Design Of Aids Research Articles

Mobility Aid Design for the Elderly (MADE): a design thinking approach using a smart walker as a case study

Mobility Aid Design for the Elderly (MADE): a design thinking approach using a smart walker as a case study

Machine learning-based surrogate resilience modeling for preliminary seismic design

Early decisions made during the preliminary seismic design, particularly regarding the stiffness and strength of the selected lateral force-resisting system, have a significant impact on seismic resilience. However, the effects of these crucial decisions on resilience are not explicitly assessed until the end of the routine code-based design. The indirect design approach can bring about substantial design iterations that involve computationally expensive resilience assessment. For the support of direct resilience-informed design, this paper employs machine learning techniques to develop a surrogate model that maps site and building features to resilience indices. The surrogate model aids design practitioners in selecting satisfying design combinations of stiffness and strength in the preliminary seismic design. It provides real-time feedback on the resulting resilience, drastically reducing the time and effort required for iterative design revisions. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, a data set of 10,000 steel moment-resisting frames (SMRFs) with wide-ranging design combinations is created; additionally, six regression algorithms, including linear regression, support vector regression, multi-layer perceptron, k-nearest neighbors, decision tree, and extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), are used to establish the surrogate model. Among the six algorithms, XGBoost performed the best in terms of the lowest RMSE (0.031) and the highest R2 (0.97) for the test set. Identified by the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) approach, the seismic hazard-related design basic acceleration and the stiffness-related building period coefficient have the most significant impact on the prediction of XGBoost. This enables a physical and quantitative understanding of the surrogate estimates.

A Study on the Design of Embedded Visual Image Teaching Aids to Assist Young Children's Cognitive and Fine Motor Development.

Visual development in infancy is crucial for establishing neural connections and enhancing the growth of the visual center. Adequate visual stimulation supports cognitive learning, helping children integrate images, colors, and shapes. This research examines the design and use of a visual image teaching aid to guide children in exploring image cognition and developing fine motor skills. This study involved 70 kindergarten teachers who participated in a questionnaire survey about 60 children aged from 5 to 6 years old. The results show that visual graphic aids effectively promoted coordination, control, and the integration of visual and fine motor skills in children. Furthermore, these aids supported the development of spatial and environmental relationships through hands-on activities.

Mimicking Human Hearing with Topologically Optimized Structure

The remarkable auditory capabilities of human ears have inspired the development of bio-inspired acoustic sensing technologies. In this study, a topology optimization problem is formulated to replicate the hearing profile of the human ear and is solved using a gradient-based optimization method. To ensure manufacturability and mesh independence, a density filter is employed to eliminate gray scale transitions between solid and void regions. The objective function is defined to minimize the error between the human's Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) of a reference structure and the designed domain in specific frequencies and directions. Numerical simulations demonstrate that the optimized structure exhibits similar acoustic characteristics and spatial directivity to that of the ideal human ear at the designated frequencies. The proposed structure and optimization method show great potential for applications such as 3D audio rendering, hearing- aid design, and sound source localization.

Enhancing Mobility and Safety: A Smart Walking Cane for Visually Impaired Individuals with Ultrasonic Sensor, Infrared, and GSM Module

Traditionally, visually impaired individuals have relied on conventional walking canes to detect obstacles in their path. However, these canes have limitations in terms of efficiency. This paper focuses on the design and implementation of an electronic travel aid for visually impaired pedestrians, utilizing ultrasonic sensors, infrared technology, and a GSM module. The smart cane integrates ultrasonic sensors and IR technology to detect obstacles using ultrasonic waves and IR signals. When obstacles are detected, the sensor relays this information to a microcontroller (Atmega328P). The microcontroller processes the data and determines the proximity of the obstacle. If the obstacle is not closed, the system remains inactive. However, if the obstacle is close, the microcontroller activates a buzzer, generates continuous alarming sounds, and vibrates a motor, enabling the user to navigate the path more easily. Additionally, the system is equipped with a GSM module, allowing it to send SMS notifications to designated contacts in case of emergencies. By pressing an emergency button, a message is sent to a specified phone number. This integrated system provides both obstacle detection and emergency SMS notifications. The successful implementation of the system demonstrates its effectiveness and efficiency.

A Comparative Analysis of the Impact of Two Different Cognitive Aid Bundle Designs on Adherence to Best Clinical Practice in Simulated Perioperative Emergencies.

Background: Stress and human error during perioperative emergency situations can significantly impact patient morbidity and mortality. Previous research has shown that cognitive aid bundles (CABs) minimize critical misses by 75%. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of two different CAB designs with the same content in reducing missed critical management steps for simulated perioperative emergencies. Methods: A multicenter randomized controlled simulation-based study was conducted including 27 teams, each consisting of three participants; each team performed four simulation scenarios. In the first scenario for each team (Scenario 1), no CAB was used. Scenarios 2 and 3 were randomly allocated to the groups, with either a branched, clustered design (CAB-1) or a linear, step-by-step design (CAB-2) of the cognitive aid. In Scenario 4, the groups used one of the previously mentioned CABs according to their own preference. The primary outcome was the difference in the percentage of missed critical management steps between the two different CABs. Secondary outcomes included user preference for one CAB design and the reduction in percentage of missed critical management steps using any CAB versus no CAB. Results: Twenty-seven teams simulated 108 perioperative emergency situations. The percentage of missed critical management steps was similar between CAB-1 and CAB-2 (27% [interquartile range (IQR) 20-29] versus 29% [IQR 20-35], p = 0.23). However, most participants favored the branched, clustered design CAB-1 (77.8%). Additionally, employing any CAB reduced the percentage of missed critical management steps by 36% (33% missed steps vs. 21% missed steps, p = 0.003). Conclusions: While the two CAB designs did not differ significantly in reducing missed critical management steps, the branched, clustered design was perceived as more user-friendly. Importantly, using any CAB significantly reduced the percentage of missed critical management steps compared to not using a cognitive aid, emphasizing the need for CAB use in the operating room.

Enhancing heat exchanger performance with perforated/non‐perforated flow modulators generating continuous/discontinuous swirl flow: A comprehensive review

AbstractHeat exchangers are crucial in transferring heat and finding applications across various industries. Numerous strategies have been devised to improve and optimize the heat transfer process within these systems. Among these, passive methods have garnered significant attention for their ability to operate without external power consumption. This article examines the recent experimental and computational studies conducted by researchers since 2018 on passive enhancement techniques, especially twisted tape, wire coil, swirl flow generator, and others, to boost the thermal efficiency of heat exchangers and aid designers in adopting passive augmentation methods for compact heat exchangers. Recently, researchers' new class of flow maldistribution devices, referred to as swirl flow devices, has gained attention; which enhances convective heat transfer by introducing swirl into the main flow and disrupting the boundary layer at the tube surface through alterations in surface geometry. Twisted tape inserts are devices that demonstrate better performance in laminar flow compared to turbulent flow. Conversely, other passive techniques like ribs, conical nozzles, and conical rings are generally more effective in turbulent flow than laminar flow. A recent research trend is the utilization of nanofluids in combination with other passive heat transfer enhancement techniques like turbulators, ribs, and twisted tape inserts in heat exchangers, which can reduce exergy losses and improve overall convective heat transfer coefficient and effectiveness of heat exchanger.

Guidelines to support the design, and selection and appraisal of multimedia teaching aids for microbiology education.

Microbiology education has a serious handicap - the lack of visibility of the players of the subject and their interactions - which engenders a disproportionate reliance upon multimedia teaching aids (MTAs). The International Microbiology Literacy Initiative (IMiLI) is creating educational resources in societally-relevant microbiology complemented by appropriate MTAs. However, proper guidance supporting microbiology educators in locating and selecting, or commissioning the creation of, adequate MTAs for different target audiences and learning objectives is lacking. The aims of this study were to (i) identify important considerations regarding educational/didactical standards and the design of educational multimedia and (ii) create an evidence-based guideline for selecting and appraising existing, and informing the creation of new, microbiology MTAs. This investigation is based on an exploratory, mixed-methods approach. The results of two literature reviews (covering educational and good practice multimedia design) informed the collation of a preliminary appraisal guideline for videos, animations, comics, and video games. A web-scraping approach was utilised to locate and retrieve existing exemplars of the four multimedia types and create four pertinent multimedia databases (including metadata). The preliminary guideline was piloted (and revised accordingly) by appraising quasi-random (or purposive) samples of each multimedia type. Educational multimedia experts were interviewed to discuss the findings. Finally, the guideline was updated to reflect the expert comments together with the results of the pilot appraisals. The final guideline has four components: (i) central considerations for selecting and appraising multimedia for specific audiences and educational purposes, (ii) multimedia selection tool, (iii) multimedia appraisal tools, and (iv) extensive background information as appendices linking all sections for further comprehension. Broad utilisation of the guideline has significant potential for simplifying and systematising multimedia selection/creation, leading to superior multimedia-based learning outcomes, establishing a rapid selection database (pre-appraised multimedia), reducing disparities in microbiology education and incentivising educational content creators.

Icon Arrays for Medical Risk Communication: Do Icon Type and Color Influence Cardiovascular Risk Perception and Recall?

Icon arrays have been shown to be an effective method for communicating medical risk information. However, in practice, icon arrays used to visualize personal risks often differ in the type and color of the icons. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of icon type and color on the perception and recall of cardiovascular risk, as little is known about how color affects the perception of icon arrays. A total of 866 participants aged 40 to 90 years representative of the German population in terms of gender and age completed an online experiment. Using a 2 × 2 between-subjects design, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental groups. They received their hypothetical 10-year cardiovascular risk using an icon array that varied by icon type (smiley v. person) and color (black/white v. red/yellow). We measured risk perception, emotional response, intentions of taking action to reduce the risk (e.g., increasing one's physical activity), risk recall, and graph evaluation/trustworthiness, as well as numeracy and graphical literacy. Icon arrays using person icons were evaluated more positively. There was no effect of icons or color on risk perception, emotional response, intentions of taking action to reduce the risk, or trustworthiness of the graph. While more numerate/graphical literate participants were more likely to correctly recall the presented risk estimate, icon type and color did not influence the probability of correct recall. Differences in the perception of the tested icon arrays were rather small, suggesting that they may be equally suitable for communicating medical risks. Further research on the robustness of these results across other colors, icons, and risk domains could add to guidelines on the design of visual aids. The use of different icons and colors did not influence the perception and the probability of recalling the 10-year cardiovascular risk, the emotional response, or the intentions to reduce the presented risk.Icon arrays with person icons were evaluated more positively.There was no evidence to suggest that the effectiveness of the studied icon arrays varied based on individuals' levels of numerical or graphical literacy, nor did it differ between people with or without a history of CVD or on medication for an increased CVD risk.

Data-driven personas creation based on the CHARLS database: analyzing the interaction design of mobility aid for the Chinese elderly with difficulty in indoor transferring

Data-driven personas creation based on the CHARLS database: analyzing the interaction design of mobility aid for the Chinese elderly with difficulty in indoor transferring

Visualizing numbers: Investigating the effect of presentation format on emotional responses and performance in lottery tasks.

Numeracy is the ability to understand, manipulate, and make sense of numerical information. It is crucial for everyday decision making that involves dealing with numbers. In this study, we tested whether we can help people make better choices in monetary lotteries by communicating numerical values (i.e., payoffs and probabilities) using visual aids. We also checked whether presenting this information in a visual form reduces affect negativity. Participants (N = 210) made choices in 10 monetary lotteries accompanied with visual aids (experimental condition) or without visual aids (control condition). After the lottery task, participants completed questionnaires measuring experienced emotions and numerical skills. Despite finding no hypothesized effect of visual aids on performance in a lottery task, the exploratory analysis revealed the interaction effect. In a visual aid condition, participants who were relatively less educated scored significantly higher in a lottery task in comparison to those in the control condition. Additionally, participants in the visual aid condition reported significantly lower intensity of negative emotions after the lottery task than those in the control condition. We discuss possible causes and mechanisms that can explain the results we obtained. We argue that visual aids are a promising tool for future learning, and their friendly format can positively influence people's reactions to decisions involving numerical information. However, we also point out the necessity for further research and exploration of the role of different designs of visual aids and individual differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Designing a Simple Microscope as an Alternative Learning Media with SolidWorks Software

Microscopes are essential as media or teaching aids for prospective educators to achieve learning goals. However, there are still obstacles in their application in the form of quite expensive costs. Often, educational aids have a sizeable nominal value for a school. Teaching aids are costly and prone to damage or loss if students use them frequently, and it is difficult and expensive to find replacements if they are damaged, so teachers are afraid to use them. To overcome this problem, this study provides another alternative design, namely the design of teaching aids that are still useful and function well for learning through the design of microscope teaching aids. The research method used is a model research design using Solidworks software. The development of learning tools compiled in this study refers to the type of 4-D development (Four-D model), which consists of 4 stages: the define stage, the design stage, the development stage, and the dissemination. The research carried out three stages, namely the definition stage (Define), the design stage (Design), and the development stage (Develop). In the results of the design draft, questions were asked of the informants; it was concluded that a proper microscope was a microscope that worked according to its specifications, namely being able to see tiny or micro-objects. The clarity of the lens and the maximum magnification are also factors in the feasibility of the microscope. This research can be concluded as a simple microscope design using the Solidworks application, which is suitable for use as an alternative learning media. If the design of this tool is to be made, then the selection of materials and mechanisms needs further research and trials.

The impact of artificial intelligence represented by ChatGPT on UI design

The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), notably represented by ChatGPT, has greatly influenced User Interface (UI) design. ChatGPT, an advanced language model, aids designers by suggesting ideas, generating interface images, providing feedback, and simulating user interactions. Its integration into UI design processes has improved efficiency, allowing designers to explore more design options quickly. Additionally, ChatGPT facilitates user research by simulating conversations with potential users, gathering valuable feedback on user experience. However, there are also a lot of challenges, even risks, of using artificial intelligence to help designers, including maintaining design quality, protecting creativity, and ensuring designs remain user-centered. Moreover, a lot of people worry that with the rapid development of ChatGPT, many UI designers will be out of work in the future. This article discusses the influence of artificial intelligence represented by ChatGPT on UI design, including the advantages and challenges of AI in UI design. There is no doubt that as AI technology evolves, its role in UI design will expand rapidly, reshaping the digital experience in the future. But the question of whether AI will cause a lot of designers to lose jobs needs time to give us an answer.

Research on the interactive design of intelligent assisted speech software

Nowadays, people need to make all kinds of speeches and presentations, both at school and at work. With the continuous development of science and technology, there is a lot of software on the market to assist people in making speeches. The aim of this article is to introduce the conception of a new type of presentation aid software and to analyse the development process of such software. Users from different backgrounds have evaluated the existing speech assistance software on the market, and this evaluation information will be based on the user reviews on the official website of the software download. Through the requirement analysis, the main problems and demands faced by the users in the presentation process will be identified. The software will be analysed and researched in terms of its design purpose, interface design, core functions, user experience and other aspects. The research conducted in this thesis provides users with new presentation assistance software that enables them to make more confident and smooth presentations. At the same time, this research provides useful references and discussions for the design and development of intelligent aids.

Meaningful life changes following hearing aid use: a qualitative user perspective

Objective This study aimed to explore meaningful life changes due to hearing aid use in adult users. Design A cross-sectional survey design was used with open-ended questions analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Study Sample US-based adult hearing aid users (n = 653) from the Hearing Tracker website community and Lexie Hearing database. Results Participants had a mean age of 65.4 years (13.6 SD), including 61.2% males, 38.3% females (0.5% other). Analysis of 2122 meaning units from responses identified two broad domains: 'meaningful benefits’ (n = 1709; 80.5%) and 'remaining difficulties’ (n = 413; 19.5%). The meaningful benefits domain included five categories (27 sub-categories): (a) psychosocial benefits, (b) improvements in hearing, (c) personal benefits, (d) hearing aid features and connectivity, and (e) situational benefits. Participants reported enhanced relationships and improved occupational functioning as key benefits. The remaining difficulties domain contained four categories (25 sub-categories): (a) hearing aid limitations, (b) hearing and communication issues, (c) situational difficulties, and (d) personal issues. Notable difficulties included hearing aid design issues and challenges in noisy environments. Conclusion Hearing aid users reported diverse benefits and persistent challenges related to device use, illustrating the complexity of their lived experiences. These findings can inform empathetic, effective rehabilitation strategies and user-centric hearing aid technologies.

Patient Perspectives on a Patient-Facing Tool for Lung Cancer Screening.

Individuals with high risk for lung cancer may benefit from lung cancer screening, but there are associated risks as well as benefits. Shared decision-making (SDM) tools with personalized information may provide key support for patients. Understanding patient perspectives on educational tools to facilitate SDM for lung cancer screening may support tool development. This study aimed to explore patient perspectives related to a SDM tool for lung cancer screening using a qualitative approach. We elicited patient perspectives by showing a provider-facing SDM tool. Focus group interviews that ranged in duration from 1.5 to 2 h were conducted with 23 individuals with high risk for lung cancer. Data were interpreted inductively using thematic analysis to identify patients' thoughts on and desires for a patient-facing SDM tool. The findings highlight that patients would like to have educational information related to lung cancer screening. We identified several key themes to be considered in the future development of patient-facing tools: barriers to acceptance, preference against screening and seeking empowerment. One further theme illustrated effects of patient-provider relationship as a limitation to meeting lung cancer screening information needs. Participants also noted several suggestions for the design of technology decision aids. These findings suggest that patients desire additional information on lung cancer screening in advance of clinical visits. However, there are several issues that must be considered in the design and development of technology to meet the information needs of patients for lung cancer screening decisions. Patients, service users, caregivers or members of the public were not involved in the study design, conduct, analysis or interpretation of the data. However, clinical experts in health communication provided detailed feedback on the study protocol, including the focus group approach. The study findings contribute to a better understanding of patient expectations for lung cancer screening decisions and may inform future development of tools for SDM.

Landmark-based guidance and cognitive saliency: Age-related benefits in spatial performance

Older adults have difficulties using a map, and the use of GPS systems seems beneficial to help them find their way in cities. The question arises however as to what extent the introduction of landmarks can be even more beneficial. While the visual saliency of landmarks has been well studied, the cognitive saliency of landmarks has received little attention. Our objective in this study was to determine if guiding young and older pedestrians with visually and cognitively salient landmarks inserted in a map or a GPS-like system improved spatial performances. Thirty-four young and 32 older adults navigated a virtual environment using a joystick. They were guided with a map or with GPS-like instructions, including either only visually or both visually and cognitively salient landmarks. After each itinerary, participants completed four tasks: landmark recognition and sequencing, direction recognition and sequencing. The results showed that the integration of visually and cognitively salient landmarks in a map or in GPS-like instructions improved the construction of landmark and route knowledge in both young and older participants. Results also suggested that age-related deficits in spatial memory could be reduced by using GPS-like instructions or by introducing cognitively salient landmarks, in a map or in a GPS-like system. This research opens several perspectives for research as well for the design of human-centred navigation aids.

In-Page Navigation Aids for Screen-Reader Users with Automatic Topicalisation and Labelling

Navigation aids such as headers and internal links provide vital support for screen-reader users on web documents to grasp a document’s structure. However, when such navigation aids are unavailable or not appropriately marked up, this situation can cause serious difficulties. This article presents the design and evaluation of a tool for automatically generating navigation aids with headers and internal links for screen readers with topicalisation and labelling algorithms. The proposed tool uses natural language processing techniques to divide a web document into topic segments and label each segment in two cycles based on its content. We conducted an initial user study in the first cycle with eight blind and partially-sighted screen reader users. The evaluation involved tasks with questions answered by participants with information from texts with and without automatically generated headers. The results in the first cycle provided preliminary indicators of performance improvement and cognitive load reduction. The second cycle involved co-designing an improved version with two blind experts in web accessibility, resulting in a browser extension which injects automatically generated headers and in-page navigation with internal links, along with improvements in the generation of labels using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. The browser extension was evaluated by seven blind participants using the same four texts used to evaluate the preliminary prototype developed in the first cycle. With the two development cycles, the study provided important insights into the design of navigation aids for screen-reader users using natural language processing techniques, including the potential use of generative artificial intelligence for assistive technologies and limitations that need to be explored in future research.

Effects of joint tolerances on thermal bridging in precast concrete shear walls: Field tests and numerical simulations

Prefabricated buildings are gaining momentum due to their ecological benefits, speedy construction, and precision. However, unlike conventional cast-in-place structures, precast concrete shear walls are more susceptible to thermal and quality defects due to inherent tolerances. Four precast concrete shear wall connections prone to thermal bridges were identified through case studies of factories and real projects. Steady-state and dynamic modeling was conducted using determinant and stochastic matrices to assess the impact of joint tolerances on thermal distribution. The effects of joint tolerance magnitude and insulation material properties on linear thermal transmittance were investigated, complemented by a polynomial-based sensitivity analysis. A versatile prediction model was developed, integrating physical modeling and data-driven approaches to quickly quantify the thermal bridges of precast concrete shear wall connections. The results revealed a significant positive correlation between thermal bridges and joint tolerances, leading to extensive low-temperature regions within precast concrete shear walls. In dynamic modeling, joint tolerances contributed to additional heat dissipation, with a peak heat flux of 20.07 W/m. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated that joint tolerances greatly influence the correlation between linear thermal transmittance and insulation layer properties. Leveraging Categorical Boosting and Extreme Gradient Boosting, the prediction of linear thermal transmittance for precast concrete shear wall connections exhibited exceptional accuracy while significantly reducing computational costs. This research aids designers and policymakers by providing rapid and precise linear thermal transmittance calculations, offering valuable guidance for manufacturing prefabricated components to ensure enhanced energy efficiency and sustainability.

Using anthropomorphism, transparency, and feedback to improve phishing detection aids

Phishing is a common cybersecurity threat to email users. An automated phishing decision-support aid can help users identify suspicious emails. The aid’s success depends on both the aid’s capability and the user’s trust in and usage of the aid. In this study, 465 participants were asked to judge phishing emails with an automated decision aid. We measured how users’ trust and decision making were affected by the type of aid (human, AI, text, no aid), gender (male, female), decision transparency (reasoning for aid’s decision present, absent), as well as feedback (present, absent). We found that an aid was helpful regardless of its anthropomorphic appearance (human vs. AI) and gender. Transparency was helpful with the human aid, but not the AI aid. Feedback effectively improved trust in all the aids, although it helped aid retention only for the text aid. Participants had overall positive comments about the aid and found it helpful. The findings can be applied to automated aid design to understand potential avenues for improving users’ trust, performance, and aid use.