IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INCActa Medica Okayama2169-3536102022Effectiveness of Tactile Warning and Voice Command for Enhancing Safety of Drivers9385493866ENAtsuoMurataDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityToshihisaDoiDepartment of Living Environment Design, Graduate School of Human Life and Ecology, Osaka Metropolitan UniversityWaldemarKarwowskiEngineering and Management Systems, University of Central Florida (Life Senior Member, IEEE)Safety is impaired when drivers are required to perform main driving task (tracking of own car, distance maintenance between own car and a leading car, and response to target objects) and secondary task simultaneously, for example, responding to target cars on the road while operating in-vehicle equipment. A two-factor (presence or absence of tactile warning by input modality (no secondary task, voice command for a secondary task, and manual input for a secondary task)) within-subject design of ten licensed males was used to investigate how to compensate for safety impairments (decreased performance of a main and a secondary task such as increased tracking error during driving or increased reaction time to target cars on the road). We investigated whether the use of tactile warnings transmitted via left and right thighs for detecting road objects and voice command to operate in-vehicle equipment could compensate for safety impairments such as the increased reaction time to target cars on the road, the increase of detection error of target cars, or increased tracking error in driving. The accuracy and speed of responses to target cars encountered during driving were reduced when a driver was asked to perform the main and the secondary task simultaneously compared to situations performing only the main driving task (tracking, distance maintenance, and response to target cars). The availability of a tactile warning system for road objects compensated for these diminished performance measures, including slower response times and the increased detection error of target cars. Likewise, voice command contributed to enhanced performance of the main driving task such as decrease of tracking error.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE - Inst Electrical Electronics Engineers IncActa Medica Okayama2169-3536102022Sensitivity of PERCLOS70 to Drowsiness Level: Effectiveness of PERCLOS70 to Prevent Crashes Caused by Drowsiness7080670814ENAtsuoMurataDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityToshihisaDoiDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityWaldemarKarwowskiDepartment of Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central FloridaIt has been reported that many crashes are caused by drowsiness. Thus, it is critical to predict the occurrence of severe drowsiness that may result in a crash by means of an effective measure. The aim of this study was to investigate whether percentage closure (PERCLOS) of 70% was useful for evaluating drowsiness level of individual drivers and preventing crashes caused by drowsy driving using a driving simulator system. The first experiment measured PERCLOS70 during both aroused and drowsy states in a driving simulator task and investigated how PERCLOS70 changes when a participant fell asleep. In the second experiment, we measured PERCLOS70 and investigated the relation between PERCLOS70 and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) ratings during a simulated driving task. The aggregated mean PERCLOS70 was significantly higher when participants fell asleep than when they were aroused. This tendency was also observed for individual participants. The aggregated mean PERCLOS70 was found to be sensitive to changes in KSS scores and increased with increasing KSS score. Linear trend analysis revealed a significant increasing trend for PERCLOS70 as a function of the KSS rating. This tendency was also observed for individual participants. PERCLOS70 was found to be sensitive to the drowsiness level both for data aggregated across all participants and data for individual participants. The main findings of the two experiments reported herein suggest that PERCLOS70 can be used effectively to evaluate drowsiness of individual drivers and prevent crashes caused by drowsy driving.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.MDPIActa Medica Okayama2073-89941412021Delayed Evacuation after a Disaster Because of Irrational Prediction of the Future Cumulative Precipitation Time Series under Asymmetry of Information6ENAtsuoMurataDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityToshihisaDoiDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityRinHasegawaDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityWaldemarKarwowskiDepartment of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central FloridaThis study investigated biased prediction of cumulative precipitation, using a variety of patterns of histories of cumulative precipitation, to explore how such biased prediction could delay evacuation or evacuation orders. The irrationality in predicting the future of cumulative precipitation was examined to obtain insights into the causes of delayed evacuation or evacuation orders using a simulated prediction of future cumulative precipitation based on the cumulative precipitation history. Anchoring and adjustment, or availability bias stemming from asymmetry of information, was observed in the prediction of cumulative precipitation, and found to delay evacuation or evacuation orders.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.MDPIActa Medica Okayama2073-899413112021Irrationality of Attitudes toward Safety under Complexity and Uncertainty Leading to Asymmetry of Information2111ENAtsuoMurataDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversitySyusukeYoshidaDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityToshihisaDoiDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityWaldemarKarwowskiDepartment of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central FloridaThis study investigated how complexity and uncertainty, the probability of accidents, and the probability of financial trouble affected individuals' recognition of validity of irrational risk-seeking decisions. As a result of conducting a multiple regression analysis on the validation score for irrational risk-seeking alternative obtained by a questionnaire survey, we found that the validity score for an irrational risk-seeking alternative was higher when both complexity and uncertainty were high than when both complexity and uncertainty were low, which means that high complexity and high uncertainty in the situation of decision making more readily leads to an irrational risk-seeking behavior that might trigger a major accident. Beyond complexity and uncertainty, the damage of major accident alpha, the decrease of the probability of major accidents and the increase of the probability of financial trouble (economic factor) were also found to promote the choice of irrational risk-seeking alternatives. Some implications for safety management under high complexity and uncertainty are discussed.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.MDPIActa Medica Okayama2073-89941352021Asymmetry of Authority or Information Underlying Insufficient Communication Associated with a Risk of Crashes or Incidents in Passenger Railway Transportation803ENAtsuoMurataDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityWaldemarKarwowskiDepartment of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems, University of Central FloridaSimilar crashes or incidents may recur as a result of insufficient communication in uncertain and risky situations that potentially threaten safety. The common root causes of insufficient communication across a series of incidents and crashes must be explored in detail to prevent a vicious circle of similar incidents or crashes from occurring. This study summarizes a series of incidents and crashes (derailment due to excessive train speed) at JR West at the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) that are considered to have arisen from insufficient communication. The incidents included (i) resuming train service without confirming the number of passengers on board and leaving passengers behind the station at Higashi-Hiroshima station, (ii) continuing train service in spite of an apparent risk of a crash detected at Okayama station, and (iii) leaving the crack of the train hood as it was at Kokura station. We discuss the causes of insufficient communication (particularly in relation to the sharing of information) among the three branches of staff-the station staff, the conductor and train driver, and the train operation management center-that led to the incidents or crashes. Two factors contributed to the insufficient communication in the series of incidents and crashes: (a) Asymmetry of authority, which hinders the discussion of issues openly and equally among the branches concerned. (b) An unacceptable level of knowledge or information for all branches concerned.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.Springer International PublishingActa Medica Okayama2194-53579702019Cross-Cultural Analysis of Top Page Design Among Brazilian, Chinese, Japanese and United States Web Sites609620ENToshihisaDoiAtsuoMurataThe aim of present study was to reveal the differences of web design including cultural preference among the four countries that have different cultures. Twenty local municipal sites were randomly chosen from United States, Japan, China, and Brazil. The characteristics of these web sites was investigated from viewpoint of the following seven categories: (1) text, (2) layout, (3) navigation, (4) multimedia, (5) links, (6) items location, (7) color. When the web site had each factor, the researcher gave a "1" for that factor. Chi-square goodness-of-fit test was performed to compare the percentage of "0" or "1" of each factor among the four countries. Additionally, the correspondence analysis was performed to grasp the characteristics of each country. The characteristics of the top page design of the four countries were grasped based on these analyses.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.Institute of Electrical and Electronics EngineersActa Medica Okayama2169-353692021Development of an Eye-Gaze Input System With High Speed and Accuracy through Target Prediction Based on Homing Eye Movements2268822697ENAtsuoMurataDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityToshihisaDoiDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityKazushiKageyamaDepartment of Intelligent Mechanical Systems, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama UniversityWaldemarKarwowskiEngineering and Management Systems, University of Central FloridaIn this study, a method to predict a target on the basis of the trajectory of eye movements and to increase the pointing speed while maintaining high predictive accuracy is proposed. First, a predictive method based on ballistic (fast) eye movements (Approach 1) was evaluated in terms of pointing speed and predictive accuracy. In Approach 1, the so-called Midas touch problem (pointing to an unintended target) occurred, particularly when a small number of samples was used to predict a target. Therefore, to overcome the poor predictive accuracy of Approach 1, we developed a new predictive method (Approach 2) using homing (slow) eye movements rather than ballistic (fast) eye movements. Approach 2 overcame the disadvantage (inaccurate prediction) of Approach 1 by shortening the pointing time while maintaining high predictive accuracy.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Effects of Image and Layered Structure on Web Search Performance -Evaluation on the Basis of Movement Distance of Mouse Pointer-342347ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaTakehitoHayamiThe aim of this paper was to explore the effects of image addition and layered structure on Web search performance on the basis of the search time and the movement trajectory of mouse pointer. The difference of search characteristics between young and older adults was also examined. Older adults tended to take more time to search for the linked item especially when the layered structure was deep. For the deep layered structure, both young and
older adults allocate more time to think which items should be selected than to operate a mouse. For all participants, less mouse movement was observed for the image-based link condition than for the character-based link condition. This tendency was more remarkable for older adults. Moreover, it was clarified that more mouse movement was observed with the increase of the number of hyperlinks per Web page. When the layered structure was shallow, the following difference of mouse operation
characteristics between young and older adults was observed: Older adults made an attempt to locate the
search item while moving a mouse simultaneously. On
the other hand, young adults began to move a mouse
after locating the search item.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Comparison of Performance among Different Situations of Operation in Web Display - Comparison of Behavioral Features between Young and Older Adults -336341ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaIn order to clarify the situation where older adults feel inconvenient when carrying out various Web operations, the differences of Web search behavior between young and older adults were examined using Web sites with different layered structures. The following two situations were used to address the issue above: (1) operation of a "Back" button, and (2) operation of a hyperlink. When the operation of "Back" button was necessary, the task completion time of older adults was 2.3 times as long as that of young adults. Such a difference must be obtained, because older adults need more time to recognize and understand the layered structure. When operation "Back" button in a raw, the task completion time of older adults was 3.9 times as long as that of young adults. Moreover, the task completion time of older adults increased in case of searching in the deep layered Web site due to the slower and declined cognition and judgment. When selecting a hyperlink, the task completion time of older adults was 12.1 times as long as that of young adults. On the basis of this tendency, we inferred that older adults took more time and became more careful when selecting a hyperlink.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Development of Thumb-Operated Dial-Type Integrated Switch for Automobile and its Effectiveness330335ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaA thumb-operated dial-type integrated switch for automobile use was developed, and the task completion time for this type of integrated switch was compared with that for a traditional integrated switch. The rotation torque of an encoder and the rotation diameter were selected as experimental parameters. An attempt was made to identify the optimal and recommended condition of rotation torque and diameter. It was demonstrated that the thumb-operated dial-type integrated switch lead to faster task completion time as compared with the traditional integrated switch. As for the thumb-operated dial-type integrated switch, the
following combination of the rotation torque and the rotation diameter were not proper: diameter of 20mm for the rotation torque of 12.9mN・m and 9.2mN・m, and diameters of 20mm and 40mm for the rotation torque of 8.6 mN・m. It was also suggested that the optimal condition cannot be identified using the condition of the rotation force only, and that the optimal condition must be determined taking into account the combination of the rotation torque and the rotation diameter.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Fundamental study for constructing a system to assist the left visual field of older drivers - Effectiveness of the alternative of the left front side-view mirror by the central visual field -320325ENAtsuoMurataYoheiUchidaMakotoMoriwakaThe purpose of this paper is to establish the basics of the systems that assist visibility of the left visual field for older drivers. The display was located either the left which corresponded to a left side mirror, or within the central effective visual field. Participants performed multiple tasks where tracking task using a steering wheel was a primary task, and judgment of situations using a left or front display was a secondary task. How the display location affected the judgment performance was explored for both young and older adults. We counted the number of the warning during the tracking task and measured the percentage correct reaction to displayed stimulus and reaction sensitivity. We investigated how these measures ware affected by age and display location. Mean warning number during the tracking tasks, the percentage correct recognition of situations and d' was affected age and display location. The central display was found to increase the percentage correct recognitions of situations.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Skill of Eye-Hand Coordination in Calligraphy - Difference of Skill of Hand-Eye Coordination between Expert and Novice -316319ENAtsuoMurataGoshiroYamamotoMakotoMoriwakaA system that can simultaneously measure the movement of a brush tip and the eye-gaze position during a calligraphy task has been developed. The system consisted of a device to measure the location of a brush tip and an eye tracker. Using this system, the skill of hand-eye coordination was measured for an expert and novices. It has been clarified that an expert of calligraphy distributes the eye-gaze over a wider area and gazes in advance a part that should be written next. In other words, an expert does not gaze at the brush tip but at the part that should be written at the next stage.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Basic study on relationship between SI, EI and human error characteristics312315ENAtsuoMurataKoheiYamamotoMakotoMoriwakaRecently, accidents or scandals due to organizational violation-based error frequently occur. One of the causes might be maladjustment to environmental changes surrounding organization from relief to global society. In this study, the following proposition was hypothesized: Social intelligence (SI), ability to evaluate appropriately the reliability of others, ability to carry out communication smoothly in organization, and emotional aspects (behavior on the basis of emotion or reasonability) are important factors and keys to prevent violation-based organizational error. A questionnaire which included items related to social intelligence (SI: social awareness and social facility), emotional intelligence (EI), ability to evaluate the reliability of others, ability to communicate smoothly in organization, behavioral characteristics (emotional- or reasonability-based behavior), and ability to make decisions and judge situations. An attempt was made to verify the hypothesis above by a survey using the questionnaire.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Effectiveness of the menu selection method for eye-gaze input system - Comparison between young and older adults -306311ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaAlthough the opportunity of older adults to use personal computer is increased more and more, the operation of a personal computer with a mouse is very annoying for older adults who cannot move his or her arm smoothly and effectively due to declined motor function. An attempt to move a cursor by an eye-gaze input system has been carried out as one solution to this problem. Until now, a menu selection method suitable for an eye-gaze input system has not been clarified. In this study, an effective menu selection for the eye-gaze input system was identified as a basic design parameter to develop a Web browser using an eye-gaze input system. Concretely, a menu selection method, that is, improved quick glance menu selection (I-QGMS) was proposed. The effectiveness was evaluated by means of the pointing accuracy, the pointing time, and the psychological rating on usability. On the basis of the evaluation experiment, the proposed I-QGMS was found to be
effective especially for older adults.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Basic Study for Development of Web Browser suitable for Eye-gaze Input System - Identification of Optimal Click Method -302305ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaIn this study, alternative methods of mouse click operation were discussed. The eye-gaze input system was used. The effectiveness was compared among three alternative methods of mouse click operation. The alternative methods in the eye-gaze input system included the eye fixation, the press of space button, and the wink (blink). The percentage correct recognition, the pointing time, the subjective evaluation of usability was used as evaluation measures. The arrangement of targets (vertical or horizontal) and the age were also considered as experimental factors, and it was explored how these factors affected the pointing performance. The percentage correct recognition of the horizontal direction was higher than that of the vertical direction. The pointing time became longer as follows: eye-gaze input system with eye fixation, mouse, eye-gaze input system with press of space button, and eye-gaze input system with wink. The age factor was found not to affect the pointing time so
remarkably.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Educational plans in nursing departments The current state of nurse development326329ENAtsuoMurataWith the recent diversification of career paths in nursing, the establishment of a career development plan (CDP) system for nurses is becoming more important for improving the quality of nursing. The present study, conducted on chief nurses in general hospitals in Japan, aimed to ascertain how nursing education fosters the individual career development of nurses. As a result, We understood the next matter. 1) Training for mid-level nurses is provided by most hospitals, primarily in the form of in-hospital training. 2) More than 90% of the hospitals surveyed provided individual counseling for career development, either as needed or periodically. 3) The proportion of hospitals with fewer than 200 nurses that prepared individual educational plans was 7%; the proportion of hospitals with more than 210 nurses that prepared individual educational plans was 24% on average.4) By taking into account "nurse development", job rotation is viewed as part of nursing education. Next, we proposed the new method for evaluation of CDP to individual nurses using N-S table.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Design method of Cockpit module in consideration of switch type, location of switch and display information for older drivers258263ENAtsuoMurataKeitaYamadaMakotoMoriwakaIn this paper, the effects of switch type, location of switch, and display information on the primary driving task and the secondary switch operation were investigated. The switch type included an integrated and a non-integrated switch. These switches were located on the front left, on the left side, or around a steering wheel. We prepared three displays with different display information (2.0, 4.1, and 5.9 bit). The tracking error, the mean operation time, the percentage of correct answer, NASA-TLX mental workload, and the subjective evaluation of
usability were measured in order to analyze how these measures were affected by experimental factors above. The results suggested that young adults are better than older adults at both abilities on processing displayed information and operating switches. The integrated switch was found to affect driving performance than the non-integrated switch, and had little influence on switch operation. In addition, it was clarified that the switch located around a steering wheel had little influence on driving performance. Low display information was also found not to affect the performance.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Visual information processing characteristics of drivers in prediction of dangerous situation - Comparison among novice, expert and non-licensed person -254257ENAtsuoMurataTakehitoHayamiMakotoMoriwakaThe aim of this study was to examine the difference of visual information processing in KYT (Kiken Yochi Training) among novice, expert and non-licensed persons. In KYT tasks, participants were required to search for a potentially dangerous part using a static image under driving situations. The location of fixation point and the time series change of eye gaze were measured using an eye
camera. In order to detect the difference of visual
information processing among three groups above, an important area that the participants must pay attention to with the highest priority was set for each static image. The time until the eye gaze fixates to the important area, and the ratio of the fixation time to the total search time were detected. Using these measures, the difference of visual information processing among three groups was clarified. Moreover, for novice and non-licensed participants, it was also explored whether a lecture related to KYT would improve the efficiency of visual information processing. The time until the eye gaze fixates to the important area was longer for the non-licensed participants than for the experienced participants. The learning effect by means of a KYT lecture was also observed.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Prevention of drowsy driving by means of warning sound248253ENAtsuoMurataYusukeMatsudaMakotoMoriwakaTraffic accidents occur due to inattentive driving such as drowsy driving. A variety of support systems that make an attempt to prevent inattentive driving are under development. The development of a system to prevent drowsy driving using auditory or tactile alarm system is undertaken. It is essential to detect the low arousal state and warn drivers of such a state so that drowsy can be prevented. EEG (Electroencephalography) was used to evaluate how an arousal level degraded with time for eight participants under a low arousal level. Mean power frequency (MPF) was calculated to evaluate an arousal level. The value of MPF was compared between high and low arousal levels. The difference of arousal effect among four warning sounds was examined. As a result, there was no significant difference of arousal effect among four alarm sounds. The alarm sound was found to temporarily heighten participants' arousal level.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Basic study on effectiveness of tactile interface for warning presentation in driving environment242247ENAtsuoMurataKohkiTanakaMakotoMoriwakaThe aim of this study was to get insight into the development of tactile interface for automobile warning system. In other words, it was investigated whether the important driving information in the right and left peripheral visual fields can be recognized faster using tactile warning system as compared with auditory warning system. The participants were required to simultaneously carry out a tracking task (main task), a switch pressing task such as selection of light-on function, and a judgment task of important information which randomly appeared to the right or left peripheral visual field. The tracking error, the number of lane deviation, the percentage correct of switch pressing, and the response time to right and left peripheral stimulus were measured. It was examined how age, the modality of alarm presentation (no alarm, auditory, and tactile), the addition of direction in alarm presentation, and the existence of disturbance sound, and the location of tactile sensor (steering or foot) affected the measures above. The young adults performed better than older adults. The response time was not affected by the modality of alarm presentation, and the disturbance sound. The
addition of direction of alarm presentation affected the performance. The tactile sensor attached to the foot led to faster response than that attached to the steering wheel.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Effects of location of information presentation in pedestrian detection system on visibility and performance236241ENAtsuoMurataShinsakuAratamaMakotoMoriwakaA few pedestrian warning systems for automobiles are in practical use. It has not been clarified where is best suited for the location of pedestrian information presentation. The most effective location of information presentation in pedestrian detection system was investigated. In other words, the location that assured the fastest cognition of pedestrian information was clarified. The locations of information presentation in pedestrian detection system were front glass, front display of cockpit module, and left side display of cockpit module (like car navigation system). The participants were required to pay attention to the predetermined front area as well as the randomly presented pedestrian information while carrying out a virtual driving task (tracking task) and a secondary switch pressing task such as selection of wiper function. We also
investigated the effect of alarm sound presented to the participants together with the visual pedestrian information on the cognition time of pedestrian information. As a result, the front glass was most
suitable for the presentation of pedestrian information. The presentation of pedestrian information to the front glass led to high visibility and faster pedestrian cognition time.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Effects of State of Eye Movements before Saccade on Efficiency of Response to Stimulus - Comparison of Search Efficiency between Fixation and Smooth Pursuit Situations -182185ENAtsuoMurataTakehitoHayamiMakotoMoriwakaIn this study, how the state of eye movement before saccade affected the response to a stimulus was explored. The state of eye movement before saccade was either smooth pursuit or fixation. The smooth pursuit was carried out both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Using an eye-tracking system, the eye movement during the experimental task was monitored. The response time to a stimulus was measured. On the basis of the eye movement data (coordinate), the eye movement velocity, the eye movement acceleration, and the latency of eye movement were obtained. When smooth pursuit was carried out before saccade, the response to a stimulus which appears as a result of saccade was faster. More concretely, the response time of smooth pursuit condition was faster than that of fixation condition. The latency of the smooth pursuit condition tended to be faster than that of the fixation condition. Some implications for the application of the results to the traffic safety or automotive ergonomics were given.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009The Development of the Computer Aided Remanufacturing System (CARES) Part I: Software Development (Phase I) and a Simulation Study176181ENAtsuoMurataThe environment bills that passed by the legislators triggered a new dimension towards the manufacturers to consider producing eco – friendly product. This paper presents the developed software of the remanufacturing evaluation system so-called "Computer – Aided Remanufacturing Evaluation System (CARES)". The software is developed by integrating an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with case based reasoning (AHP – CBR) approach. The result of the simulation study showed that the maximum similarity between the input case and the retrieve case is 80%. The evaluation system recommended that mirror cover,
mirror base and mirror holder should be remanufactured.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009A Proposal for Town Development in Aged Society170175ENTetsukoMatsuoAtsuoMurataAccording to the Aged day commemorative report issued in September of 2007 from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication, the population of over sixty five years old attained the historical record high of 27.44 million or 21.5% of total population. On the other hand, the many of shopping malls with large parking have been located in suburbs with expanding of suburban residential area and the effect of motorization. In addition, the growth of remote shopping such as internet and catalog one, helps accelerate the decline of old shopping malls. However, these malls give the only one life-line to the elder and disabled population. In this paper, we discuss on the way of maintaining this life-line for elder and disabled one from the study of questionnaire surveys for visitors of two shopping mall in Wakamatsu-ward and Tobata-ward, Kitakyushu, the gate way city to Kitakyushu in Fukuoka Prefecture. Some of methodology is proposed to facilitate
revitalization of local areas as the result of this study.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Production lot size models for perishable seasonal products164169ENAtsuoMurataSeasonal items like fruits, fish, winter cosmetics, fashion apparel, etc. generally exhibits different demand patterns at various times during the season. Production and inventory planning must reflect this property for cost effectiveness and optimization of resources. This paper presents two production-inventory models for perishable seasonal products that minimize total inventory costs. The models obtains optimal production run time and optimal production quantity for cases when the production rate is constant and when it is allowed to vary with demand. The products are assumed to deteriorate at an exponential rate and demand for them follows a three-phase ramp type pattern during the season. Numerical examples and sensitivity analysis are carried out. Production run time and production quantity obtained by the model were found to be independent of cost parameters. The variable production rate strategy was also found to give lower inventory costs and production quantity than the constant
production rate strategy.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009An optimal EOQ model for perishable products with varying demand pattern158163ENAtsuoMurataThe demand pattern for most perishable products varies during their life cycle in the market. These variations must be properly reflected in inventory management in order to prevent unnecessary stock-out or excess inventory with associated increase in cost. In this paper, a multi-period economic order quantity (EOQ) model for managing the
inventory of perishable items having varying demand pattern is presented. The model was formulated using a general ramp-type demand function that allows three-phase variation in demand pattern. These phases represent the growth, the steady and the decline phases commonly experienced by the demand for most products during their life cycle in the market. The model generates replenishment policies that guarantees optimal inventory cost for all the phases. Numerical experiments and sensitivity analysis were carried out to demonstrate the
suitability of the model for a wide range of seasonal products. Result of the experiments revealed that the points at which demand pattern changes are critical points in managing inventory of products with ramp type demand.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200912009Evaluation of Drowsiness by HRV Measures - Proposal of prediction method of low arousal state -348353ENAtsuoMurataYasutakaHiramatsuThe aim of this study was to propose a useful prediction method of drowsy state of drivers, so that the result is applicable to the development of ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) that can warn drivers of their low arousal state and to prevent driving under low arousal level from occurring. The EEG (electroencephalography) and ECG (electrocardiography) during a monotonous task was measured, and it was investigated how these measures change under the low arousal (drowsy) state. The EEG measurement was added to in order to monitor arousal level more the time series of mean power frequency of EEG was plotted on X-bar control chart. Heart rate variability (HRV) measure RRV3 were derived on the basis of R-R intervals (interbeat intervals) obtained from ECG. Using a Bayesian probability, we tried to predict the timing when the participant actually felt drowsy. As a result, the prediction accuracy differed by the state of participant. When the drowsiness of participant was remarkable, the prediction method was effective to some extent. On the other hand, the proposed method could not predict the drowsy state reliably when the participant did not feel drowsiness to a larger extent.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Care for Home-bound Older Adults and Revitalization of Local Shopping Arcade204209ENAtsuoMurataThe Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced, on Respect-for-the Aged Day in September, 2005, that the population over 65 is over 20 % of the nation’s total population. The Ministry also announced on June 1, 2006, that the special total birth rate in Japan recorded the lowest value of 1.25. If the birth rate continues to decrease faster than estimated, the ratio of older adults to the nation’s total population will increase faster than expected. As new housing and large-scaled supermarkets are planned and constructed in the suburbs, older adults, the poor and the disabled people who cannot afford to drive for utilizing suburb supermarkets are forced into old inactive residential area and shopping arcade. Older adults hope to communicate with others, which can be facilitated by advanced technology. The case studies in this study show that older adults can satisfy such needs by communicating with shop owners in local shopping arcade. The secret for the revitalization of local shopping arcade lies in the care for home-bound older adults. We recommend a concept of cozy compact city where home-bound older adults can actively enjoy their lives in and out of their home and the local shopping arcade can be revitalized.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008A PERISHABLE INVENTORY MODEL WITH UNKNOWN TIME HORIZON198203ENAtsuoMurataTraditionally, the time (planning) horizon over which
the inventory for a particular item will be controlled is often assumed to be known (finite or infinite) and the total inventory cost is usually obtained by summing up the cost over the entire time horizon. However, in some inventory situations the period over which the inventory will be controlled are difficult to predict with certainty, as the inventory problems may not live up to or live beyond the assumed planning horizon, thereby affecting the optimality of the model. This paper presents a deterministic perishable inventory model for items with linear trend in demand and constant deterioration when time horizon is unknown, unspecified or unbounded. The heuristic model obtains replenishment policy by determining the ordering schedule to minimize the total cost per unit time over the duration of each schedule. A numerical example and sensitivity analysis are given to illustrate the model.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Effectiveness of Instruction using Electronic Circuit Simulation Software191197ENAtsuoMurataTraditional teaching (lecturing) method on the design of electronic circuit provides learners with little satisfaction, because they cannot check and confirm the validity of electronic circuit they have designed. A better way to acquire design skills is to actually make the designed electronic circuit and test the validity of design. In spite of the usefulness of such a practical approach, it has a disadvantage that there is only limited time for teaching (lecturing) and it is difficult to fabricate electronic circuit, perform electronic measurement, and test the validity of design in the limited lecture period. An alternative to overcome these disadvantages is to use simulation software that enables learners (students) to operate functionally the designed electronic circuit and verify the appropriateness of design. The aim of this study was to examine the usefulness of simulation approach and clarify some problems related to such an approach.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Effectiveness of Eye-Gaze Input System
-Identification of Conditions that Assures High
Pointing Accuracy and Movement Directional Effect-127132ENAtsuoMurataTakashiMiyakeThe condition under which high accuracy is assured when using an eye-gaze input system was identified.
It was also investigated how direction of eye movement
affected the performance of an eye-gaze input system. Here,
age, the arrangement of targets (vertical and horizontal),
the size of a target, and the distance between adjacent
rectangles were selected as experimental factors. The
difference of pointing velocity between a mouse and an eyegaze input system was larger for older adults than for
young adults. Thus, an eye-gaze input system was found to
be effective especially for older adults. An eye-gaze input
system might compensate for the declined motor functions
of older adults. The pointing accuracy of an eye-gaze input
system was higher in horizontal arrangement than in
vertical arrangement. The distance between targets of more
than 20 pixels was found to be desirable for both vertical
and horizontal arrangements. For both the vertical and
horizontal arrangements, the target size of more than
40pixels led to higher accuracy and faster pointing time for
both young and older adults. For both age groups, it tended
that the pointing time for the lower direction was longer
than that for other directions.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Usability of Site Map in Web Design
– Design of Site Map that is Friendly to Older Adults-121126ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaThe information or data for Web page design that is useful, in particular, to older adults was provided in this study. The proper design of site map is necessary to enhance the usability and reduce the number of getting lost in Web navigation especially for older adults. However, no design guideline on what site map is proper exists. The usability of six types of site maps was compared as a function of age.
The six types of site maps included (1) vertical tree
type, (2) horizontal tree type (A), (3) horizontal tree
type (B), (4) table type, (5) radial type, and (6)
itemized type. The usability was evaluated using search time, subjective rating of usability, and eye movement characteristics (fixation duration and fixation number). The age affected the evaluation measures. The horizontal type (B) was found to lead to faster search time and fewer fixation numbers. Moreover, this type of site map was found to make the difference of search time, fixation number, and
fixation duration between young and older adults smaller. The result indicated that the vertical arrangement of site map, especially horizontal type (B) was proper for both young and older adults, and this should be incorporated into the Web page design guidelines. The results can be utilized as a universal design guideline for providing a site map that is friendly to both young and older adults.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Effect of Shape of pen on Usability117120ENAtsuoMurataKensukeMizushimaUsing electromyography (EMG) analysis and psychological rating, the usability of pen was evaluated. The experimental factors wewre the pen diameter (three levels:8mm, 11mm, and 13.8mm). The length of pen tip was fixed to 14mm. Surface EMG was recordes from extensor digitorum and flexxor digitorum superficialis. The EMG before and after a long-hour writing task was measured to evaluate the fatigue of forearm using % MVC (Mean Voluntary Contraction), mean power frequency (MPF) and psychological rating on usability. Concerning % MVC and MPF, the difference before and the experimental task were used for the evaluation. The evaluation value corresponded to subtraction of value after the experimental task from that before the experimental task. As a result of a one-way (pen diameter) ANOVA, no significant main effects of pen diameter were for both EMG evaluation measures. As for the psychological rating on usability, Kruscal-Wallis non-parametric test was carried out. The psychological rating on ease of grip revealed a significant main effect of pen diameter. A pen with a diameter of 11mm was found to have a significant higher rating score.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Optimal Slope of Touch Panel
-Comparison between Young and Older Adults-111116ENAtsuoMurataRinaTakahashiTouch panels are becoming increasingly common alternatives to traditional indirect devices such as mouse. However, older adults are not willing to utilize touch-panel based ATM or ticket machines, because they feel that using ATM properly is too difficult and annoying for them. The aim of this study was to identify an optimal slope of touch panel interface. Whether using a direct input device by older adults would lead to smaller difference of performance between preferred and non-preferred hands was also examined. For both young and older adults, the slope conditions of 30, 45, and 60 degrees, and the target size
of 60 x 60 pixels were found to lead to higher performance.
With the increase of movement distance d, the movement
velocity tended to increase for both age groups. The
difference of movement velocity between young and older
adults tended to increase with the increase of movement
distance d. The difference of performance between nonpreferred and preferred hands was smaller relative to their young counterparts. Moreover, the difference of
performance between young and older adults was smaller
when using a touch panel than when using a mouse.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Web Design that is Friendly to Older Adults
– Effects of Perceptual, Cognitive and Motor Functions and
Display Information on Web Navigation Time –103110ENAtsuoMurataRinaTakahashiOlder internet users are increasing more and more
world widely. The information accessibility standard for Web
contents (JIS X 8341-3) had been established. Although many
researchers are pursuing the usability of Web site, we cannot design a usable Web site only by improving Web pages. One of the reasons is inferred that we didn’t consider perceptual, cognitive, and motor functions especially of older adults in the design of Web pages. The aim of this study was to propose a method to evaluate perceptual, cognitive, and motor ability and
to explore the effect of perceptual, cognitive and motor abilities, and display information on Web navigation. We proposed a method to calculate display information on the basis of number of links. It was explored how display information, age, and the test score of perceptual, cognitive, and motor abilities influenced Web navigation time. This effect was examined using a multiple regression analysis. Display information influenced Web navigation performance for both young and older adults. The more the quantity of display information was, the longer the Web navigation time was. In addition to this tendency, the depth of display layer was found to affect the Web navigation time especially for older adults. We found that
the perceptual, cognitive, and motor abilities of older adults, in particular, the spatial memory, spatial rotation ability, and mouse operation ability, led to longer Web navigation time. These results implies the necessity of designing Web site for older adults that considers the decline of perceptual, cognitive, and motor ability.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Evaluation of Drowsiness by HRV Measures
- Basic Study for Drowsy Driver Detection -99102ENAtsuoMurataYasutakaHiramatsuThe aim of this study was to identify a useful measure to estimate an arousal level of drivers, to apply the result to develop ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) that can warn drivers of their low arousal state and to prevent driving under low arousal level from occurring and contribute to the reduction of traffic accidents. The EEG (electroencephalography) and ECG(electrocardiography) during a monotonous task was measured, and it was investigated how these measures change under the low arousal (drowsy) state. The time series of mean power frequency of EEG was plotted on X-bar control chart. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures RRV3 and RRV8-3 were derived on the basis of R-R intervals (interbeat intervals) obtained from ECG. Under the low arousal state (drowsy state), the mean power frequency tended to be lower than central line (CL) and range between CL and lower control limit (LCL). In accordance with this, RRV3 and RRV8-3 tended to increase under the low arousal (drowsy) state, which means that the parasympathetic nervous system became dominant under drowsy states.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Evaluation of Drowsiness by EEG analysis
- Basic Study on ITS Development for the Prevention of Drowsy Driving -9598ENAtsuoMurataKazuyukiNishijimaThe aim of this study was to identify a useful measure to estimate an arousal level of drivers, to apply the result to develop ITS (Intelligent Transportation System) that can warn drivers of their low arousal state and to prevent driving under low arousal level from occurring and contribute to the reduction of traffic accidents. The EEG(electroencephalography) during a monotonous task was measured, and it was investigated how these measures change under the low arousal (drowsy) state. The time series of mean power frequency of EEG was plotted on Xbar control chart. Under the low arousal state (drowsy state), the
mean power frequency tended to be lower than central line (CL) and range between CL and lower control limit (LCL). Under the worst case, the mean power frequency was lower than LCL. The ratio of such intervals to total measurement period tended to increase under drowsy state. The mean power frequency was found to be effective for evaluating drowsiness of drivers.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama1883-3977200812008Design of vehicle instrumental panel for older adults
- Effects of viewing distance, display from, and switch arrangement on secondary task performance -8994ENAtsuoMurataSatoshiYamaguchiThe effects of age, viewing distance, arrangement of switches and display form on performance to design of display and control systems friendry to older adults were discussed. A dual-task experimemt was conducted in which the primary task was first-irder tracking. The secondary tasks included control of an air conditioner, the operation of a radio, and the operation of a CD/MD, by means of a steering wheel mounted swich. The switch was either vertical or cross arrangement. In both-hands switch arrangement condition, the operation was carried out with two hands using both left vertical switch and right cross switch. In one-hand swith arrangement condition, the operation was carried out with only one hand using either left or right cross switch. The display was arranged in front of a participant. The display form was either left or right display. The viewing distance conditions were 60, 80, and 100cm. When the right display form was used, both one-hand (using only right cross switch) were selected. When the left display form was used, both one-hand (using only left cross swith) and two-hand arrangements (using both left vertical and right cross switch) were selected. As predicted, age affected the performance measures ( percentage correct, task completion time, and tracking error). The viewing distance also affected performance (percentage correct), Both display form and switch arrangement also affected performance (task completion time). Such results should be taken into account when designing display and control systems in man-vehicle systems.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama200812008Evaluation of Automotive Control-Display System by means of MentalWorkload8388ENAtsuoMurataMakotoMoriwakaThe effects of age, task difficulty on performance and mental workload were discussed in order to provide design guideline of automobile display that is friendly to older adults from the viewpoints of mental attention, speed and accuracy. A dual-task experiment was conducted in which the
primary task was first order tracking. The secondary
tasks included selection of function (easy condition),
and control of an air conditioner, the operation of a
radio, and the operation of a CD/MD (difficult condition), by means of a steering wheel mounted switch. The display was arranged in front of a participant. Age affected the performance measures and heart rate variability (HRV). As for the young adults, the task completion time did not differ significantly among easy and difficult (one-, two-, and three-layered) conditions. The performance of older
adults was affected by task difficulty. The HRV
measures such as CV (coefficient of variance) and
RRV8-3 during the task showed different tendency
between young and older adults. As for the young
group, the HRV measures did not differ significantly
between the four task levels (easy, one-, two-, and
three-layered). This confirmed that the task difficulty
did not induce different mental workload to young
adults. On the other hand, as for the older adults, the
HRV measures tended to increase with the increase of
task difficulty. Although it appears that mental
workload was lessened with the increase of task
difficulty, such an interpretation was contradictory to
the results on performance. This phenomenon was
interpreted that the difficult task condition was
overloaded for older adults, and was beyond the limit
of mental effort. Based on the results, it could be
concluded that the difficult task condition is not
proper for older adults.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama200812008Development of the evaluation system for automobile
remanufacturing7782ENAtsuoMurataBy 2015, the EU directives required the automobile
manufacturers to produce a vehicle that contains reusable and / or recoverable parts at least 95% of total weight. In the developed countries, the legislative issue the take – back policy which requires the manufacturers to consider the end – of – life (EOL) of their products at early design stage. The goal of this paper is to propose a framework of development methodology that focuses on integrated design for remanufacturing evaluation system. This system supports the automobile product design and development at the early design phase. The proposed method is divided into two phases. The first phase aims to identify the suitable EOL process. The second phase aims to verify the most economical EOL process. The proposed method incorporates the
Case base Reasoning [CBR] into the remanufacturing techniques. It is expected that the proposed method can provide the EOL with decision support during designing the automobile parts at the early design stage.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama200812008Effect of vehicle display information and switch type
on usability -Comparison between young and older adults-7176ENAtsuoMurataRecently, in-vehicle highly intelligent information devices are rapidly widespread. Under such circumstances, the accurate evaluation of the effect of display information and switch type on driving performance is important in order to develop in-vehicle information devices that do not menace the safety. In this article, we present a basic idea to estimate properly the effect of the vehicles display information and the switch system on driving performance. We compared the index such as mean task completion time, subjective rating on usability, tracking error, and NASA-TLX workload between young and older adults.
The results suggest that young will be better than older adults at both abilities on processing displayed information and operating the switch. We were found that there was a significant interaction between the switch types and installation location. On the other hand, the displayed information did not affect the performance.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.IEEE SMC Hiroshima ChapterActa Medica Okayama200812008Human Error Management Paying Emphasis on Decision Making and Social Intelligence
-Beyond the Framework of Man-Machine Interface Design-112ENAtsuoMurataHow latent error or violation induces a serious accident has been reviewed and a proper addressing measure of this has been proposed in the framework of decision making, emotional intelligence (EI) and social intelligence (SI) of organization and its members. It has been clarified that EI and SI play an important role in decision making. Violations frequently occur all over the world, although we definitely understand that we should not commit violations, and a secret to prevent this might exist in the enhancement of both social intelligence and reliability. The construction of social structure or system that supports organizational efforts to enhance both social intelligence and reliability would be essential. Traditional safety education emphasizes that it is possible to change attitudes or mind toward safety by means of education. In spite of this,accidents or scandals frequently occur and never decrease. These problems must be approached on the basis of the full understanding of social intelligence and limited reasonability in decision making. Social dilemma (We do not necessarily cooperate in spite of understanding its importance, and we sometimes make decision not to select cooperative behavior. Non-cooperation gives rise to a desirable result for an individual. However, if all take non-cooperative actions, undesirable results are finally induced to all.) must be solved in some ways and the transition from relief (closed) society to global (reliability) society must be realized as a whole. New social system, where cooperative relation can be easily and reliably obtained, must be constructed to support such an approach and prevent violation-based accidents.No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.