simulate the passive impedance of rider's arms, a torque was applied to the steering as per the literature. The aerodynamic force was modelled as a function of kinematics variables and rider's posture. The control system is very flexible and adaptable to different manoeuvres realistically reproducing engine and braking performance, steering torque and rider movements. Numerical results show that the control system can accurately direct the motorcycle/ rider system along an entire lap of the Monza circuit, following a desired path at a given velocity profile. The model developed allows a complete view of the motorbike-rider dynamic behaviour thus being useful during both design phase and set-up, with a considerable saving in terms of both cost and time; it can also evaluate the influence on the system dynamics of riders with different anatomical characteristics and driving styles.

Keywords: Co-simulation , Control , Multibody , Path tracking , Rider/motorcycle

The saddle is one of the most complex bicycle components providing both comfort and support while pedalling. Several studies have been carried out on bicycle saddles in recent years including medical ones to identify any correlated pathologies, and others to optimize design and sports performance. There are various types of commercially available saddles but they are all fixed geometry. The main identifiers of these designs are their length, nose inclination and the geometry of the support of the ischial tuberosities and pubic rami (wide, narrow, flat, furrowed etc.). So as the literature suggests, the fixed-geometry saddle on today's market has only partly resolved the anatomical pathologies related to extended saddle time. Consequently, the aim of this study is to develop, through interactive Re-design methodology, a variable geometry saddle (VGS) prototype for amateur cyclists capable of reducing the onset of saddle pathologies and improving pedalling comfort. The VGS was developed which can be adjusted to the physico-anatomical requirements of the rider as well as to various ride conditions (uphill, flat and downhill). The simple adjusters affect nose inclination and the width of the saddle back. In particular, the nose mechanism allows on-the-fly adjustment. The VGS developed could also allow the cyclist to identify the most congenial subjective geometry to help choose among commercial alternatives. An electroneurograph test on the pudendum nerve was also performed on five male amateur cyclists to see whether there were any effects with a variable saddle geometry compared to a fixed-geometry commercial saddle.

Keywords: Bicycle seat , Cycling , Interactive design , Rapid prototyping , Reverse engineering

Design for Sustainability (D4S) and LifeCycle Assessment (LCA) methods usually focus on one single aspect of sustainability at a time (e.g., environmental issues, ergonomics or costs) and are usually applied when the industrial system is already created, so that only corrective actions can be taken. In this context, the present research highlights the need of predictive methods to design sustainable system, able to provide an early holistic assessment from the early conceptual stages, and defines a set of models of impact able to assess all aspects of sustainability (i.e., environmental, economic and social) by proper key performance indicators (KPIs) from the early design stages. An industrial case study is presented to show the application of the proposed models on industrial manufacturing systems and demonstrate their validity in estimating the global impact on sustainability, including also human factors.

Keywords: Design for Sustainability , Design Methods , Human Factors , Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) , Lifecycle analysis , Sustainable Manufacturing

The main objective of this work was to design an innovative skidding winch aimed to improve timber harvesting productivity, operators' safety, and reduce environmental damage in contexts in which mechanized harvesting is limited. The study area is the north-western Black Sea region of Turkey. In the proposed methodology, the harvesting process was simulated with Discrete Event Simulation (DES) software in order to identify bottlenecks. An alternative process was compared with the original one within the DES software itself in order to validate further steps oriented to generate new innovative product concepts. The development of the product was focused towards customer satisfaction, collecting customer requirements and identifying quality characteristics with a Quality Function Deployment approach. Contradictions identified in the design phase were solved using the TRIZ contradiction toolkit, generating different product concepts. Inventive solutions provided by TRIZ were designed within parametric CAD software. The concepts were compared in virtual environment with focus on ergonomics, selecting an optimal solution. The results show that with the concept adopted is possible to achieve a substantial increase in productivity, from 121% to 133%, in terms of kilograms of logs per hour deposited on the landing. Moreover, the final concept allows for ergonomic loading operations and reduces environmental damage to soil and vegetation.

This paper presents a software module, named tracking plug-in, developed to automatically generate the source code of software interfaces for managing the interaction with low cost hand-tracking devices (e.g., Leap Motion and Intel Gesture Camera) and replicate/emulate manual operations usually performed to design custom-fit products, such medical devices and garments. The proposed solution is based on the Eclipse platform, a free integrated development environment (IDE), that allow us to manage the automatic code generation in a simple way after having defined the target application using a meta-model language, in our case the UML class diagram. First, we describe the background as well as the main problem, then, the software solution and adopted tools (i.e., Eclipse and Acceleo). Finally, the preliminary tests carried out for two applicative contexts (prosthetic and textile/clothing) are presented.

The present paper describes the research done to empirically validate the use of RGB-D cameras for orthopedic rehabilitation purposes. In order to assess the outcome of optical sensors a set of new generation inertial sensors have been adopted as well. Both kind of sensors have been used to track the same scene simultaneously in order to have comparable results. The aim of the work is provide evidence of performances of the newly introduced sensors (optical and inertial) and to automate acquisition and data elaboration in the medical field. The extraction of the only meaningful data from a gait, for instance, gives the change to perform an automatic preliminary analysis on normal people as well as on patients with known pathologies or disorders. In particular, this could allow determining without human intervention any standard disorders, according to literature classifications, eventually affecting the gait. The automatic procedure from acquisition to diagnosis constitutes a challenging topic of research and a success in terms of reliability, usability and physiological acceptance by technicians would radically impact medical practices in orthopedic rehabilitation centers.

This paper concerns the development of a Natural User Interface (NUI) for lower limb prosthesis design. The proposed solution exploits the Leap Motion device to emulate traditional design tasks manually performed by the prosthetist. We first illustrate why hand-tracking devices can be adopted to design socket of lower limb prosthesis using virtual prototyping tools. Then, we introduce the developed NUI and its features mainly with regards to ergonomics and ease of use. Finally, preliminary tests are illustrated as well as results reached so far.

Keywords: Augmented interaction , Hand-tracking devices , SMA

The paper concerns the use of integrated methodologies and tools to perform innovative human centered development of products. Digital simulation of ergonomics by means of DHM is shown together with advanced tools for design, taking into account Knowledge-based systems, Design Automation and design of highly customized goods. Two different applications of the proposed approach are described, the first refers to an industrial product, the second to the medical domain. Both applications, even if belonging to completely different fields benefit from putting the human at the center of the developing paradigm from the very first step of product development. Some results and discussion highlight benefits and limitation of the approach and of the adopted tools.

Keywords: Design Automation , Digital human modelling , Ergonomics , Human centered design , Knowledge-based systems , Lower limb prosthesis

This paper explores a possible integration of some ancillary systems of helium-cooled lithium lead (HCLL) and helium-cooled pebble-bed (HCPB) test blanket modules in ITER CVCS area. Computer-aided design and ergonomics simulation tools have been fundamental not only to define suitable routes for pipes, but also to quickly check for maintainability of equipment and in-line components. In particular, accessibility of equipment and systems has been investigated from the very first stages of the design using digital human models. In some cases, the digital simulations have resulted in changes in the initial space reservations.

Keywords: CAD , Design for maintainability , Digital human modeling , Piping layout design

The EU Directive 49/2002/EC on Environmental Noise refers to Quiet Urban Areas (QUAs) as places whose acoustic climate should be preserved because a noise indicator is lower than a threshold established by each Member State. This definition appears to be extremely generic and doesn't provide usable procedures to be applied in each Country. Proposing a solution to overcome the lack of harmonized methodologies for QUAs is the main aim of QUADMAP (QUiet Areas Definition and Management in Action Plans) Project. The results of the Project will facilitate urban planners to apply standard procedures for identification, delimitation and prioritization of QUAs. The Project has a high level of demonstrativeness guaranteed by the fact that the proposed methodology has been tested in a number of pilot areas in Florence (Italy), Bilbao (Spain) and Rotterdam (The Netherlands). The Project started on 1st September 2011 and lasts three years and half. At the beginning of 2013 the harmonized methodology has been defined. The proposed procedures have been tested since February 2013 in all pilot cases and the methodology has been improved, in line with experiences gained during data collection and analysis of the ante-operam scenarios. Since the beginning of 2014, the realization of interventions started, following indications coming from endusers questionnaires, expert analysis, technicians and application of complementary criteria. In the pilot areas of Bilbao interventions have been completed by June 2014, while in Florence and Rotterdam they have been concluded by the end of the same year. In the meantime, post-operam data collection and analysis have started. In this paper results of the post operam data analysis are described and compared with those obtained on the ante-operam phase. Moreover, the main innovative elements introduced in the optimized methodology are illustrated.

In accordance to the recommendations of the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Culturage Heritage in the last years many projects have been founded and are now underway developing and testing new techniques and tools to support in-situ conservation of underwater archaeological remains. This paper describes the contribution of the CoMAS project ('In situ conservation planning of Underwater Archaeological Artefacts' - www.comasproject.eu) in the development of innovative electromechanical devices that can efficiently support the cleaning process of submerged archaeological structures.

Keywords: electromechanical devices , restoration , underwater archaeological artefacts

The study of new systems for supporting upper limb rehabilitation is of primary importance, due to the high number of people in need of rehabilitation and the limited effectiveness of most of the current systems. The research work described in this paper proposes a VR system for upper-limb rehabilitation that is immersive, is based on hand gestures to interact with virtual objects, and which can deliver odours when a goal is reached.

This paper presents an immersive virtual reality system that includes a natural interaction approach based on free hand gestures that is used to drive a Desktop Haptic Strip for Shape Rendering (DHSSR). The DHSSR is a mechatronic display of virtual curves intersecting 3D virtual objects, and aims at allowing designers to evaluate the quality of shapes during the conceptual design phase of new products. The DHSSR consists of a 6DOF servo-Actuated developable metallic strip, which reproduces cross-sectional curves of 3D virtual objects. Virtual curves can be interactively generated on the 3D surface of the virtual object, and coherently the DHSSR haptic interface renders them. An intuitive and natural modality for interacting with the 3D virtual objects and 3D curves is offered to users, who are mainly industrial designers. This consists of an immersive virtual reality system for the visualization of the 3D virtual models and a hand gestural interaction approach used by the user for handling the models. The system has been implemented by using low cost and open technologies, and combines a software engine for interactive 3D content generation (Unity 3D), the Oculus Rift Head Mounted Display for 3D stereo visualization, a motion capture sensor (LeapMotion) for tracking the user's hands, and the Arduino Leonardo board for controlling the components. Results reported in the paper are positive for what concerns the quality of the rendering of the surface, and of the interaction modality proposed.

This paper presents a hand gestural interaction system that is used to handle a Desktop Haptic Strip for Shape Rendering (DHSSR). The strip is a physical display of virtual curves intersecting 3D virtual objects, and aims at allowing designers to evaluate the quality of shapes during the conceptual design phase of new products. The DHSSR consists of a servo-actuated developable metallic strip, which reproduces cross-sectional curves of 3D virtual objects. In order to generate the virtual curve intersecting the virtual object it has been implemented a hand gestural interaction system, which allows moving the curve or the 3D object. Specifically, through an interaction approach based on a magnetic pinch the user can move the virtual strip until reaching the desired position. Instead, an interaction modality based on index finger recognition allows moving the 3D object while the virtual curve is floating in space. The virtual curve generated by the interaction is used for deforming the physical strip. The hand gestural interaction system has been implemented by using low cost and open technologies, and combines an engine for interactive 3D content generation (Unity 3D), a motion capture sensor (LeapMotion) and the Arduino Leonardo board. In particular, the user's hands are tracked by means of the Leap Motion sensor. The Unity 3D environment is used to virtually render the virtual objects (curve and shape) and the virtual avatar of the users' hands. The virtual environment is connected with the Arduino Leonardo board in order to control the six servo-actuators of the DHSSR. The paper also presents some studies performed to evaluate the performances of the DHSSR system and the usability of the hand gestural interaction modalities.

Keywords: Hand gestural interaction , Haptic strip , Motion capture sensor , Shape rendering

This paper describes the design and implementation of a system for rendering virtual shape through vision, haptic and sound. The system consists of a haptic strip that physically renders virtual curves. A flexible capacitive touch sensor (FCTS) is integrated with the haptic strip, and allows the system to track the position of the user's fingers on the strip. According to the position, the system renders curve properties such as curve shape, inflexion points and curvature through sound metaphors. The goal of this sonification approach is to strengthen the user's understanding of the shape of a virtual prototype, and to inform the user about geometrical attributes that could otherwise remain unseen. Such unseen attributes may either be a result of limitations in the visual and haptic display hardware or a result of limitations in human perception.

Keywords: conceptual design , haptic rendering , human-computer interaction , immersive virtual reality , product design

The paper proposes an alternative approach to well-known feedback solutions, such as visual displays or warning sound messages, to make users perceptually aware of the energy consumption occurring when using a product. The approach is grounded on the use of multisensory feedback interfaces that are designed to make the user experience the consumption process directly during the interaction with the product. Such multisensory feedback should be intended as indications, rather then alarms, so as to naturally guide users towards a more sustainable behaviour. The daily task of opening the fridge door has been used as case study. All the steps followed to ideate and test the effectiveness of the designed multisensory interfaces are discussed. The results demonstrate how even simple stimuli, such as a gradual colour change of the fridge cavity from a cold to a warm one, may be able to reduce the time users keep the fridge door open.

Keywords: Design for behaviour change , Human behaviour in design , Multisensory design , Sustainability , User centred design

Human movements express non-verbal communication: The way humans move, live and act within a space influences and reflects the experience with a product. The study of postures and gestures can bring meaningful information to the design process. This paper explores the possibility to adopt Motion Capture technologies to inform the design process and stimulate concept generation with an Experience Design perspective. Motion data could enable designers to tackle Experience-driven design process and come up with innovative designs. However, due to their computational nature, these data are largely inaccessible for designers. This study presents a method to process the raw data coming from the Motion Capture system, with the final goal of reaching a comprehensible visualization of human movements in a modelling environment. The method was implemented and applied to a case study focused on User Experience within the car space. Furthermore, the paper presents a discussion about the conceptualization of human movement, as a way to inform and facilitate Experience-driven design process, and includes some propositions of applicable design domains.

Keywords: Body tracking , Conceptual design , Data visualization , Motion capture , User experience