1,720,981 research outputs found
Augmented grocery shopping: fostering healthier food purchases through AR
Full text linkFood choices are intimately related to individual health. Therefore, the food we buy should be carefully chosen. However, grocery shopping is typically done in noisy environments, and food products usually present cluttered labels with dense texts that make it hard to properly evaluate relevant nutritional data. Augmented reality (AR) allows a shopper to visualize digitally generated contents onto real objects and to interact with them. In this experiment, we investigated the effects of delivering nutritional information using AR technology on food choices. To this end, we ran a between-participants laboratory experiment in which participants were asked to choose among the products available. The experimental group received the food-related information via AR, while the control group had ordinary access to food packaging. We found that AR technology facilitated the choice of healthier food items. Additionally, participants in the experimental group reported that they based their decisions on nutritional information rather than on the appearance of the package. The present work highlights how AR can be exploited to bring to the foreground information that would otherwise be hard to spot, thereby increasing the consumer's awareness of the overall characteristics of the product
Influence of keyboard layout and feedback type in eye-typing tasks: A comparative study
Full text linkWriting with a keyboard using only one's gaze, i.e., eye-typing has aroused researchers' interest in the last decades. Initial efforts aimed to provide a means of communication for people suffering from severe motor disabilities, while recently, the interest has expanded to target non-disabled people. The present paper examined the impact of the keyboard shape and type of feedback on writing performance and usability. More specifically, three keyboard shapes (i.e., QWERTY, ABCDE, and Circular) and three types of feedback (i.e., visual, audio, none) were investigated. Besides confirming the impact of visual feedback for successful performance in an eye-typing task, our results expand previous findings showing the advantages of deploying a circularly-shaped keyboard
Exploiting Mobile Gamification to Foster Physical Activity: A Remotely-Managed Field Study
Full text linkPhysical inactivity is a plague for public health, especially in Western Countries. Among the countermeasures, mobile applications promoting physical activity seem particularly promising, thanks to the spread and adoption of mobile devices. However, the dropout rates of users are high, thereby calling for strategies to increase retention rates. Moreover, user testing can be problematic, because it is typically conducted in a laboratory, leading to a limited ecological validity. In the present research, we developed a custom mobile app to promote physical activity. Three versions of the app were implemented, each featuring a different pattern of gamification elements. Moreover, the app was designed to work as a self-managed experimental platform. A remote field study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the different versions of the app. Behavioral log data of physical activity and interaction with the app were collected. Our results show the feasibility of using a mobile app running on personal devices as an independently managed experimental platform. Moreover, we found that gamification elements per se do not ensure higher retention rates, rather it emerged that the richer combination of gamified elements was effective
Understanding Workers’ Well-Being and Cognitive Load in Human-Cobot Collaboration: Systematic Review
No full textBackground: Industry 5.0 emphasizes human centricity by prioritizing human well-being alongside technological advancements. Collaborative robots (cobots) in industrial settings represent one such advancement, and their integration, particularly in manufacturing, is reshaping production processes. Although previous studies have addressed these issues, no systematic review has yet synthesized findings on how cobots impact operators' affective well-being and cognitive workload. Objective: This study focused on psychological dimensions, which are often overlooked, particularly affective states, addressing a gap in the existing literature that has mainly emphasized the impact of cobots on the physical and cognitive workload. Specifically, we aimed to systematically review empirical studies investigating affective well-being (ie, anxiety, stress, and depression symptoms) and cognitive workload in human-cobot collaboration (HCC) within industrial settings. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive systematic search of the literature using several databases (Web of Science, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and IEEE Xplore). Eligibility criteria included peer-reviewed empirical studies reporting quantitative or qualitative data on cognitive workload or affective well-being in HCC. Two reviewers independently conducted study selection and data extraction. Results: This review included a total of 46 studies. Findings indicated a significant increase in publications from 2020 onward, reflecting the growing interest in HCC. Most studies (28/46, 61%) were conducted in controlled laboratory settings with university students or researchers, highlighting a gap in real-world industrial research. Results indicated that, while cobots have been shown to alleviate physical fatigue and enhance job satisfaction, they also introduce new psychological challenges, including stress and anxiety symptoms due to concerns about job security and the pressures of high-paced operations. The speed at which cobots operate represents a factor affecting operators' affective well-being and cognitive workload alongside the proximity of cobots, the system usability, and the complexity of the tasks assigned. With regard to cognitive workload, studies using physiological and self-report measures (38/46, 83%) consistently found that higher task complexity significantly raised both cognitive workload and stress levels. Conclusions: This review identified key factors that influence operators' affective well-being and cognitive workload when working with cobots. These insights can guide the development of longitudinal research and intervention strategies, ensuring that the integration of cobots supports both productivity and operators' well-being in manufacturing environments. To support effective implementation, future studies should be conducted in real-world settings using standardized assessment instruments, physiological measures, and qualitative interviews
Adaptive Assembly Workstations and cobots: A qualitative assessment involving senior and adult workers
Full text linkCollaborative robots (cobots) are increasingly installed at manufactory plants to keep up with the market demands, combining the benefits of advanced automation and flexible production machines. Yet, the workers' acceptance of this technology is crucial to fully exploit their potential and to make cobots a valuable support for operators themselves. The present paper reports and discusses the preliminary results of a semi-structured interview study, which investigates how adult workers of different age groups receive a cobot installed in an Adaptive Assembly Workstation (AAW), which is a cutting-edge tool customizable to match the physical features of the operator. More specifically, participants had the opportunity to experience a realistic working activity with the cobot before being interviewed. Data from the interviews indicate that participants considered the robot useful and safe. Additionally, some design proposals emerged
Is This Right for You?: The Key Role of Shop Assistants in Promoting Energy-Efficient Household Appliances
Full text linkIn 2021, a significant update was made to the household appliance classification system in Europe with the introduction of a new energy-efficient label (EE). This update is a step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 7 of the United Nations, which focuses on sustainable energy. The EE label is an effective tool for reducing overall energy consumption. However, its success relies on the awareness and decision making of consumers when making purchases. During the purchase phase, shop assistants have the potential to play a crucial role in promoting energy-efficient choices. Surprisingly, this aspect has been largely overlooked in previous research. In an attempt to fill this gap, we conducted an exploratory study employing a mixed-method approach, encompassing 22 in-depth interviews and questionnaires administered to shop assistants from various appliance stores. Our findings revealed that shop assistants face challenges in promoting energy-efficient choices, particularly after the introduction of the new EE label, due to a lack of training. This may result in incorrect advice that could impact consumer purchases and their daily energy consumption. Our study emphasises the need to support shop assistants in promoting energy-efficient purchases, to enhance their training, and to incorporate tools such as augmented reality to foster energy-efficient-orientated purchases
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
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