• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.319-325
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• 2012

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop the assistive device for accelerator and brake pedals using bio-signals from the prefrontal lobe in the driving simulator and evaluate its performance. Background: There is lack of assistive devices for the driving in peoples with disabilities in Korea. However, if bio-signals and/or brain waves are used at driving a car, the people with serious physical limitations can improve their community mobility. Method: 15 subjects with driver's license participated in this study for experiment of driving performance evaluation in the simulator. Each subject drove the simulator the same course 10 times in three separated groups which use different interface controllers to accelerate and brake: (1) conventional pedal group, (2) joystick group and (3) bio-signal group(horizontal quick glance of the eyes and clench teeth). All experiments were recorded and the driving performances were evaluated by three inspectors. Results: Average score of bio-signal group for the driving in the simulator was increased 3% compared with the pedal group and was increased 9% compared with the joystick group(p<0.01). The subjects using bio-signals was decreased 44% in number of deduction compared with others because the device had the built-in modified cruise control. Conclusion: The assistive device for accelerator and brake pedals using bio-signals showed significantly better performance than using general pedal and a joystick interface(p<0.01). Application: This study can be used to design adaptive vehicle for driving in people with disabilities.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.281-289
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• 2012

Objective: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential risk of shoulder muscle at particular working postures in sitting. Background: The cause of shoulder pain needs to be specifically studied in relation with particular shoulder postures to prevent shoulder MSDs in workplace. Method: In this study MVC, fatigue and subjective workload were investigated depending on the change of shoulder posture. An experiment was designed to evaluate the six shoulder muscles at nine shoulder postures including the combination of 30(adduction), 0, 30(abduction) degrees and 60, 90, and 120 degrees of shoulder flexion. Surface electrodes were attached to the middle trapezius, inferior middle trapezius, anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, serratus anterior and teres major. Thirteen subjects participated in the experiment. Dependent variables were RPE (rating of perceived exertion), MVC(maximum voluntary contraction) and MPF(mean power frequency) shift by EMG (electromyography). Results: The middle trapezius and inferior middle trapezius were not significantly fatigued at all postures. The decline of MPF slope was less than 10% at all postures. The anterior deltoid was significantly fatigued all postures. The decline of MPF slope was more than 10% at all postures. The posterior deltoid was significantly fatigued 30 degrees of adduction and 90 degrees of flexion. And, neutral and 30 degrees of abduction postures were fatigued more than 90 degrees of flexion. The serratus anterior was significantly fatigued except for 30 degrees of adduction and 60 degrees of flexion posture. The teres major was significantly fatigued except for neutral and 60 degrees of flexion, 30 degrees of abduction and 60 degrees of flexion posture. Conclusion: It was found that a certain muscle was fatigued fast at particular posture compared to other muscles, which would mean that a certain shoulder muscle at particular posture could be easily exposed to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders than other muscles. Application: It is expected that the result can be applied to design workplace using shoulder muscles.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.167-177
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• 2013

Objective: This study aims to compare the usefulness of subjective measures which are comprised of existing methods like NASA-TLX, Bedford-scale and ZEIS and newly developed method like DALI in measuring drivers' mental workload in terms of validity, sensitivity and diagnosticity. Background: Nowadays, with the development of intelligent vehicle and HMI, mental workload of driver has become more and more important. For this reason, the studies on drivers' mental workload about driving situation and the use of information technology equipment such as mobile phones and navigations were conducted intensively. However, the studies on measuring drivers' mental workload were rarely conducted. Moreover, most of studies on comparison of subjective measures were used with performance based measure. However, performance based measures can cause distraction effect with subjective measures. Method: Participants (N=19) were engaged in a driving simulation experiment in 2 driving contexts (downtown driving and highway driving context). The experiment has 2 sessions according to driving contexts. The level of difficulties by driving contexts were adjusted according to existence of intersections, traffic signs and signals, billboards and the number of doublings. Moreover, as criteria of concurrent validity and sensitivity, the EEG data were recorded before and during the sessions. Results: The results indicated that all subjective methods were correlates with EEG in high-way driving. On the contrary to this, in downtown driving, all subjective methods were not correlates with EEG. In terms of sensitivity, multi-dimensional scales (NASA-TLX, DALI) were the only ones to identify differences between high way and downtown driving. Finally, in terms of diagnosticity, DALI was the most suitable method for evaluating drivers' mental workload in driving context. Conclusion: The DALI as newly developed method dedicated to evaluate driver's mental workload was superior in terms of sensitivity and diagnosticity. However, researchers should consider the characteristics of each subjective method synthetically according to research objective by selecting the method in subjective measures. Application: The results of this study could be applied to the intelligent vehicle and next generation of HMI design to decrease mental workload of driver and for the development of new subjective method in vehicle domain.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.437-446
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• 2017

Objective: This study aims to draw an efficient UI design by comparing the usability of App drawer and single-layered home screens, which are smartphone home screens. Background: Because smartphone home screen is frequently used including the installation, deletion, and editing of APPs, it should be designed with easily controllable information structure. There is a need to seek a user-friendly UI by comparing the usability of App drawer and single-layered home screens, of which methods to search Apps are different. There is also a need to examine an efficient UI and the factors to improve from the user perspective. Method: This study targeted 30 Android OS and iOS users to evaluate the App drawer and single-layered home screens, of which UI structures are different. Each participant was instructed to carry out an App searching task and App deleting task, and the execution time and the number of errors were measured. After the tasks were completed, they evaluated satisfaction through a questionnaire survey. Results: In the App searching task with low task level, there was no difference in execution level between the App drawer and single-layered home screens. However, the single-layered home screen showed higher efficiency and accuracy in the App deleting task with high task level. As for the group difference according to use experience, there was no difference in satisfaction among Android OS users, but iOS user satisfaction with single-layered home screen with which they were familiar was higher. Conclusion: As for home screen usability, the single-layered home screen UI structure can be advantageous, as task level is higher. Repulsion was higher, when users, who had used easier UI, used complex UI in comparison with user satisfaction, when users familiar with complex UI used easier UI. A UI indicating the current status with clear label marking through a task flow chart-based analysis, and a UI in which a user can immediately recognize by exposing hidden functions to the first depth were revealed as things to improve. Application: The results of this study are expected to be used as reference data in designing smartphone home screens. Especially, when iOS users use Android OS, the results are presumed to contribute to the reduction of predicted barriers.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.25-37
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• 2008

The purpose of this research is to understand the physiological characteristics of muscular men between the ages of 20 and 34 years who are distinct from the general population due to their muscular development, and to categorize them according to upper body somatotypes. This research was conducted in order to provide basic data necessary for developing clothing products for muscular men. The research method and results were as follows: the "Sheldon's" and "Heath-Carter" somatotype classification methods were carried out at sports centers, the Athletic College, and military bases in Seoul and Gyeonggi province. Excluding the 32 subjects that did not have a balanced mesomorph, ectomorphic mesomorph or mesomorph-ectomorph, research on the remaining 168 subjects was used in the data analysis. 2. We used the following factor analysis: factor 1 for torso size; factor 2 for upper-arm, armpit, and chest breath size; and 3. The upper body was categorized into four (4) types, and their individual characteristics were as follows: Type 1 had the most developed arms, shoulders, chest muscles, and the shortest height. These subjects had an average of 191 somatotype points and could be classified as a balanced mesomorph. The heights and the lengths of Type 2 were short. They had slim physical structures, averaged 182 somatype points, and could be classified as an ectomorphic mesomorph. somatotype points and were classified as a balanced mesomorph. The heights and the lengths of Type 4 were long. They had slim physical structures, averaged 164 somatotype points, and were classified as a balanced mesomorph-ectomorph. 4. After carrying out a discriminant analysis to validate the categories of muscular men's upper bodies, we concluded that our model had an accuracy rating of 98.1%.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.305-323
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• 2017

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine breast shape and ratio of breast enlargement women prior to development of breast enlargement patient's bra. Background: Although there are many previous studies on women's breast that did not undergo breast augmentation surgery, no studies have examined the breast type and proportion of women with breast augmentation. Method: In this study, we analyzed ratios and angles with photographs taken before and after breast augmentation on the frontal and lateral views of the breast, UPF and projection were analyzed too. We also compared the pre-operative and post-operative rates with those of previous breast studies, as well as the post-operative breast types for the desirable breast types. Results: The length and width of the breast base and the height of the breast projection increased after the operation. The rate of increase in width is larger than the vertical distance in the breast base, and the rate of increase in height of the projection is larger than the increase in the width. Specifically, in the vertical distance, the rate of increase in the lower portion is larger than that in the upper portion. In the width, the rate of increase on the inside is larger than that on the outside. Conclusion: The angles of the static relationship with the projection increased and the angles of the minor relation decreased. The changes in the size of the breast were visually observed in the overlapping of the triangle shape before and after the surgery. The changes were composed of the line connecting the angle and the measurement points. The pre-operative upper pole fullness (UPF) was mostly 0 and - 1, but after the surgery, +1, 0, -1, +2 were distributed, while post-operative levels of projection were distributed in the order of level 3> level 1> level 2. In comparison with the desirable breast type, it was found that the anatomical type was a more natural breast type than the round type of implant. Application: These results can be useful as basic data for the breast analysis of breast enlargement patients and their bra patterns.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.71-86
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• 2002

This study's purpose is to gain basic data for the factory automation of manufacturing custom-made girdles. For this study , obese women in their 30s and 40s was experimented through direct measuring and by the 3D scanner, by means of which the proportions of the subject's body was measured. Based upon the results of this experiment, individually designed girdles were made. In order to gain the basic data for the factory automation of manufacturing custom-made girdles, the patterns and the clothing pressure and the feeling of wearing such girdles were analyzed. This study can be summarized as follows: The material properties and the designs of existing functional girdles in the market were studied thoroughly, and the subject were required to wear those existing girdles. On the basis of this result, the experimental girdles were designed and produced which could serve well the subject's intension. The experimental girdles were of the basic long-type in order to apply to all sorts of girdles, and they were produced according to the style and pattern of the existing grading system. The second experiment was conducted by applying the subject's body measurements. Due to the elasticity of the material, in girdles the smaller measurements were to be used in this second experiment were: 80% of waist size, 84% of the hip and 85% of the thigh. To determine the length of the girdles, the same measurements were applied. The test results of the feeling of wearing the experimental girdles showed that the second, custom-made experimental girdles were better. According to the test results of the clothing pressure, the second experimental girdles(custom-made girdles) marked the higher pressure than the first on every part of the body, especially on the hips and thighs. Thus, it can be said that the second experimental girdles are better than the first in lifting up the hips. It is expected that the design methods developed in this study can be utilized as basic resources for the factory automation system of manufacturing custom-made girdles.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.1-12
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• 2004

The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship between anthropometric data of foot and other body sizes. to categorize the foot shape of elementary school boys and to find out determinant factors related the foot that enable us to deduce the foot shape and size for the design of more comfortable shoes. Subjects of this study were 249 elementary school boys of age ranged from 6 to 11 residing Seoul and lncheon area. Anthropometric sizes were measured with the direct measurement method using Martin scales and the indirect measurement method using digital photos. Pearson's correlation, factor analysis. cluster analysis. analysis of variance, post-hoc test, and cross tabs were performed for statistical analysis of the data by SPSS program. From the investigation on the relationship between foot-related items and body items, most items of foot measure were significantly related to body size items. However, angle of the foot did not related to other body sizes although other height items and mass items of the foot did have relationships with other body sizes. Results of ANOVA indicated there were significant differences in foot-related items except for items of foot angle and all body anthropometric items by subjects' age. This implicates big toe angle, little toe angle and foot ratio factors are required in sizing shoes besides foot length. On the basis of cluster analysis using factor scores. three different foot shapes were categorized. Type 1 was large and wide foot, Type 2 was small and narrow foot with large toe angle. and Type 3 was medium foot with no deformity on big toe. These three groups show significant differences in almost all measurement items. However, Rorher index and foot angle didn't show any significant differences among groups. This implicates the foot shape can be a determinant of shoe size.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.85-101
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• 2015

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate smart secondary controls using iPad for the drivers with physical disabilities in the driving simulator. Background: The physically disabled drivers face problems in the operation of secondary control devices that accept a control input from a driver for the purpose of operating the subsystems of a motor vehicle. Many of conventional secondary controls consist of small knobs or switches that physically disabled drivers have difficulties in grasping, pulling or twisting. Therefore, their use while driving might increase distraction and workload because of longer operation time. Method: We examined the operation time of conventional and smart secondary controls, such as hazard warning, turn signal, window, windshield wiper, headlights, automatic transmission and horn. The hardware of smart secondary control system was composed of iPad, wireless router, digital input/output module and relay switch. We used the STISim Drive3 software for driving test, customized Labview and Xcode programs for interface control of smart secondary system. Nine subjects were involved in the study for measuring operation time of secondary controls. Results: When the driver was in the stationary condition, the average operation time of smart secondary devices decreased 32.5% in the normal subjects (p <0.01), 47.4% in the subjects with left hemiplegic disabilities (p <0.01) and 38.8% in the subjects with right hemiplegic disabilities (p <0.01) compared with conventional secondary devices. When the driver was driving for the test in the simulator, the average operation time of smart secondary devices decreased 36.1% in the normal subjects (p <0.01), 41.7% in the subjects with left hemiplegic disabilities (p <0.01) and 34.1% in the subjects with right hemiplegic disabilities (p <0.01) compared with conventional secondary devices. Conclusion: The smart secondary devices using iPad for people with hemiplegic disabilities showed significant reduction of operation time compared with conventional secondary controls. Application: This study can be used to design secondary controls for adaptive vehicles and to improve the quality of life of the people with disabilities.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.241-253
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• 2014

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine multi-modal interaction effects of input-mode switching on the use of smart phones. Background: Multi-modal is considered as an efficient alternative for input and output of information in mobile environments. However, there are various limitations in current mobile UI (User Interface) system that overlooks the transition between different modes or the usability of a combination of multi modal uses. Method: A pre-survey determined five representative tasks from smart phone tasks by their functions. The first experiment involved the use of a uni-mode for five single tasks; the second experiment involved the use of a multi-mode for three dual tasks. The dependent variables were user preference and task completion time. The independent variable in the first experiment was the type of modes (i.e., Touch, Pen, or Voice) while the variable in the second experiment was the type of tasks (i.e., internet searching, subway map, memo, gallery, and application store). Results: In the first experiment, there was no difference between the uses of pen and touch devices. However, a specific mode type was preferred depending on the functional characteristics of the tasks. In the second experiment, analysis of results showed that user preference depended on the order and combination of modes. Even with the transition of modes, users preferred the use of multi-modes including voice. Conclusion: The order of combination of modes may affect the usability of multi-modes. Therefore, when designing a multi-modal system, the fact that there are frequent transitions between various mobile contents in different modes should be properly considered. Application: It may be utilized as a user-centered design guideline for mobile multi modal UI system.