Workspace Characteristics Research Articles

A novel dataset of indoor environmental conditions in work-from-home settings

During the last week of March 2020, millions of workers around the world transitioned to working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While much research has explored the behavioural and psychological aspects of work-from-home (WFH), few studies have provided data-driven evaluations of indoor environmental quality (IEQ). This paper presents findings from a summer 2022 field study of IEQ conditions in WFH settings, involving 95 participants in the North American Pacific Northwest. Sensors installed on participants' work desks continuously measured total volatile organic compounds (tVOC), particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon dioxide (CO2) air temperature, humidity, and sound pressure levels (SPLs). Participants also completed surveys on home and workspace characteristics, as well as their subjective assessments of IEQ, well-being, and productivity. The study found that mean indoor concentrations of tVOC, PM2.5, and CO2 were 262 ppb, 5 µg/m3, and 712 ppm, respectively. Indoor air temperature ranged between 14.7–32.3°C, with a mean of 22.8°C, while relative humidity and SPL averaged at 52.5% and 53.7 dBA. Statistically-significant associations were observed between IEQ variables and factors such as residence type, cooking habits, workspace type, and window availability. A future paper will assess the surveyed behavioural and psychological characteristics in greater detail.

Impact of Real Estate Environment on Knowledge Worker Performance in IT Companies: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Knowledge worker performance is becoming an increasingly important requirement in information technology (IT) firms for its competitiveness. Although employee performance is an extensively researched area, the impact of the real estate environment of office on the performance of employees is still unexploited. The impact of the physical and social workplace on cognition and knowledge sharing by the knowledge worker and its impact on the knowledge worker's performance are hardly discussed in the literature. In this context, this study aims to investigate the relationship between the physical and social workspace setting on the knowledge worker performances in the Information Technology (IT) industry in Sri Lanka. The outcome of the study provides insight to top management of IT companies to confirm how attributes of office real estate environment contributes to knowledge worker performance. The study applied a quantitative approach to explore the impact of the physical and social workspace on the performance of knowledge workers. The study employed a convenience sampling method for collecting data from 185 respondents who worked in IT industry using a self-administered questionnaire. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS –SEM) was used to analyze the data. The findings of the study confirmed that physical workspace support cognitive work and knowledge sharing of a knowledge worker. Physical workspace characteristics have the strongest impact on knowledge sharing than the cognitive work of the knowledge employee. In addition, the analysis confirmed that cognitive work also supports knowledge worker performance. Thus, findings suggest that a review of the physical workspace of the IT organization is an important strategic decision to ensure higher order performance of the IT employees. In summary, the study argued that the physical workspace of the organization seems to play a pivotal role in ensuring the higher performance of the employee via cognition. Thus, this paper contributes to IT company management to think out of the box to ensure an improved physical workspace for better employee performance.

Designing sustainable office spaces – how to combine workspace characteristics with sufficiency strategies

Contemporary workspace and office concepts are part of many major commercial real estate projects and have been continuously developed over many years. With a rising awareness for sustainable development, workspace and office concepts are increasingly being considered in terms of their environmental performance. Sustainable design strategies therefore traditionally differentiate between efficiency, consistency, and sufficiency, whereas the latter approach is the least explored in the construction industry. Sufficiency can be described by a user behaviour characterized by frugality and modesty, as opposed to wasteful consumption. Moreover, the strategy of sufficiency is linked to a high and critical awareness of using natural resources and environmental impacts which also affects the built environment. The aim of this paper is therefore to combine these two subject areas in a structured way and derive potentials for the sufficient development of office concepts.Based on a literature review in the field of workspace design and flexible workplace management, design features of office spaces are conceived and compiled according to planning aspects in office concepts based on employee needs. Another literature review in the field of sufficiency in the building sector provides the corresponding structure for the considered sufficiency strategies. Sufficiency measures follow recurring principles for the reduction of resource consumption. Essential principles of impact are identified and presented in this paper. The investigated topic areas are compiled together in a logical model based on a developed mapping framework. This forms the basis for defining sufficient measures that can be derived to sufficiency strategies in the project development of office buildings. The basis of all measures is to strive for a minimum level of resource consumption that is necessary to satisfy the needs of the users and that is considered valuable by them, following the basic idea of the sufficiency approach. The results are validated using an office building in the planning stage. The paper leads to a common understanding and structuring of design features of future office spaces and their environmental impact. Furthermore, the approach provides guidance for concepts on how design features can be considered regarding sufficiency strategies.

Structural design and kinematic analysis of a welding robot for liquefied natural gas membrane tank automatic welding

Owing to the complex structures of welding materials, special welding conditions, and challenges during the automatic welding of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship Mark III’s membrane tank, a series–parallel–series hybrid structure mobile welding robot having sufficient adaptability for welding corrugated plates in membrane tanks was designed in this study. The configuration of the hybrid robot had good workspace characteristics, and it could always maintain a certain distance and angle between the end of the welding torch and the weld line because of its detection and control system coordination. In this study, degrees of freedom, kinematic characteristics, workspace, and adaptability analyses were conducted for the hybrid mechanism. A simulation verification was performed, and a ripple-trajectory-following experiment was conducted using real objects. The simulation and experimental results showed that the welding robot had a reasonable mechanism design, smooth motion, and good terminal distance and angle control, thus meeting the requirements for automatic welding of corrugated plates in membrane tanks.

An Alternative Parallel Mechanism for Horizontal Positioning of a Nozzle in an FDM 3D Printer

In 3D printer design, special care must be taken when choosing the print head positioning mechanism. Indeed, this choice has a significant influence on the manufacturing accuracy, printing speed, workspace characteristics, and total cost of the printer. Considering 3D printers with layer-based processes, many designs include two stages: a planar mechanism for positioning the nozzle on a horizontal plane and a linear mechanism for the vertical build–plate motion. From the literature, two designs are usually applied for horizontal motion, commercially known as “CoreXY” and “H-bot”. Their load distribution characteristics are compared here: it is found that both have significant drawbacks. Therefore, an alternative architecture, called “CoreH-bot,” is introduced to overcome such limitations; this mechanism is both fully planar, which greatly simplifies its design and assembly phases while increasing part life, and has low unbalanced torques during motion, which increases the maximum speed for the given accuracy. The CoreH-bot kinematic equations are analyzed to define the Jacobian matrix and the corresponding workspace. The static and dynamic analyses are also performed. A prototype with this architecture has been designed that shows interesting capabilities in terms of print speed, while being both simple and cost-effective to assemble.

CREM perspective on home office—a consideration of the workplace and its mechanisms of action

The effect between the workplace and work success is a black box whose mechanisms have so far received little theoretical substantiation. In the explanation of the importance of corporate real estate and its management for the success of companies, the influence of real estate on the work productivity of employees through the physical workplace is shown. However, the overall picture has not yet been fully elaborated and the fragmentary knowledge is only partially suitable for attributing organizational outcomes to the characteristics of the physical working environment. Without sufficient empirical data and a solid theoretical foundation for physical working environment studies, it is not possible to draw conclusions with sufficient certainty about the impact of working environments on organizational outcomes.The fact that millions of people worldwide are working from home for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic provides an unprecedented opportunity to explore the impact of the home office environment on business success.This study aims to contribute to filling this research gap by further investigating the impact of the physical working environment at home on productivity by building on the Environmental Demands–Resources model. Therefore, the research goal is to determine which of the four included demands and resources (isolation, family–work interference, equipment/facilities, and building) have an impact on employee burnout and satisfaction, and how this impact affects employee productivity. Partial least squares structural equation modeling is used to analyze a German survey sample (n = 429).The results suggest that the four included workplace characteristics have significant influence, with equipment/facilities and building increasing satisfaction and isolation and family–work interference increasing burnout. Equipment/facilities is identified as the most important factor affecting productivity in the home office.Through this study, a contribution is made to establish a more inclusive and integrative framework for physical working environment research. In addition, the results show that workspace characteristics have an impact on productivity. Far beyond the pandemic, the impact of changes in workspace design on employee perceptions and organizational performance will be important to corporate real estate management practice.

Satisfaction with activity-support and physical home-workspace characteristics in relation to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Previous research indicates that employees’ mental health might be influenced by their satisfaction with physical office characteristics, such as noise, daylight, and ventilation. However, similar research on mental health in relation to working from home (WFH) is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the relationships between satisfaction with physical home workspace characteristics and support of work activities and mental health while WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic. Relationships were analysed using a path analysis approach, based on a sample of 1219 office workers, who had to work fully from home. The internal relationships between the ten considered mental health variables were also studied. Results showed that satisfaction with daylight, artificial light, greenery, and views outside were directly related to one of the mental health variables and indirectly to several others. Surprisingly, satisfaction with temperature, noise, ventilation, and air quality did not seem to play a role at the home workplace. In addition, unlike at the office, personal characteristics did not relate to workspace satisfaction nor perceived support of activities at home. Furthermore, all mental health variables were related to at least one other mental health variable. Workplace managers could use these insights to formulate recommendations for employees on how to design their home-workspace.

The influence of distractions of the home-work environment on mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Previous research showed that office workers are mainly distracted by noise, influencing their mental health. Little investigation has been done into the influence of other workspace characteristics (i.e., temperature, amount of space, visual privacy, adjustability of furniture, wall colours, and workspace cleanliness) on distractions at the office, and even fewer while working from home (WFH). The influence of home-workspace distractions on mental health also received limited attention. This research aims to investigate relationships between home-workspace and personal characteristics, distraction, and mental health while WFH during COVID-19. A path analysis approach was used, to find that, at home, employees were distracted by noise and when having a small desk. Those with a dedicated workroom were less distracted. Distractions mediated most relationships between home-workspace characteristics and mental health, while personal characteristics influenced mental health directly. Employers can use these results to redesign policies regarding home-and-office working to stimulate a healthy work-environment.

Erratum to “Comparative study on the reachable workspaces of regular and irregular axially symmetric hexapod robots”

Six-legged hexapod walking robots are well-known for their intrinsic stability during navigation and 6-DoF object manipulation. The robot must be operated under a stable workspace envelope to attain effective manipulation. The structural parameters of the robot dramatically influence the characteristics of the workspace. Most studies analyze the workspace only by varying the leg parameter of the robot, maintaining the base configuration constant. This study aims to investigate the effect of change in the base plate characteristics on the workspace for an axially symmetric hexapod robot with cyclic and elliptical configurations. Superimposing the lateral 2D workspace of each pair of legs evolved to obtain a 3D workspace. The quantitative data analysis of the workspace shows that the cyclic configuration has an average increase of 23.74 %, and the elliptical configuration has a reduction of 1.97 % reachable workspace volume compared with regular hexapods. Furthermore, regular, cyclic, and elliptical hexapods are fabricated and validated with the selective workspace analysis data to reinforce the results. This study shows that the change in the hexagonal base plate configuration has a significant influence on workspace characteristics.

Understanding the synthesis of anthropometric diversity and workspace dimensions in ergonomic design of light armored vehicle

AbstractBackground and objectiveTo ensure effective carrying, scouting, patrolling, and large‐scale combat operations, the workspace design of light armored vehicles (LAVs) should be compatible with anthropometry and range of motion (ROM) measurements of the soldiers. This study examines the extent of mismatch between the anthropometric dimensions of the Ethiopian army and existing workspace dimensions of the LAV. Predictive equations have been formulated for design dimensions considering anthropometry and ROM of the target population to avoid possible incompatibility.MethodThe assessment was conducted on three existing Ethiopian LAVs, and mathematical equations were framed to predict the vehicular design dimensions. Anthropometric and ROM data of Ethiopian soldiers (n = 310) from an earlier reported survey by the authors were utilized. The accommodation capacity of existing LAVs was evaluated using a one‐way or two‐way (mis)match criterion, based on individual workspace characteristics. Along with the predicted dimensions, key vehicular dimensions were compared with other globally accepted vehicular standard dimensions.ResultsTwenty‐two basic design dimensions that comply with ergonomics principles were proposed. A high mismatch (in terms of the accommodating capacities of the three LAVs) between the existing and predicted design dimensions indicates the incompatibility of the existing design dimensions in their accommodation of most Ethiopian army personnel. The predicted dimensions comply with different global vehicular standards, thus validating the results.ConclusionThe research findings indicate that the incompatibilities between vehicular space dimensions and army personnel's anthropometry must be addressed to evade the adverse consequences on occupational health. The LAVs should be redesigned according to the anthropometry and ROM dimensions of Ethiopian soldiers.

The identification of variables influencing personal lighting conditions of office workers

The main reason lighting control is being applied is to reduce energy consumption. However, there are many more reasons for lighting control to be optimised in buildings. Lighting systems can be controlled to enhance or optimise effects beyond vision. Automatic control of electric lighting systems or daylight systems is one way of adjusting someone’s personal lighting conditions. In addition, it is relevant for office workers to know how they can adjust their personal lighting conditions themselves in order to optimise their effects beyond vision (e.g. alertness). Therefore, this article describes a process of identifying predictors that influence personal lighting conditions. The dataset used in this article is gathered during a field study in the Netherlands in spring 2017. This article describes linear mixed models for daily mean illuminances and correlated colour temperatures both throughout the entire day and only at work. These models demonstrated that weather conditions, fixed and flexible personal conditions, office worker’s daily schedule and workspace characteristics influence personal lighting conditions. Weather conditions and fixed and flexible personal conditions though are difficult or impossible to control by the office workers themselves. However, adjustments in personal lighting conditions can be accomplished by the office workers themselves by changing their daily schedules and the workspace characteristics. The findings show that these two predictor categories may explain 4% to 20% of the variance in personal lighting conditions.

A Multi-Priority Controller for Industrial Macro-Micro Manipulation

SUMMARYIn this study, a control algorithm is proposed and evaluated for a special type of kinematically redundant manipulator. This manipulator is comprised of two mechanisms, macro and micro mechanisms, with distinct acceleration and work space characteristics. A control algorithm is devised to minimize the task completion duration and the overall actuator effort with respect to the conventional manipulator. A general framework multi-priority controller for macro-micro manipulators is introduced by utilizing virtual dynamics, which is introduced in null-space projection to achieve secondary tasks. The proposed controller is evaluated on a simulation model based on a previously constructed macro-micro manipulator for planar laser cutting. Task completion duration and the total actuator effort are investigated and the results are compared.

Simulation and Implementation of a Hexapod Configuration Using Modular Robotics

This paper details development of a functional hexapod configuration by means of MECABOT robotic modules, previously designed and built at Universidad Militar Nueva Granada. For this configuration, the modules received a series of upgrades which allowed reduction of size and weight, as well as an increase in torque. In order to develop control software, Webots IDE was used to simulate workspace characteristics in a virtual environment. Once the configuration was assembled using the improved modules, locomotion tests were carried out for forward and lateral motions, for which robot speed was measured and compared with simulation results. Analysis of the divergence between simulated and practical speeds led to a series of design considerations that will require further evaluation in future work.

Workspace management as a part of FM mission: a study of German FM education

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the nature of facility management (FM) and workspace management (WSM) and explores their interrelation with the aim of establishing whether WSM can be considered a part of the mission pursued by FM. Functional overlaps and gaps are identified and compared within the current system of FM education in Germany. Even though the research focussed on Germany, the findings may be extendable to other regions.Design/methodology/approachThe data used were collected by means of a questionnaire, which was sent to the respondents, who complied with the eligibility requirements, namely, such individuals should have been office workers and work in Germany. The data collection was preceded by a literature review and followed by a quantitative analysis.FindingsThe literature analysis carried out demonstrates that the agenda of WSM can be considered as part of the FM mission. However, notwithstanding the overlap of the objectives of WSM and FM, it has also been identified a major discrepancy in that FM in Germany is predominantly concerned with the management of tangible and functional elements of a working environment and pays less attention to its non-tangible and psychological counterparts, whereas WSM, as a discipline, tends to cover both tangible and intangible elements of a workspace on a more equal footing. The element of employees’ “psychological comfort” (PsC) at work is capable of exerting the most profound influence on overall organisational productivity.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the work should not, without proper adjustments, be extrapolated to other geographical markets or industries, whose workspace characteristics may differ from those existing in Germany.Practical implicationsFM educational programmes may be adjusted to enable the facility managers to perform most or all activities within WSM.Social implicationsTo impart facility managers with WSM competencies will contribute to employees’ psychological comfort and their productivity and, hence, will increase the acceptance and appreciation of the FM profession.Originality/valueThe paper introduces new thinking on the subject of WSM in the context of FM. It encourages FM educators to include WSM into their educational programmes or to add missing links to existing workplace management courses.

Dexterous Workspace Optimization for a New Hybrid Parallel Robot Manipulator

In this paper, a new hybrid parallel robot (HPR) manipulator is introduced. First three kinematic limbs of six-legged general Stewart platform (6DOF GSP) manipulator are disconnected. Afterward, each passive universal joint of remaining three-legged parallel manipulator (three-UPS) is mounted at the center of each second passive revolute joint of RPR planar parallel manipulator (3DOF PPM) where underlined letters present active joints. Active actuators of PPM mounted between base platform of GSP and ground perform translations along x and y-axes, and rotation about z-axis. Remaining three limbs of GSP mechanism provide translation z-axis, and rotation about x- and y-axes only. Thus HPR can perform motion with full dimensions (translation and rotation about x-, y-, and z-axes). Optimizations are performed by using particle swarm optimization algorithm. Optimization results demonstrated that HPR provides better dexterity and singularity-free workspace characteristics than GSP.

Multi-robot system optimization based on redundant serial spherical mechanism for robotic minimally invasive surgery

SUMMARYSerial spherical linkages have been used in the design of a number of robots for minimally invasive surgery, in order to mechanically constrain the surgical instrument with respect to the incision. However, the typical serial spherical mechanism suffers from conflicting design objectives, resulting in an unsuitable compromise between avoiding collision with the patient and producing good kinematic and workspace characteristics. In this paper, we propose a multi-robot system composed of two redundant serial spherical linkages to achieve this purpose. A multi-objective optimization for achieving the aforementioned design goals is presented first for a single redundant robot and then for a multi-robot system. The problem of mounting multiple robots on the operating table as well as the way cooperative actions can be performed is addressed. The sensitivity of each optimal solution (single-robot and multi-robot) to uncertainties in the design parameters is investigated.

Experimental characterization of a binary actuated parallel manipulator

This paper describes the BAPAMAN (Binary Actuated Parallel MANipulator) series of parallel manipulators that has been conceived at Laboratory of Robotics and Mechatronics (LARM). Basic common characteristics of BAPAMAN series are described. In particular, it is outlined the use of a reduced number of active degrees of freedom, the use of design solutions with flexural joints and Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) actuators for achieving miniaturization, cost reduction and easy operation features. Given the peculiarities of BAPAMAN architecture, specific experimental tests have been proposed and carried out with the aim to validate the proposed design and to evaluate the practical operation performance and the characteristics of a built prototype, in particular, in terms of operation and workspace characteristics.

Kinematics Comparative Study of Two Overconstrained Parallel Manipulators

A comparison study of kinematics characteristics of two overconstrained 2-RPU&SPR parallel manipulators (PMs) is introduced in this paper. The two 2-RPU&SPR PMs have the same kinematics properties in terms of one translational degree of freedom (DOF) and two rotational DOFs kinematics outputs. But there are some differences between the two PMs as far as joints distribution is concerned, leading to the differences in respect of workspace and dexterity of the two PMs. Firstly, based on screw theory, the structural characteristics and DOFs of the two PMs are analyzed. Secondly, the inverse and forward displacements problems for the two PMs are formulated by analytic formulae. Some numerical examples are simulated by software. Thirdly, based on algorithm for the direct displacement solution, the workspace characteristics of the two PMs are analyzed and compared. Then, the Jacobian matrices of the mechanisms are formulated. Based on the Jacobian matrices, the dexterities of the two PMs are established and compared. Finally, according to the comparisons of the properties between the two PMs, some useful conclusions are provided.

CAD-based unified graphical methodology for solving the main problems related to geometric and kinematic analysis of planar parallel robotic manipulators

CAD environments provide powerful tools for graphical programming and geometric feature handling. This paper explores this potential for robotics applications by presenting a set of several original approaches for solving the main problems related to geometric and kinematic analysis of planar parallel robotic manipulators (PPRMs). These approaches rely on the use of CAD-based graphical programming enabling rapid resolution and geometric interpretation of the 3D total workspace characteristics. The novelty of the proposed approach resides in the association of an original, unique and natural 3D graphical representation of the end-effector poses and the use of geometric feature handling and graphical solver capabilities within a CAD environment, for determining the 3D total operational workspace as well as solving the forward kinematic problem (FKP) of PPRMs. The approach consists in considering the mobile platform separately attached to each limb that we disconnect from the rest of the mechanism. The geometric construction of the spaces reachable by the end-effector is performed by using Boolean intersections of the vertex volumes, respectively the vertex surfaces, relative to each limb for 3D total workspace determination, respectively for FKP resolution. By combining in the same 3D graphical environment several geometric entities associated to the PPRM, such as workspace volume, singularity surface, and the different solutions of the FKP, this approach allows designers, in a user-friendly way, to generate the singularity-free trajectories connecting different assembly modes. The approach presented in this paper is mostly useful for the architectures of 3-DOF parallel robotic manipulators for which an algebraic closed form solution does not exist for the forward kinematic model and the singularity-free trajectory planning between assembly modes is not a trivial task. It is applied for several PPRMs such as: 3-RPR, 3-RRR, 3-PPR, 3-RRP, 3-PRP, 3-PRR, 3-RRR, and 3-RPR. Display Omitted A new method based on CAD techniques is proposed to resolve FKP for PPRMs.CAD approach allows designer to locate all FKP solutions within 3D total workspace.Methodology presented is very powerful for planning singularity-free trajectory.CAD approaches permit a high precision for: workspace, FKP solutions, singularity.CAD methodology may be extended, with some adaptations for all types of PPRMs.

Workspace Modeling and Analysis for Dexterous Hands

The workspace is a fundamental feature for a dexterous hand to grasping plan, motion control, and mechanical design. Although the graphic, numerical, or analytical methods are valid to generate the workspace of dexterous hands, but there exist several defects for these methods to describe the workspace characteristics, such as forms, boundaries, volumes, and intersection workspaces. We propose a combined modeling approach to visualize and analyze the workspace of YWZ dexterous hand, which has five fingers, 20 degrees of freedom (Dofs). The proposed approach is also fit for similar dexterous hands to generate their precise workspaces. After a brief mechanism introduction of YWZ dexterous hand, a displacement equation of its index finger is deduced to calculate the fingertip positions in three-dimension (3D) Euclidean space. Then, a two-dimension (2D) boundary figure enclosing the flexion–extension motion field of the finger is drawn by the displacement equation. Taking this boundary figure as a sketch in a CAD modeling environment, we further model a vivid 3D finger workspace, which is relative with the abduction–adduction motion of the finger. Besides, we generate the whole workspace of YWZ dexterous hand and analyze its volumes and intersection workspaces. The kinematic simulations and physical prototype experimentations are carried out to validate this approach can construct perfect workspace of dexterous hands. Compared with the Monte Carlo method, the form and boundary of the 3D finger workspace generated by our proposed approach have more accurate, integrated, vivid, and intuitional.