Theoretical and Applied Ergonomics

Vibrotactile stimulation has applications in a variety of fields, including medicine, virtual reality, and human–computer interaction. Eccentric Rotating Mass (ERM) vibrating motors are widely used in wearable haptic devices owing to their small size, low cost, and low-energy features. User experience with vibrotactile stimulation is an important factor in ergonomic design for these applications. The effects of ERM motor vibrations on upper-extremity sensation and perception, which are important in the design of better wearable haptic devices, have not been thoroughly studied previously. Our study focuses on the relationship between user sensation and perception and on different vibration parameters, including frequency, location, and number of motors. We conducted experiments with vibrotactile stimulation on 15 healthy participants while the subjects were both at rest and in motion to capture different use cases of haptic devices. Eight motors were placed on a consistent set of muscles in the subjects’ upper extremities, and one motor was placed on their index fingers. We found a significant correlation between voltage and sensation intensity (r = 0.39). This finding is important in the design and safety of customized haptic devices. However, we did not find a significant aggregate-level correlation with the perceived pleasantness of the simulation. The sensation intensity varied based on the location of the vibration on the upper extremities (with the lowest intensities on the triceps brachii and brachialis) and slightly decreased (5.9 ± 2.9%) when the participants performed reaching movements. When a single motor was vibrating, the participants’ accuracy in identifying the motor without visual feedback increased as the voltage increased, reaching up to 81.4 ± 14.2%. When we stimulated three muscles simultaneously, we found that most participants were able to identify only two out of three vibrating motors (41.7 ± 32.3%). Our findings can help identify stimulation parameters for the ergonomic design of haptic devices. Full article

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) have a significant impact on healthcare professionals. The aim of this study was to conduct an umbrella review and meta-analysis to examine the overall body area prevalence of WMSDs by continents, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Mendeley, PubMed/Medline, Science.gov, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were screened without date limitation to identify relevant meta-analyses. The selection, quality appraisal, and data extraction process were performed independently by two reviewers. Ten meta-analyses were included from the 3853 unique records, for a total of 100,211 participants, including dentists, nurses, surgeons, and mixed healthcare professionals. High heterogeneity (Cochran’s Q test and I² statistic) was observed. The largest number of meta-analyses was performed among nurses. Subgroup analysis by continent revealed an imbalance in the number of works, with Asia being the most documented. The analysis of prevalence rates was complete in Asia (overall and nine body areas), and partial in Europe (neck, shoulder, wrist) and Africa (lower back only). A ranking of the most exposed areas by continent was proposed. The lower back was the most exposed area (Africa: 54.5%; Asia: 56.6%). It would be relevant in future work to consider the numerous cross-sectional studies in order to improve subgroup analyses by continent and, thus, complete and strengthen the initial results presented in this first umbrella review. Full article

The size of a touch icon is a critical factor affecting smartphone use performance. The existing literature recommends a 10-mm icon side/diameter for a successful touch. Though this can be applicable in routine use, there are circumstances where smaller icons are required. Two experiments were conducted to systematically investigate the effects of icon size and spacing on touch performance: one experiment for square icons and the other for circular icons. The icon size ranged from 2 to 11 mm, while spacing ranged from 0 to 8 mm, depending on icon size. Seventy-five combinations of icon size and spacing were randomly presented on a smartphone. The subjects’ task was to touch an icon as soon as it occurred. Performance was measured with a hit rate for icons and with icon-touch time. A change-point detection algorithm was developed to characterize the icon-touch performance. The results show that icon hit rate increased and icon-touch time decreased with an increase in icon size; a change point in the icon hit rate was identified around the icon size of 6 mm; icon spacing had no significant effect on icon hit rate or icon-touch time. To conclude, smartphone icon-touching performance can be comprehensively characterized using the systematic approach developed in the present study. Full article

Handover of patient care is the most common form of communication across hospitals. Enabling effective handover has been identified as a key priority for patient safety. This Human Factors Ergonomics socio-technical systems study aims to understand the current system of handover within departments, across departments, and at the interface of provider services, and then use this knowledge to co-design recommendations to enable resilience in clinical handover. The Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety 3.0 (SEIPS3.0) framework is used to take a systems approach to observing clinical handover. Over 26 h of handover, involving 218 healthcare professionals handing over patient care across an acute hospital setting and at the interface of two external ambulance service systems, was observed. From these observations of clinical handovers, we co-designed—with the input of 41 medical, nursing, health, and social care professionals, quality and safety professionals, and patient partners—70 recommendations for enabling resilience in handover using two socio-technical systems analysis frameworks: SEIPS3.0 and the Cube. These 70 recommendations were inductively coded, and ten emergent properties that can support resilience in handover were identified, including person-centred care, multi-disciplinary team working, culture, communication, evidence-based practice, operations management, education, digitally enabled care, evidence-based design, and understanding context. This study contributes important knowledge for healthcare professionals and Human Factors Ergonomics practitioners on the systemic enablers of resilience in clinical handover in acute hospital settings. Full article

Increasing automation and the rapidly growing use of robots in industrial as well as social areas result in a greater need for research regarding collaboration between humans and robots. Key factors for a safe and successful combination of human and robot abilities include acceptance and trust in the robot. In order to prevent physical and psychological harm to humans, reducing these negative emotions and increasing trust and acceptance are essential. One way to achieve this is through the use of virtual training methods and environments. However, current research scarcely covers this approach. Therefore, this research focusses on an experimental approach to investigate emotional and psychophysiological (ECG, EDA) reactions while performing a collaborative assembly task (screwing) with an industrial robot in a real and a virtual setting, respectively. The study sample consisted of 46 participants (23 female) with an age range from 20 to 58 years. The results of the analyzed subjective and objective psychophysiological (cardiovascular and electrodermal responses) measures provide more information regarding the suitability of virtual trainings for human–robot collaboration. Differences in task complexity were measurable in both virtual and real environments. Furthermore, gender differences were also shown. Full article

Gamification, defined as the application of game-like elements in non-game contexts to enhance motivation and engagement, has emerged as a promising strategy in physical education, enhancing student motivation, engagement, and physical activity through the integration of game-like elements into educational practices. However, the design and implementation of these platforms often overlook crucial ergonomic principles, which could have affected both the learning experience and the physical and cognitive well-being of users. This literature review aimed to examine the application of ergonomic principles in gamified physical education platforms, assess their impact on motivation and learning outcomes, and offer recommendations for improving future designs. Following a comprehensive literature search, eight peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024 were reviewed. The findings emphasized the importance of accessibility, cognitive load management, and visual design in creating effective gamified learning environments. Although the potential of gamification in physical education was evident, several gaps, including the lack of longitudinal studies and limited attention to diverse and disadvantaged contexts, needed to be addressed to create more inclusive, safe, and effective platforms. This review identified key gaps in ergonomic design within gamified PE platforms and highlighted the need for future research to standardize ergonomic frameworks and expand inclusivity in educational game-based environments. Specific recommendations included integrating accessibility features, managing cognitive load, and designing user-centered platforms for diverse contexts. Full article

This study presents an analysis of flight crew communication during the crash of United Airlines Flight 232 at Sioux Gateway Airport in Iowa, USA. Conversation analysis (CA) techniques are used to identify five recurring phenomena in the crew communication and five critical interactions. These are combined to produce a description of the communication process during an unprecedented airline emergency. One of the findings is that communication was simplified and the pilots largely used plain language when speaking with air traffic control (ATC). This was an appropriate communication strategy for the context of the Flight 232 accident but would be problematic if applied to other situations. The analysis also identifies aspects of the crew’s performance that are relevant to contemporary crew resource management (CRM) programs: active participation in communication, updating the shared mental model, making problem solving a joint task, expanding the team boundary to accept an off-duty pilot, and managing the workload. Finally, the study highlights significant details of the Flight 232 accident that are often overlooked and may not generalize to other settings. Full article

It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I present you with the inaugural issue of Theoretical and Applied Ergonomics, a new journal designed to address ergonomics from a theoretical point of view, while highlighting innovative and technical aspects of the science [...] Full article