Evacuation Modelling of Mixed-Ability Populations in Fire Emergencies

UK statistics have shown that a significant percentage of fatalities in fires have suffered from some kind of disability. In this context 'disability' relates to a person's physical or mental condition that impinges on their ability to react and move promptly in an emergency. Various evacuation modelling techniques are being adopted to study the movement of occupants during emergencies since the exposure of people to fires for experimental purposes is unethical. However, many evacuation models have ignored the effects of disability on escape potential and therefore tend to predict optimal evacuation times. Moreover, whilst providing some valuable insights into certain factors affecting occupant movement, current models are generally presented in isolation and fail to define a general framework for designing solutions to fire safety engineering problems. The purpose of this research programme was to develop a more general methodology for predicting evacuation times of mixed-ability populations. This was made possible through the development and use of a novel concept of evacuation peiformance index (EPI), which is the relative ease of evacuating a disabled person compared to an able-bodied person, founded on a consideration of the effects of disabilities and mobility aids on evacuation times. The author shows how this concept relates three aspects of fire safety, namely, individual characteristics of disabled occupants, the amount of assistance they require, and building design and environmental factors. She contends that the evacuation peifornzance index of a class of individuals is primarily dependent on these three categories. Experimental data to verify the above claim was collected from careflully monitored evacuation drills involving a group of disabled people. Their EPIs were determined along a pre-defined route from which their evacuation times were calculated. Comparisons between predicted times using the EPI concept and measured times from alternative empirical data were seen to be in reasonable agreement. An iterative design procedure is also suggested; one that is capable of predicting worst possible evacuation times by incorporating measures of EPI and escape route dimensions and details. The EPI concept provides fire safety engineering with a logical design philosophy, which is flexible and easily comprehensible. It endeavours to increase understanding of evacuation of disabled people, and provide a simplified mechanism for fire safety design and planning of evacuation procedures

Evaluating footwear “in the wild”: Examining wrap and lace trail shoe closures during trail running

Trail running participation has grown over the last two decades. As a result, there have been an increasing number of studies examining the sport. Despite these increases, there is a lack of understanding regarding the effects of footwear on trail running biomechanics in ecologically valid conditions. The purpose of our study was to evaluate how a Wrap vs. Lace closure (on the same shoe) impacts running biomechanics on a trail. Thirty subjects ran a trail loop in each shoe while wearing a global positioning system (GPS) watch, heart rate monitor, inertial measurement units (IMUs), and plantar pressure insoles. The Wrap closure reduced peak foot eversion velocity (measured via IMU), which has been associated with fit. The Wrap closure also increased heel contact area, which is also associated with fit. This increase may be associated with the subjective preference for the Wrap. Lastly, runners had a small but significant increase in running speed in the Wrap shoe with no differences in heart rate nor subjective exertion. In total, the Wrap closure fit better than the Lace closure on a variety of terrain. This study demonstrates the feasibility of detecting meaningful biomechanical differences between footwear features in the wild using statistical tools and study design. Evaluating footwear in ecologically valid environments often creates additional variance in the data. This variance should not be treated as noise; instead, it is critical to capture this additional variance and challenges of ecologically valid terrain if we hope to use biomechanics to impact the development of new products

Body sensor networks: smart monitoring solutions after reconstructive surgery

Advances in reconstructive surgery are providing treatment options in the face of major trauma and cancer. Body Sensor Networks (BSN) have the potential to offer smart solutions to a range of clinical challenges. The aim of this thesis was to review the current state of the art devices, then develop and apply bespoke technologies developed by the Hamlyn Centre BSN engineering team supported by the EPSRC ESPRIT programme to deliver post-operative monitoring options for patients undergoing reconstructive surgery. A wireless optical sensor was developed to provide a continuous monitoring solution for free tissue transplants (free flaps). By recording backscattered light from 2 different source wavelengths, we were able to estimate the oxygenation of the superficial microvasculature. In a custom-made upper limb pressure cuff model, forearm deoxygenation measured by our sensor and gold standard equipment showed strong correlations, with incremental reductions in response to increased cuff inflation durations. Such a device might allow early detection of flap failure, optimising the likelihood of flap salvage. An ear-worn activity recognition sensor was utilised to provide a platform capable of facilitating objective assessment of functional mobility. This work evolved from an initial feasibility study in a knee replacement cohort, to a larger clinical trial designed to establish a novel mobility score in patients recovering from open tibial fractures (OTF). The Hamlyn Mobility Score (HMS) assesses mobility over 3 activities of daily living: walking, stair climbing, and standing from a chair. Sensor-derived parameters including variation in both temporal and force aspects of gait were validated to measure differences in performance in line with fracture severity, which also matched questionnaire-based assessments. Monitoring the OTF cohort over 12 months with the HMS allowed functional recovery to be profiled in great detail. Further, a novel finding of continued improvements in walking quality after a plateau in walking quantity was demonstrated objectively. The methods described in this thesis provide an opportunity to revamp the recovery paradigm through continuous, objective patient monitoring along with self-directed, personalised rehabilitation strategies, which has the potential to improve both the quality and cost-effectiveness of reconstructive surgery services.Open Acces

Human Factors Design Standard for Acquisition of Commercial-off-the-Shelf Subsystems, Non-Developmental Items, and Developmental Systems

The Human Factors Design Standard (HFDS) provides reference information to assist in the selection, analysis, design, development, and evaluation of new and modified Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) systems and equipment. This document is based largely on the 1996 Human Factors Design Guide (HFDG) produced by the FAA in 1996. It converts the original guidelines document to a standard and incorporates updated information, including the newly revised chapters on automation and human-computer interface. The updated document includes extensive reorganization of material based on user feedback on how the document has been used in the past. Additional information has been also been added to help the users better understand tradeoffs involved with specific design criteria. This standard covers a broad range of human factors topics that pertain to automation, maintenance, displays and printers, controls and visual indicators, alarms, alerts and voice output, input devices, workplace design, system security, safety, the environment, and anthropometry documentation. This document also includes extensive human-computer interface information