Subjective skeletal discomfort measured using a comfort questionnaire following a load carriage exercise

Objective: Limited research has been conducted into the effect of load carriage on discomfort and injuries. This study aimed to determine the skeletal discomfort for part-time soldiers who completed a 1-hour field march carrying 24 kg. Methods: A postmarch comfort questionnaire was completed by 127 participants, with exercise withdrawals and postmarch injuries also recorded. Results: The foot was subjectively rated as the most uncomfortable skeletal region. Females reported hip discomfort to be significantly greater than males. The military experience of participants had no difference on the mean perceived comfort ratings of any of the measured regions. Finally, only one participant withdrew from the exercise, with no participants reporting a load carriage injury in the 2 to 3 days proceeding the exercise Conclusions: This study concludes that although a 1-hour period of load carriage causes noteworthy discomfort it is not sufficient to result in noncompletion of a military exercise or cause injury

Smart driving aids and their effects on driving performance and driver distraction

In-vehicle information systems have been shown to increase driver workload and cause distraction; both of which are causal factors for accidents. This simulator study evaluates the impact that two designs for a smart driving aid, and scenario complexity have on workload, distraction and driving performance. Results showed that real-time delivery of smart driving information did not increase driver workload or adversely effect driver distraction, while having the effect of decreasing mean driving speed in both the simple and complex driving scenarios. Subjective workload was shown to increase with task difficulty, as well as revealing important differences between the two interface designs

Smart driving assistance systems : designing and evaluating ecological and conventional displays

In-vehicle information systems have been shown to increase driver workload and cause distraction; both are causal factors for accidents. This simulator study evaluates the impact that two designs for a smart driving aid and scenario complexity has on workload, distraction and driving performance. Results showed that real-time delivery of smart driving information did not increase driver workload or adversely affect driver distraction, while having the effect of decreasing mean driving speed in both the simple and complex driving scenarios. Important differences were also highlighted between conventional and ecologically designed smart driving interfaces with respect to subjective workload and peripheral detection

Initial subjective load carriage injury data collected by interviews and questionnaires

This study aimed to identify the types, incidence, and causes of any potential load carriage injuries or discomfort as a result of a 2-hour, forced-speed, treadmill march carrying 20 kg. Subjective load carriage data were collected, through both interviews and questionnaires, from relatively inexperienced soldiers after a period of load carriage. Results from the study showed that the upper limb is very susceptible to short-term discomfort, whereas the lower limb is not. The shoulders were rated significantly more uncomfortable then any other region, and blisters were experienced by ∼60% of participants. Shoulder discomfort commences almost as soon as the load is added and increases steadily with time; however, foot discomfort increases more rapidly once the discomfort materializes. In conclusion, early development of shoulder pain or blisters may be a risk factor for severe pain or noncompletion of a period of prolonged load carriage

Dark Matter from R^2-gravity

The modification of Einstein gravity at high energies is mandatory from a quantum approach. In this work, we point out that this modification will necessarily introduce new degrees of freedom. We analyze the possibility that these new gravitational states can provide the main contribution to the non-baryonic dark matter of the Universe. Unfortunately, the right ultraviolet completion of gravity is still unresolved. For this reason, we will illustrate this idea with the simplest high energy modification of the Einstein-Hilbert action: R^2-gravity.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figure

Safe driving in a green world : a review of driver performance benchmarks and technologies to support ‘smart’ driving

Road transport is a significant source of both safety and environmental concerns. With climate change and fuel prices increasingly prominent on social and political agendas, many drivers are turning their thoughts to fuel efficient or ‘green’ (i.e., environmentally friendly) driving practices. Many vehicle manufacturers are satisfying this demand by offering green driving feedback or advice tools. However, there is a legitimate concern regarding the effects of such devices on road safety – both from the point of view of change in driving styles, as well as potential distraction caused by the in-vehicle feedback. In this paper, we appraise the benchmarks for safe and green driving, concluding that whilst they largely overlap, there are some specific circumstances in which the goals are in conflict. We go on to review current and emerging in-vehicle information systems which purport to affect safe and/or green driving, and discuss some fundamental ergonomics principles for the design of such devices. The results of the review are being used in the Foot-LITE project, aimed at developing a system to encourage ‘smart’ – that is safe and green – driving

Glance behaviours when using an in-vehicle smart driving aid : a real-world, on-road driving study

In-vehicle information systems (IVIS) are commonplace in modern vehicles, from the initial satellite navigation and in-car infotainment systems, to the more recent driving related Smartphone applications. Investigating how drivers interact with such systems when driving is key to understanding what factors need to be considered in order to minimise distraction and workload issues while maintaining the benefits they provide. This study investigates the glance behaviours of drivers, assessed from video data, when using a smart driving Smartphone application (providing both eco-driving and safety feedback in real-time) in an on-road study over an extended period of time. Findings presented in this paper show that using the in-vehicle smart driving aid during real-world driving resulted in the drivers spending an average of 4.3% of their time looking at the system, at an average of 0.43 s per glance, with no glances of greater than 2 s, and accounting for 11.3% of the total glances made. This allocation of visual resource could be considered to be taken from ‘spare’ glances, defined by this study as to the road, but off-centre. Importantly glances to the mirrors, driving equipment and to the centre of the road did not reduce with the introduction of the IVIS in comparison to a control condition. In conclusion an ergonomically designed in-vehicle smart driving system providing feedback to the driver via an integrated and adaptive interface does not lead to visual distraction, with the task being integrated into normal driving

Ecological interface design for eco-driving

Eco-driving issues are of high priority at the moment. Research suggests that a change in driving style can reduce fuel consumption and emissions by around 15% in many cases. In response to this need, the UK Foot-LITE project developed an in-car feedback system to encourage safer and greener driving behaviours. In order to balance positive behaviour change against the potential negative effects of distraction, an Ecological Interface Design approach was adopted. The current paper presents an overview of the humancentred design process adopted in the Foot-LITE project, as well as a review of other similar systems on the market

Too sick to drive : how motion sickness severity impacts human performance

There are multiple concerns surrounding the development and rollout of self-driving cars. One issue has largely gone unnoticed - the adverse effects of motion sickness as induced by self-driving cars. The literature suggests conditionally, highly and fully autonomous vehicles will increase the onset likelihood and severity of motion sickness. Previous research has shown motion sickness can have a significant negative impact on human performance. This paper uses a simulator study design with 51 participants to assess if the scale of motion sickness is a predictor of human performance degradation. This paper finds little proof that subjective motion sickness severity is an effective indicator of the scale of human performance degradation. The performance change of participants with lower subjective motion sickness is mostly statistically indistinguishable from those with higher subjective sickness. Conclusively, those with even acute motion sickness may be just as affected as those with higher sickness, considering human performance. Building on these results, it could indicate motion sickness should be a consideration for understanding user ability to regain control of a self-driving vehicle, even if not feeling subjectively unwell. Effectiveness of subjective scoring is discussed and future research is proposed to help ensure the successful rollout of self-driving vehicles