NASA-TLX Questionnaire Research Articles

Leveraging mixed reality in mitraclip implantation: A preliminary case series toward a pilot study

Abstract Introduction The advent of mixed reality (MR) technology, particularly when combined with Hololens 2.0 and specialized software for three-dimensional DICOM image visualization, offers a promising avenue for enhancing the precision and spatial awareness in interventional cardiology procedures. This case series aims to preliminarily evaluate the impact of MR on MitraClip implantation processes, setting a foundation for an ensuing comprehensive pilot study. Methods We conducted a comparative analysis within a case series of four MitraClip implantations, categorizing them into two groups based on the utilization of MR support. We examined procedural efficiency, radiation metrics (SKIA and DAP), and operator stress indicators, including cortisol levels, heart rate variability, QTc interval, and subjective assessments through NASA TLX, STAI Y, and SSQ questionnaires. Results Initial findings from the MR-assisted procedures suggest a notable improvement in procedural efficiency and a reduction in operator stress. Specifically, MR use was associated with shorter procedural times (ranging from 60 to 130 minutes) and lower radiation exposure, with SKIA durations between 15.5 and 40.5 minutes. Moreover, operators in the MR group showed reduced cortisol levels (8.2-9.2 mmol/L), indicating decreased physiological stress. Heart rate variability analysis further supported superior stress management among MR-supported operators. Subjective evaluations reinforced these physiological findings. NASA TLX scores in the MR group (13-20) markedly contrasted with those in the control group (30-45), signifying a significant reduction in perceived workload. SSQ scores remained minimal, implying good MR tolerability, and STAI Y scores (30-35) were lower than those in the control group (40-50), highlighting reduced anxiety levels during MR-assisted procedures. Conclusion This explorative case series lays the groundwork for a forthcoming pilot study, revealing MR's potential to not only streamline MitraClip implantation but also to alleviate operator stress. Both objective and subjective data advocate for expanded research to definitively ascertain MR's benefits in cardiac interventions, promising to refine procedural workflows and enhance patient outcomes. This series acts as a stepping stone towards a larger-scale evaluation that could solidify MR's role in the future of interventional cardiology.Operator's View and Technology PreviewFunction diagram

Résultats d’un pré-test visant à évaluer l’efficacité d’une communication administrative gouvernementale (note de recherche)

This research note presents partial results of a user test assessing the “communicative effectiveness” (Clerc & Beaudet, 2008) of a written communication aimed at citizens penalized for driving under the influence. The doctoral candidate is interested in the users interaction with an informational ecosystem composed of multiple sources of information. She compares the effectiveness of three ecosystems by checking their effects on users' comprehension, appreciation, and mental workload. These objectives require expanding the usual scope of the “communicative effectiveness” concept and exploring aspects related to reading/using multiple texts in an administrative context. The tests were conducted with 15 French-speaking adults without a high school diploma. An adapted version of the NASA-TLX questionnaire (Hart & Staveland, 1988) was used to measure mental workload. The data suggest that when faced with a letter of a high informational density, users with low literacy levels focus their attention on peripheral details at the expense of the main ideas. No correlation was observed between comprehension and mental workload. The data are now considered a "pre-test" used to refine the research design for a second wave of interviews.

Safety, Efficiency, and Mental Workload in Simulated Teledriving of a Vehicle as Functions of Camera Viewpoint.

Teleoperation services are expected to operate on-road and often in urban areas. In current teleoperation applications, teleoperators gain a higher viewpoint of the environment from a camera on the vehicle's roof. However, it is unclear how this viewpoint compares to a conventional viewpoint in terms of safety, efficiency, and mental workload. In the current study, teleoperators (n = 148) performed driving tasks in a simulated urban environment with a conventional viewpoint (i.e., the simulated camera was positioned inside the vehicle at the height of a driver's eyes) and a higher viewpoint (the simulated camera was positioned on the vehicle roof). The tasks required negotiating road geometry and other road users. At the end of the session, participants completed the NASA-TLX questionnaire. Results showed that participants completed most tasks faster with the higher viewpoint and reported lower frustration and mental demand. The camera position did not affect collision rates nor the probability of hard braking and steering events. We conclude that a viewpoint from the vehicle roof may improve teleoperation efficiency without compromising driving safety, while also lowering the teleoperators' mental workload.

Unobtrusive measurement of cognitive load and physiological signals in uncontrolled environments

While individuals fail to assess their mental health subjectively in their day-to-day activities, the recent development of consumer-grade wearable devices has enormous potential to monitor daily workload objectively by acquiring physiological signals. Therefore, this work collected consumer-grade physiological signals from twenty-four participants, following a four-hour cognitive load elicitation paradigm with self-chosen tasks in uncontrolled environments and a four-hour mental workload elicitation paradigm in a controlled environment. The recorded dataset of approximately 315 hours consists of electroencephalography, acceleration, electrodermal activity, and photoplethysmogram data balanced across low and high load levels. Participants performed office-like tasks in the controlled environment (mental arithmetic, Stroop, N-Back, and Sudoku) with two defined difficulty levels and in the uncontrolled environments (mainly researching, programming, and writing emails). Each task label was provided by participants using two 5-point Likert scales of mental workload and stress and the pairwise NASA-TLX questionnaire. This data is suitable for developing real-time mental health assessment methods, conducting research on signal processing techniques for challenging environments, and developing personal cognitive load assistants.

Prototype development of a multi-user augmented reality framework for collaborative medical visualization in shared environments

Abstract This study developed and evaluated a prototype for augmented reality (AR) interaction among multiple users sharing a three-dimensional hologram within a shared physical space. A systems requirements analysis was conducted to determine necessary interactions, followed by an iterative implementation plan with testing at each step. The application for the HoloLens 2 (HL2) headset was developed using Unity for 3D design, C# for programming, and Photon for multiplayer capabilities. The prototype was evaluated in a user study utilizing custom and NASA TLX questionnaires, comparing participants' self-reported task success with recorded data to assess the accuracy of selfassessments. The prototype effectively facilitated multi-user interactions within a shared environment, achieving acceptable synchronization for two users. Most participants successfully completed tasks, with TLX scores indicating low cognitive and mechanical load during AR task execution. This study demonstrates AR's viability for displaying and manipulating complex three-dimensional structures within a collaborative medical context among multiple individuals in the same physical space.

Design and validation of a simulated multitasking environment for assessing the cognitive load on the infantry squad leader.

The increasing cognitive load on infantry squad leaders is a common challenge in modern military operations. As this can increase health and safety risks, there is a need to study the factors responsible for the increase in cognitive load. Ecological situations inherently lack strong experimental controls; therefore, microworlds that simulate real tasks are the usual alternative to field studies. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are currently no microworlds that reproduce the main tasks of the squad leader during operations. This article adresses this gap by describing the design and validation of a new microworld: the Simulated Multitasking Environment for the Squad leader (SMES). Qualitative research was firstly conducted to highlight several squad leader's generic tasks (i.e., common to many situations in the field) that guided the design of the SMES. Psychometric validation of the SMES was then based on two experiments: (i) the first evaluated the microworld's psychometric qualities when tasks were performed individually; and (ii) the second explored concurrent tasks, reflecting real-world complexity. The results showed that the parameters manipulated for each task were relevant for inducing cognitive load, measured using a secondary detection response task and the NASA-TLX questionnaire. The SMES demonstrated satisfactory convergent and content validity in multitasking but not in single-task conditions. Performance in multitasking situations therefore does not seem to depend on task-specific skills, suggesting the existence of an independent factor-multitasking ability. Theoretical and practical implications of the SMES validation are discussed.

SUPER-MAN: SUPERnumerary robotic bodies for physical assistance in huMAN–robot conjoined actions

This paper presents a mobile supernumerary robotic approach to physical assistance in human–robot conjoined actions. The study starts with the description of the SUPER-MAN concept. The idea is to develop and utilize mobile collaborative systems that can follow human loco-manipulation commands to perform industrial tasks through three main components: (i) an admittance-type interface, (ii) a human–robot interaction controller and (iii) a supernumerary robotic body. Next, we present two possible implementations within the framework — from theoretical and hardware perspectives. The first system is called MOCA-MAN, and is composed of a redundant torque-controlled robotic arm and an omni-directional mobile platform. The second one is called Kairos-MAN, formed by a high-payload 6-DoF velocity-controlled robotic arm and an omni-directional mobile platform. The systems share the same admittance interface, through which user wrenches are translated to loco-manipulation commands, generated by whole-body controllers of each system. Besides, a thorough user-study with multiple and cross-gender subjects is presented to reveal the quantitative performance of the two systems in effort demanding and dexterous tasks. Moreover, we provide qualitative results from the NASA-TLX questionnaire to demonstrate the SUPER-MAN approach’s potential and its acceptability from the users’ viewpoint.

Impact of Dual-Depth Head-Up Displays on Vehicle Driver Performance

In recent years, the display information of head-up displays for vehicles has gradually developed from single-depth to multi-depth. To reduce the workload of driving and the number of eye adjustments, researchers use the visual perception of human eyes to realize the image information integrated with the real world. In this study, HoloLens2 is used to demonstrate head-up displays of different depths. An electroencephalogram, an electro-ophthalmogram, and a NASA-TLX questionnaire were used to evaluate the fatigue of drivers during long-term driving. The results showed that a dual-depth head-up display could effectively reduce the driver’s workload.

CrossKeys: Text Entry for Virtual Reality Using a Single Controller via Wrist Rotation

Text entry has long been an indispensable part of people’s lives; notwithstanding, in virtual reality (VR), an efficient and handy text entry method for such an environment is still wanted. There are two negative factors in the very majority of existing text entry methods: 1) constrained by two-dimensional mapping; 2) must manipulate with both hands to ensure efficiency. Few are employing the three-dimensional space a virtual environment provides, with which text entry could perform much better; also, even with several methods enabling one-hand manipulation, the trade-off is off-balance when sacrificing performance. Therefore, we propose an innovative text entry method to achieve a faster speed, higher accuracy, and better user experience. We design a cross-like layout to reduce the average distance of spatial displacement when selecting characters. In selecting and entering characters, a user simply rotates the wrist and points the embodied controller to one of the seven character blocks in the virtual environment; afterward, within the selected block, the user enters the target character or auto-completion candidate word via two basic trackpad interactions, touching and clicking. We evaluate our CrossKeys mainly based on two criteria: efficiency, task load, and three tasks: learnability and performance test, fatigue test, and evaluation of in-motion performance. To evaluate efficiency, we analyze words per minute (WPM) and error rate (NCER, TER); to evaluate task load, we analyze NASA-TLX and Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ) results. According to the data from our participants after only 2 hours of first-time training, our CrossKeys performs well with an average WPM of 17.73, a peak WPM of 24.73, and an error rate (NCER) of 0.30% along with a low task load.

Measurement of Physical and Mental Workload in Onlline Ojek Drivers: A Case Study in Serang City

The development of online motorcycle taxi transportation has received a good response in the community. With this application, it makes it easier for people to order motorcycle taxis more practically. Many online motorcycle taxi drivers have complaints while working, one of which is the obligation to meet life's necessities which causes the physical and mental workload to increase. This study aims to measure the physical and mental workload of online motorcycle taxi drivers in Serang City. Data collection was carried out by measuring heart rate with a Polar H10 and filling out the NASA-TLX questionnaire which was distributed to online motorcycle taxi drivers who were willing to be respondents. Data processing starts from measuring heart rate, with an average %CVL value obtained of 40.08%. This value is included in the physical workload category that requires improvement. Mental workload data, calculated through the NASA-TLX method, averaged 74.20, which is classified as high. To alleviate these workloads, it's suggested to incorporate 90-minute break periods, redesign automatic motorcycles with extra footrests, use energy sprays, implement road congestion detection tools, enhance the quality of ride-hailing apps, and minimize exposure to heat stress.

Hubungan Beban Kerja Mental, Stres Kerja, dan Motivasi Terhadap Tingkat Konsentrasi Operator Crane Perusahaan Galangan Kapal

Ship production activities at the Shipyard Company require lifting and transporting aircraft to facilitate work, one of which is a crane. Crane operators work monotonously at the wheel of the crane every day for 8 hours or even more. Concentration is needed in this job. Concentration is a state in which a person focuses his attention on an object within a certain time. Loss of concentration in the operator can lead to mismatches in work and the worst risk is the occurrence of work accidents. This study aims to determine the relationship between mental workload, work stress, and motivation with the level of concentration in crane operators. The population of this study were 35 crane operators. Sampling using total sampling technique with the entire population sampled. Measurements used the NASA-TLX questionnaire to measure mental workload, Stress Diagnosis Survey to measure work stress levels, motivation questionnaire and Grid Concentration Test to measure concentration levels. Data analysis using the chi square test, with the results showing that the independent variables that have a significance value <0.05 are mental workload with a value of 0.009 and work stress with a value of 0.044. While the motivation variable has a significance value of 0.391. The conclusion obtained is that the variables associated with the level of concentration are mental workload and work stress, while the motivation variable has no relationship with the level of concentration.

Optimizing Human-Robot Teaming Performance through Q-Learning-Based Task Load Adjustment and Physiological Data Analysis.

The transition to Industry 4.0 and 5.0 underscores the need for integrating humans into manufacturing processes, shifting the focus towards customization and personalization rather than traditional mass production. However, human performance during task execution may vary. To ensure high human-robot teaming (HRT) performance, it is crucial to predict performance without negatively affecting task execution. Therefore, to predict performance indirectly, significant factors affecting human performance, such as engagement and task load (i.e., amount of cognitive, physical, and/or sensory resources required to perform a particular task), must be considered. Hence, we propose a framework to predict and maximize the HRT performance. For the prediction of task performance during the development phase, our methodology employs features extracted from physiological data as inputs. The labels for these predictions-categorized as accurate performance or inaccurate performance due to high/low task load-are meticulously crafted using a combination of the NASA TLX questionnaire, records of human performance in quality control tasks, and the application of Q-Learning to derive task-specific weights for the task load indices. This structured approach enables the deployment of our model to exclusively rely on physiological data for predicting performance, thereby achieving an accuracy rate of 95.45% in forecasting HRT performance. To maintain optimized HRT performance, this study further introduces a method of dynamically adjusting the robot's speed in the case of low performance. This strategic adjustment is designed to effectively balance the task load, thereby enhancing the efficiency of human-robot collaboration.

Smoking Prevalence and its Association with Work-Related Factors in an Electricity and Gas Company

IntroductionIn the workplace, a smoke-free environment is crucial to guaranteeing the health of workers and those around them. Understanding the relationship between smoking and work is a prerequisite for implementing effective tobacco control measures.Objectives To assess the prevalence of smoking in an electricity and gas company in Sfax and to determine the relationship between workers’ nicotine dependence and perceived workload.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey evaluating the smoking behavior of 100 employees of an electricity and gas company. The survey was carried out from July to December 2022 using a two-part questionnaire. The first part was completed by the participants, and the second was administered by the interviewer. Nicotine dependence was assessed using the Fagerström test, while perceived workload was evaluated using the raw NASA-TLX questionnaire.Results Our study population consisted of 82 male participants. Active smoking was reported by 45.1% of participants. Among smokers, 40.5% had moderate to high nicotine dependence as assessed by the Fagerström test. According to the raw NASA-TLX questionnaire, the mean scores for mental, physical, and temporal demands were 88.8±13.5, 63.6±24.7, and 59.1±28.4, respectively. The mean scores for effort, performance, and frustration were 83.8±14, 85.4±13.1, and 34.5±28.1, respectively. Bivariate analysis indicated an inverse correlation between nicotine dependence and physical demands at work. However, a significant positive correlation was found between nicotine dependence and frustration at work.ConclusionsSmoking among electricity and gas company workers is a prevalent issue, highlighting the urgent need for smoking cessation interventions. The association of smoking with perceived workload underscores the importance of preventive measures to reduce work-related stress.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Benchmarking human-robot collaborative assembly tasks

Manufacturing assembly tasks can vary in complexity and level of automation. Yet, achieving full automation can be challenging and inefficient, particularly due to the complexity of certain assembly operations. Human-robot collaborative work, leveraging the strengths of human labor alongside the capabilities of robots, can be a solution for enhancing efficiency. This paper introduces the CT benchmark, a benchmark and model set designed to facilitate the testing and evaluation of human-robot collaborative assembly scenarios. It was designed to compare manual and automatic processes using metrics such as the assembly time and human workload. The components of the model set can be assembled through the most common assembly tasks, each with varying levels of difficulty. The CT benchmark was designed with a focus on its applicability in human-robot collaborative environments, with the aim of ensuring the reproducibility and replicability of experiments. Experiments were carried out to assess assembly performance in three different setups (manual, automatic and collaborative), measuring metrics related to the assembly time and the workload on human operators. The results suggest that the collaborative approach takes longer than the fully manual assembly, with an increase of 70.8%. However, users reported a lower overall workload, as well as reduced mental demand, physical demand, and effort according to the NASA-TLX questionnaire.

Effect Of Mental Workload And Moral Sensitivity On Nurse Performance In The Acute Inpatient Room Of The Prof. Dr. M. Ildrem Mental Hospital, Medan

Objectives: High mental workload can decrease nurse performance. Nurses with higher moral sensitivity are ethically more practicing professionals and the quality of care is better. This study assesses effect of Mental Workload and Moral Sensitivity on Nurse Performance in the Acute Inpatient Room of the Prof. Dr. M. Idrelm Mental Hospital Medan in Indonesia . Methods: The study used a cross-sectional design, sampel number of 58 nurses in acutel inpatient room through total sampling. NASA-TLX Questionnaires for Mental Workload, Moral Sensitivity Questionnaires for Moral Sensitivity and Individual Work Performance Questionnaires for Nurse Performance. Analyzed data using the Statistical Package for social Science (SPSS) version 26 software. Descriptive statistics, Pearson test and multiple linear regression analysis to measure its effect. A p-vaule of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at a 95% confidence level. Result: Majority of participant had a high level of mental workload (86.2%), high level of moral sensitivity (58.6%) and had good level of performance (53.4%). Further, there is no correlation mental workload with nurses performance (p = 0.350), but moral sensitivity significantly correlated with nurses performance (p = 0.041). Conclusion: Nurse has level mental workload high indicate prone to fatique and burnout, but they have good performance because they have adapted to the existing work situation. This is supported by high moral sensitivity so that nurses feel very responsible for their profession.

THE ROLE OF MENTAL WORKLOAD IN INVESTING QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG WORKERS IN THE PHOSPHORIC ACID INDUSTRY

Introduction: Every workplace has potential hazards, one of which is psychological hazards, namely work stress. The stress felt by workers can interfere with their work activities if not controlled immediately. In Indonesia, 11.6–17.3% of the 150 million adult population suffers from stress at work. Moreover, job stress can be caused by various factors. Aims: To assess workers’ quality of work life by analyzing the relationship between mental workload and work stress. Moreover, this research investigates the individual characteristics, mental workload level, and stress level between workers. Methods: This research is a quantitative study using an observational design and a cross-sectional technique. The participants in this study were all 35 maintenance personnel. Mental workload and work stress are assessed using NASA-TLX and DASS-21 questionnaire, respectively. Results: The collected data are statistically analyzed using the Spearman correlation test and the Cramer contingency coefficient correlation test. The results showed that mental workload has a strong relationship with work stress which is in the strong category (r= 0,679) and the direction of the relationship is unidirectional. Conclusion: The conclusion of this study is that the higher the mental workload possessed by workers, the higher the level of perceived work stress. Therefore, the company can reduce work stress by conducting both individual and organizational strategies

Understanding the Relationship between Mental Workload and Stress in Special Education Teachers

Children with Special Needs (CSN) have the right to receive inclusive education with teachers as an important factor and the center of the entire education structure. The results of data collection through Focused Group Discussion with Special Education Teachers (SET) in Pangandaran Regency on 27th October 2022, showed that SET sometimes feel anxious about the behaviors shown by CSN at school, such as eating and drinking indiscriminately from items around them that can threaten children's health. And also feel burdened by the hopes of parents who want their child to recover completely after attending special school. Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the relationship between mental workload and the level of stress of SLTs in Pangandaran Regency. Method: The method in this study is descriptive correlational with a cross-sectional approach. Primary data were collected using the NASA-TLX questionnaire and the SET Stress Level Questionnaire. There were 82 teachers as respondents using a total sampling technique. Result: Data was collected online through a questionnaire distributed to all special education teachers in Pangandaran Regency. The data was processed statistically using the Spearman Rank test which showed a significance of 0.011 (P value <0.05) with a correlation coefficient value of 0.280 which indicated that the strength of the correlation was sufficient (moderate) with a positive correlation direction. Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between mental workload and the stress level of special school teachers in Pangandaran Regency.

Evaluating User Perceptions of a Vibrotactile Feedback System in Trunk Stabilization Exercises: A Feasibility Study.

Low back pain patients often have deficits in trunk stability. For this reason, many patients receive physiotherapy treatment, which represents an enormous socio-economic burden. Training at home could reduce these costs. The problem here is the lack of correction of the exercise execution. Therefore, this feasibility study investigates the applicability of a vibrotactile-controlled feedback system for trunk stabilisation exercises. A sample of 13 healthy adults performed three trunk stabilisation exercises. Exercise performance was corrected by physiotherapists using vibrotactile feedback. The NASA TLX questionnaire was used to assess the practicability of the vibrotactile feedback. The NASA TLX questionnaire shows a very low global workload 40.2 [29.3; 46.5]. The quality of feedback perception was perceived as good by the subjects, varying between 69.2% (anterior hip) and 92.3% (lower back). 80.8% rated the feedback as helpful for their training. On the expert side, the results show a high rating of movement quality. The positive evaluations of the physiotherapists and the participants on using the vibrotactile feedback system indicate that such a system can reduce the trainees fear of independent training and support the users in their training. This could increase training adherence and long-term success.

Assessing mental demand in consecutive interpreting: Insights from an fNIRS study

Consecutive interpreting involves a demanding language task where mental workload (MWL) is crucial for assessing interpreters' performance. An elevated cognitive load in interpreters may lead to the interpretation failures. The widely used NASA-TLX questionnaire effectively measures MWL. However, a global score was employed in previous interpretation studies, overlooking the distinct contributions of MWL components to the interpreters' performance. Accordingly, we recruited twenty novice interpreters who were postgraduate students specializing in interpreting to complete the consecutive interpreting task. Throughout the process, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor the hemodynamic response in participants' brains. The NASA-TLX was used to measure the MWL during interpreting with six components, including mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration. Five interpretation experts were invited to assess the interpretation quality. The Bayes factor approach was employed to explore the components that contributes the most to the interpretation quality. It indicated that mental demand strongly contributed to the interpretation quality. Moreover, the mediation analysis revealed a positive correlation between mental demand and brain activation in three brain areas, which, in turn, was negatively correlated with interpretation quality, indicating the predictive role of mental demand in interpretation quality through the mediating of brain activation. The functions of the mediating brain areas, including the inferior frontal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus, aligned with the three efforts proposed by Gile's effort model, which emphasizes the significance of three fundamental efforts in achieving successful interpreting. These findings have implications for interpreter learning and training.

Assessment of Mental Workload Nurses in COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives: Nurses are at the front line of treatment and coping with COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the present study investigates the pandemic’s impact on nurses ’mental workload and determines its predictive factors.
 Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was done on 234 nurses in two groups working at COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 wards in 2020. The criteria for entering the study were the absence of psychological problems. Data was gathered using the General Health Questionnaire, NASA-TLX, and Demographic Questionnaire.
 Results: The mean of the overall mental workload score in the group of nurses working at the Covid-19 wards (70.09 ± 2.51) was higher than the group of nurses working in the non-COVID-19 wards (66.55 ± 2.02). This difference was significant (P = 0.01). There was a significant difference between the mean score of the mental demand, the physical demand, the temporal demand, and the frustration level of the two groups. With the exception of performance, the group of nurses working in the corona ward had a higher mean score in all aspects. In the proposed linear model, 16% of the overall changes in mental workload depended on two variables, which were age and work experience. The work experience was the most influential factor in predicting nurses' mental workload.
 Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed the importance of paying attention to the mental workload of nurses as well as personal and occupational factors affecting mental workload in the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, control and management of effective factors can help reduce mental workload, especially during pandemic conditions.