Search Results (389)

The growing participation of elderly individuals in cruise tourism introduces asymmetry in passenger mobility and perception, posing challenges for onboard emergency evacuation. To address this, an interactive cellular automata model that enables dynamic human–signage interaction, incorporating age-dependent variations in walking speed and visual field. The model simulates passenger behavior during evacuation by integrating a static potential field, signage attraction, and directional guidance mechanisms. A bi-objective optimization framework is proposed to determine the optimal signage layout for symmetrical cruise ship theaters, balancing evacuation effectiveness across age groups with design constraints such as economic considerations. The optimization uses a genetic algorithm through simulation experiments under varying age compositions and smoke concentration levels. Results indicate that age-sensitive and interactive signage design substantially enhances evacuation efficiency, particularly for elderly passengers and under limited visibility conditions. This study offers practical insights into signage layout strategies for enhancing shipboard evacuation safety in diverse demographic and environmentally complex scenarios. Full article

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) is a fundamental technique in mobile robotics, enabling autonomous navigation and environmental reconstruction. However, dynamic elements in real-world scenes—such as walking pedestrians, moving vehicles, and swinging doors—often degrade SLAM performance by introducing unreliable features that cause localization errors. In this paper, we define dynamic regions as areas in the scene containing moving objects, and dynamic features as the visual features extracted from these regions that may adversely affect localization accuracy. Inspired by biological perception strategies that integrate semantic awareness and geometric cues, we propose Instance-level Point-Line SLAM (IPL-SLAM), a robust visual SLAM framework for dynamic environments. The system employs YOLOv8-based instance segmentation to detect potential dynamic regions and construct semantic priors, while simultaneously extracting point and line features using Oriented FAST (Features from Accelerated Segment Test) and Rotated BRIEF (Binary Robust Independent Elementary Features), collectively known as ORB, and Line Segment Detector (LSD) algorithms. Motion consistency checks and angular deviation analysis are applied to filter dynamic features, and pose optimization is conducted using an adaptive-weight error function. A static semantic point cloud map is further constructed to enhance scene understanding. Experimental results on the TUM RGB-D dataset demonstrate that IPL-SLAM significantly outperforms existing dynamic SLAM systems—including DS-SLAM and ORB-SLAM2—in terms of trajectory accuracy and robustness in complex indoor environments. Full article

Background. Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurological condition that can severely impair gait, often through changes to gait parameters including stride length, velocity, and variability. Therapeutic interventions such as Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation (RAS^®) target gait dysfunction in PD by using the regular beat of music or metronome clips to cue normalized walking patterns. Previous research has suggested that auditory cue properties (e.g., familiarity and groove) and individual factors (e.g., beat perception ability and susceptibility to dual-task interference) influence auditory cueing treatment efficacy in healthy young and older adults; however, optimization of rhythmic cueing across individuals with PD remains understudied. Methods. To address this, we explored the effects of familiarity, groove, beat perception ability, and synchronization instructions on gait in patients with PD during accelerated auditory cues. Individuals with idiopathic PD were randomized to walk freely or synchronized to music and metronome cues played 10% faster than their baseline walking cadence. Musical stimuli varied in self-reported familiarity and perceived groove and beat perception ability was assessed to classify participants as good or poor beat perceivers. Results. Overall, high-groove music and synchronized walking elicited faster gait patterns compared to low-groove music and free walking, respectively, as demonstrated by increased gait velocity and cadence. Familiarity and beat perception ability did not significantly affect gait in individuals with PD. Discussion. Altogether, our results indicate that high-groove music and synchronized walking lead to the greatest gait improvements during cueing, regardless of beat perception ability. Conclusion. Future studies and clinical interventions should consider stimulus type and synchronization instructions when implementing cueing therapies for gait dysfunction in PD in order to optimize treatment responses. Full article

Background: Aging is associated with reduced joint flexibility and balance, which increases the risk of falls, especially during stair descent where motor control is critical. Stretching has been shown to improve ankle range of motion and gait speed. This study investigated the effects of a 4-week training program combining stretching plus resistance training (RT) with elastic bands on functional capacity and ankle stability during stair descent in older women. Methods: Twenty-four active older women (mean age: 73.1 ± 0.97 years) were randomly assigned to static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS) and control (CG) groups. All participants completed two weekly 60 min sessions consisting of progressive RT preceded by three different warm-ups. The SS and DS groups completed static or dynamic stretching, while the CG walked. Assessments included 30s-Chair Stand (30s-CS), Handgrip Strength (HGS), Time Up and Go (TUG), Chair Sit and Reach (CSR), Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and ankle kinematics during stair descent. Results: All groups improved 30s-CS and TUG (p < 0.05). Only the SS group improved CSR in both legs and the ankle dorsiflexion angle during stair descent at final foot contact (p = 0.002). RPE increased over time across all groups (p < 0.0001); however, the SS and DS groups reported lower exertion than the CG group in first–second weeks (p = 0.0001–0.003). Conclusions: SS prior to progressive RT improved flexibility and ankle kinematics during stair descent, thus reducing the perception of effort particularly during the initial training phase. These findings indicate the effectiveness of SS as a warm-up strategy for increasing ROM and potentially reducing the risk of falls in this population. Full article

Once confined to mourning and burial, urban cemeteries are now being reimagined as multifunctional public spaces integrated into everyday urban life. Responding to this evolving role, this study investigates how metropolitan cemeteries in Tokyo are used, perceived, and socially negotiated. Although institutional initiatives have promoted the integration of cemeteries into green infrastructure, empirical research on user behavior, perception, and willingness remains limited—particularly in East Asian contexts. To address this gap, the study combines unstructured user-generated data (Google Maps reviews and images) with structured questionnaire responses to examine behavioral patterns, emotional responses, perceived landscape elements, and behavioral intentions across both urban and suburban cemeteries. Findings reveal that non-commemorative uses—ranging from nature appreciation and cultural engagement to recreational walking—are common in urban cemeteries and are closely associated with positive sentiment and seasonal perception. Factor analysis identifies two dimensions of behavioral intention—active and passive engagement—and reveals group-level differences: commemorative visitors show greater inclination toward active engagement, whereas multi-purpose visitors tend toward passive forms. Urban cemeteries are more frequently associated with non-commemorative behaviors and higher willingness to engage than suburban sites. These results underscore the role of cultural norms, prior experience, and spatial typology in shaping cemetery use, and offer practical insights for managing cemeteries as inclusive and culturally meaningful components of the urban landscape. Full article

This study aims to reveal how ecotourists’ general perceptions, concerns, and intentions to act regarding climate change have been shaped in the context of their personality domains following the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from 409 participants who took part in nature walking activities in Turkey in 2024 using a survey method. The data were analyzed using quantitative methods such as structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple regression analyses. The findings reveal statistically significant relationships between Big-Five personality domains of ecotourists’ and their perceptions of climate change, concerns, intentions to act, and ecotourism intentions. The results reveal that attitudes toward climate change have become more pronounced, especially in the post-pandemic period, and that personality domains are a strong determinant in shaping these attitudes. This study is important for the development of sustainable tourism policies and for providing strategic recommendations to managers in the field of ecotourism. Full article

As the texture skeleton of the traditional village, the street space is the main area for tourists to visit in traditional villages; it is regarded as the spatial conversion place of human flow and the space frequently visited by tourists. Accumulating evidence shows that the visual quality of street spaces has an effect on pedestrians’ walking behaviors in urban areas, but this effect in traditional villages needs to be further explored. This paper takes Huangcun Village, Yixian County, Huangshan City, as the research area to explore the influence of the objective visual factors of street spaces on tourists’ subjective stay willingness. First, an evaluation system of the visual quality of street spaces was developed. With the assistance of computer vision and deep learning technologies, semantic segmentation of Huangcun Village street view images was performed to obtain a visual quality index and then calculate the descriptive index of Huangcun Village’s street space. Then, combining the data of tourists’ stay willingness with the visual quality of the street space, the overall evaluation results and space distribution of tourists’ stay willingness in Huangcun Village were predicted using the Trueskill algorithm and machine learning prediction model. Finally, the influence of the objective visual quality of the street space on tourist subjective stay willingness was analyzed by correlation analysis. This research could provide some useful information for street space design and tourism planning in traditional villages. Full article

Blind and visually impaired (BVI) people face significant challenges in perception, navigation, and safety during travel. Existing infrastructure (e.g., blind lanes) and traditional aids (e.g., walking sticks, basic audio feedback) provide limited flexibility and interactivity for complex environments. To solve this problem, we propose a real-time travel assistance system based on deep learning. The hardware comprises an NVIDIA Jetson Nano controller, an Intel D435i depth camera for environmental sensing, and SG90 servo motors for feedback. To address embedded device computational constraints, we developed a lightweight object detection and segmentation algorithm. Key innovations include a multi-scale attention feature extraction backbone, a dual-stream fusion module incorporating the Mamba architecture, and adaptive context-aware detection/segmentation heads. This design ensures high computational efficiency and real-time performance. The system workflow is as follows: (1) the D435i captures real-time environmental data; (2) the processor analyzes this data, converting obstacle distances and path deviations into electrical signals; (3) servo motors deliver vibratory feedback for guidance and alerts. Preliminary tests confirm that the system can effectively detect obstacles and correct path deviations in real time, suggesting its potential to assist BVI users. However, as this is a work in progress, comprehensive field trials with BVI participants are required to fully validate its efficacy. Full article

This study contributes to the broader sustainability discourse by evaluating public knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding air pollution among residents of Hanoi, Vietnam, focusing on its causes, health impacts, and mitigation strategies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 521 individuals in suburbs around Hanoi. A multistage sampling technique, combining cluster and simple random sampling, was used for participant recruitment. Three central and three suburban districts of Hanoi were randomly selected as clusters. One individual from each household was invited to participate and answer a structured survey, which assessed perceptions of air pollution, its human-induced causes, recognised health impacts, and individual and community-level mitigation behaviours. Nearly all participants (98.3%) were aware of air pollution, with 65.3% attributing it to human activities and 61.2% recognising specific air pollutants as primary contributors. The majority (93.9%) acknowledged health impacts, citing respiratory infections (55.1%) and sinus issues (51.2%) as prevalent concerns. Vulnerable groups, such as children under 5 (82.3%) and adults over 65 years old (77.4%), were identified as disproportionately affected. Social media (68.9%) and television (58.3%) were the dominant sources of information. Despite a recognition of air pollution’s importance (98.5%), there was limited engagement in systemic sustainability actions, such as supporting renewable energy initiatives. Most participants (84.3%) reported personal mitigation efforts, including energy-saving practices (35.5%) and walking instead of driving a car or bike (35.3%). While awareness of air pollution and its health impacts is high among Hanoi residents, proactive engagement in systemic solutions remains limited. Policymakers should prioritise community-based programs, public–private partnerships, sustainability education, and culturally tailored policy interventions to bridge gaps between awareness and action. Tailored interventions addressing demographic and cultural factors are essential to fostering socio-environmental sustainability in rapidly urbanising contexts. Full article

Urban outdoor thermal comfort (OTC) has become an increasingly critical issue under the pressures of urbanization and climate change. Comparative analyses of urban blocks with distinct spatial morphologies are essential for identifying OTC issues and proposing targeted optimization strategies. However, existing studies predominantly rely on microclimate numerical simulations, while comparative assessments of OTC from the human thermal perception perspective remain limited. This study employs the thermal walk method, integrating microclimatic measurements with thermal perception questionnaires, to conduct on-site OTC investigations across three urban blocks with contrasting spatial morphologies—a business district (BD), a residential area (RA), and a historical neighborhood (HN)—in Beijing, a hot summer and cold winter climate city. The results reveal substantial OTC differences among the blocks. However, these differences demonstrated great seasonal and temporal variations. In summer, BD exhibited the best OTC (mTSV = 1.21), while HN performed the worst (mTSV = 1.72). In contrast, BD showed the poorest OTC in winter (mTSV = −1.57), significantly lower than HN (−1.11) and RA (−1.05). This discrepancy was caused by the unique morphology of different blocks. The sky view factor emerged as a more influential factor affecting OTC over building coverage ratio and building height, particularly in RA (r = 0.689, p < 0.01), but its impact varied by block, season, and sunlight conditions. North–South streets generally perform better OTC than East–West streets, being 0.26 units cooler in summer and 0.20 units warmer in winter on the TSV scale. The study highlights the importance of incorporating more applicable physical parameters to optimize OTC in complex urban contexts and offering theoretical support for designing climate adaptive urban spaces. Full article

Background/Objectives: In the context of active ageing, functional assessment is key to preserving autonomy in older women. The six-minute walk test (6MWT) is a practical tool for estimating general health, but its results can be influenced by various factors. This study analysed cardiorespiratory variations during the 6MWT in older women according to their physical activity level and age-related variables such as pain, sarcopenia, frailty, and motivation to exercise. Methods: A total of 163 older women with musculoskeletal pain, but without cardiac or respiratory conditions, were classified into groups with high (HPA), moderate (MPA), and low (LPA) physical activity. During the 6MWT, heart rate (HR), dyspnoea, and oxygen saturation (SpO₂) were recorded. Pain, sarcopenia, frailty, and motivation to exercise were also assessed. A repeated-measures multivariate analysis of (co)variance (RM-MANCOVA) was performed. Results: The results showed differences in HR depending on the level of physical activity, conditioned by sarcopenia (p < 0.05) and walked distance (p < 0.001), and in dyspnoea conditioned by pain perception (p < 0.01) and social (p < 0.001) and psychological (p < 0.05) motivation to exercise. There were also differences in SpO₂ depending on the level of physical activity (p < 0.0001). There were differences between the HPA group and both the MPA and LPA group, which had higher HR, higher dyspnoea, and lower SpO₂ when undergoing the 6MWT test. Conclusions: To accurately interpret 6MWT results in older adult women, it is essential to consider physical activity level, perceived pain, sarcopenia, and motivation to exercise, as these factors influence HR, dyspnoea, and SpO₂. These variables should guide physical activity recommendations for healthy ageing. Full article

Laterality or sidedness in the horse is commonly addressed as part of the horse’s training. An international online survey regarding horse and rider sidedness and asymmetry was conducted, with 2304 useable responses. Confidence intervals (95%) were used to evaluate if some response options were chosen more frequently. Discounting answers of ‘not sure’ or ‘not applicable’, the right fore hoof was more often perceived to be more upright (22%) than the left (15%), and the left shoulder was more prominent (24%) more often than the right (17%), whilst most respondents reported no difference. Both lunging and bending was perceived to be most difficult to the right (48% and 52%) than to the left (33% and 42%), and more horses fell in on the right circle (lunging 40%, riding 38%) than on the left (31% and 33%). Horses commonly tracked their hindquarters to the left in walk, trot and left canter. Correspondence analysis showed that responses indicating horse side bias and relative symmetry, respectively, were associated across several questions, suggesting consistent individual patterns. While the mechanisms underpinning sidedness remain unclear, this study provides insights into horse owners’ perceptions of laterality and related matters. Full article

This study explores the impact of microclimatic variations on thermal perception and walking experience in Béjaïa, Algeria, focusing on two contrasting urban areas: the compact historic medina and the modern lower city. A mixed-method approach combined microclimatic measurements (Ta, Ts, Va, RH) with subjective evaluations from 70 participants. After urban morphological analysis, walking itineraries were designed and studied through accompanied walks. Participants reported their thermal sensations and walking comfort via questionnaires and mental maps, while environmental data were simultaneously collected (21–28 July 2022). Results show that transitions between urban fabrics significantly affect thermal sensation and walking thermal comfort (WTC). Strong correlations were observed between surface temperature (Ts) and sky view factor (SVF), and between ASV and WTC (Kendall’s τᵦ = 0.79, 95% CI [0.70, 0.88]). Beyond physical factors, perceptual variables like vegetation (OR = 1.50), maintenance (OR = 1.40), and views (OR = 1.30) significantly increased WTC, while fatigue (OR = 0.70) and safety concerns (OR = 0.80) reduced it. The findings highlight strong contrasts between the two areas and support planning strategies emphasizing vegetation, spatial optimization, and the integration of perceptual thermal factors in urban design. Full article

The rapid evolution of the transport industry requires a deep understanding of user preferences for emerging mobility solutions, particularly carsharing (CS) and autonomous vehicles (AVs). This study employs machine learning techniques to model transport mode choice, with a focus on traffic safety perceptions of people towards CS and privately shared autonomous vehicles (PSAVs). A stated preference (SP) survey is conducted to collect data on travel behavior, incorporating key attributes such as trip time, trip cost, waiting and walking time, privacy, cybersecurity, and surveillance concerns. Sociodemographic factors, such as income, gender, education, employment status, and trip purpose, are also examined. Three gradient boosting models—CatBoost, XGBoost, and LightGBM are applied to classify user choices. The performance of models is evaluated using accuracy, precision, and F1-score. The XGBoost demonstrates the highest accuracy (77.174%) and effectively captures the complexity of mode choice behavior. The results indicate that CS users are easily classified, while PSAV users present greater classification challenges due to variations in safety perceptions and technological acceptance. From a traffic safety perspective, the results emphasize that companionship, comfort, privacy, cybersecurity, safety in using CS and PSAVs, and surveillance significantly influence CS and PSAV acceptance, which leads to the importance of trust in adopting AVs. The findings suggest that ensuring public trust occurs through robust safety regulations and transparent data security policies. Furthermore, the envisaged benefits of shared autonomous mobility are alleviating congestion and promoting sustainability. Full article

Introduction: Walking is perceived as the most important bodily function for persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) and is impaired in more than 70% of pwMS. In addition, the effect of multiple sclerosis (MS) on gait pattern increases in fast walking and during fatiguing exercises, altering the spatiotemporal gait parameters and walking reserve. Objectives: The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of a 12 min intermittent-walking protocol on spatiotemporal gait parameters and on the fatigability of pwMS, as well as the association with perceived exertion and reported symptoms of fatigue. Methods: Twenty-six persons with relapse-remitting MS and twenty-eight healthy controls (HCs) were included in this cross-sectional study. The Modified Fatigue Impact Scale and the Symbol Digit Modality Test were used to evaluate fatigue symptoms and cognitive function, respectively. Participants walked six times during an uninterrupted 2-min period. Before, during the rest periods and after the last 2 min walk, the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) was measured using the Borg Scale, and the spatiotemporal gait parameters were assessed with GaitRite. The cut-off value of 10% deceleration of the distance walked index classified pwMS into two groups: MS Fatigable (MS-F) and MS Non-Fatigable (MS-NF). One-way and two-way Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to verify the effect of time and groups, respectively. Results: PwMS walked slower, travelled shorter distances, and presented shorter step lengths compared to HCs. No effects of the intermittent-walking protocol were found for all pwMS, but the MS-F group had deteriorated walking speed, step length, and cadence. Walking dysfunction was associated with perceived fatigability, reported symptoms of fatigue, cognitive function, and disability. Reported symptoms of fatigue was associated with perceived exertion but not with performance fatigability. Conclusions: Changes in gait parameters were weak to moderately associated with performance fatigability and the perception of effort and disability but not with reported fatigue symptoms, highlighting distinct constructs. The walking speed reserve and step length reserve also emerged as potential early markers of performance decline. Full article