Reality-based interaction affecting mental workload in virtual reality mental arithmetic training

ABSTRACT

The concept of digital game-based learning (DGBL) evolves rapidly together with technological enhancements of virtual reality (VR) and smart phones. However, the mental workload (MWL) that VR-training applications demand and motivational qualities originating from user experience (UX) should be identified in order to create effective and enjoyable training/learning challenges that fit with individual users’ capabilities. This study examined the effects of reality-based interaction (RBI) and VR on measures of student motivation and MWL, in a mental arithmetic game for secondary school pupils. In a randomised controlled trial with sixty school children, a mental arithmetic game was tested with three different interaction and two different presentation methods – VR RBI, VR head-mounted-display tapping and tablet flick-gesture. Results found a significant effect of RBI on MWL but no differences in enjoyment of training were found between VR-experience and tablet training-experience. In fact, adding the gaming-context to the mental arithmetic task created an enjoyable, motivating experience regardless of presentation or interaction-style.     

Micro- and macroergonomic changes in mental workload and medication safety following the implementation of new health IT

Health information technology (IT) is a promising way to achieve safer medication management in the delivery of healthcare. However, human factors/ergonomics dictates that in order to make the complex, cognitive work of healthcare delivery safer, health IT must properly support human cognition. This means, for example, that new health IT must reduce, not increase, workload during safety-critical tasks. The present study was the first to quantitatively assess the short- and long-term impact of bar coded medication administration (BCMA) IT on nurses' mental workload as well as on perceived medication safety. One-hundred seventy registered nurses across 3 dissimilar clinical units at an academic, freestanding pediatric hospital in the Midwest US participated in surveys administered before, 3 months after, and 12 months after the hospital implemented BCMA. Nurses rated their external mental workload (interruptions, divided attention, being rushed) and internal mental workload (concentration, mental effort) during medication administration tasks as well as the likelihood of each of three medication safety events: medication administration errors, medication errors on the clinical unit, and clinical unit-level adverse drug events. Clinical unit differences were assessed. Findings generally confirmed the hypothesis that external but not internal mental workload was associated with the perceived likelihood of a medication safety event. Comparisons of mental workload from pre- to post-BCMA revealed statistically significant changes in the critical care unit only. Medication safety appeared to improve over the long term in the hematology/oncology unit only. In the critical care and medical/surgical units, medication safety exhibited short-term improvements that were eliminated over time. Changes in mental workload and medication safety, two classically microergonomic constructs, were deeply embedded in macroergonomic phenomena. These included the fit between the BCMA system and the nature of nursing work, the process of BCMA implementation, and BCMA interactions with concurrent changes occurring in the hospital. Findings raise questions about achieving sustainable performance improvement with health IT as well as the balance between micro- and macroergonomic approaches to studying technology change.Relevance to industryDesigners must consider how technology changes cognitive work, including mental workload. Hospitals and other implementers of technology must ensure that new technology fits its users, their tasks, and the context of use, which may entail tailoring implementation, for example, to specific clinical units. Evaluators must look over time to assess both changes in cognitive work and implementation issues. Healthcare practitioners must also recognize that new technology means a complex transformation to an already complex sociotechnical system, which calls for a macroergonomic approach to design and analysis.     

Workload Distribution in Fault Simulation

Simulation at the gate level is computationally very expensive.Parallel processing is one technique to reduce simulation time.Possessing knowledge of the distribution of computational activity insimulation can aid in parallelizing it efficiently. We present a newcharacterization of the distribution of the computational workload infault simulation. An empirical analysis shows that the workloaddistribution is circuit specific, and is largely independent of thevector set being simulated. An inexpensive method to predict theworkload distribution is also discussed.     

基于负载预测的微服务混合自动扩展

由于边缘云没有比中心云更强大的计算处理能力,在应对动态负载时很容易导致无意义的扩展抖动或资源处理能力不足的问题,所以在一个真实的边缘云环境中对微服务应用程序使用两个合成和两个实际工作负载进行实验评估,并提出了一种基于负载预测的混合自动扩展方法（predictively horizontal and vertical pod autoscaling,Pre-HVPA）。该方法首先采用机器学习对负载数据特征进行预测,并获得最终负载预测结果。然后利用预测负载进行水平和垂直的混合自动扩展。仿真结果表明,基于该方法所进行自动扩展可以减少扩展抖动和容器使用数量,所以适用于边缘云环境中的微服务应用。     

The ability of eye-tracking metrics to classify and predict the perceived driving workload

Traffic safety is directly related to the mental and physical condition of the driver. Performing regular secondary tasks while driving is an additional activity that dissipates attention and adds to the drivers' workload. Identifying driver fatigue and workload based on gaze behavior is one way to ensure a safe driving experience. The purpose of this paper is to classify and predict driving perceived workload using a set of eye-tracking metrics (gaze fixation, duration, pointing, and pupil diameter). The ability of eye-tracking metrics to predict driving workload has been investigated. As a result, frustration, performance, and temporal load showed a correlation with gaze metrics. Gaze point, duration, fixation, and pupil diameter significantly influence driving workload.Relevance to industry: Results will supply the specialists in eye-tracking/sensor technologies and traffic safety with new knowledge to improve the design of the driving performance and safety monitoring systems and efficiency of the driving process.     

Advanced concepts flight simulation facility

The cockpit environment is changing rapidly. New technology allows airborne computerised information, flight automation and data transfer with the ground. By 1995, not only will the pilot's task have changed, but also the tools for doing that task. To provide knowledge and direction for these changes, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Lockheed-Georgia Company have completed three identical Advanced Concepts Flight Simulation Facilities.

Many advanced features have been incorporated into the simulators — e g, cathode ray tube (CRT) displays of flight and systems information operated via touch-screen or voice, print-outs of clearances, cockpit traffic displays, current databases containing navigational charts, weather and flight plan information, and fuel-efficient autopilot control from take-off to touchdown. More importantly, this cockpit is a versatile test bed for studying displays, controls, procedures and crew management in a full-mission context. The facility also has an air traffic control simulation, with radio and data communications, and an outside visual scene with variable weather conditions. These provide a veridical flight environment to evaluate accurately advanced concepts in flight stations.     

Validation of a task demand measure for predicting mental workloads of physical therapists

The purpose of this study is to validate an analytical method in assessing demanded mental workloads for physical therapists, and to discuss its possible ergonomics implications on the design of healthcare working systems in which physical therapists are considered as the users. A task analysis was first used to understand the operation steps of three identified physical therapies. Then, the McCracken–Aldrich technique was applied to assign ratings of mental workload demanded for performing each step of the therapies. Finally, the assigned ratings were validated by the analysis of correlation with the answers of the NASA-TLX questionnaire collected from seventeen physical therapists in the rehabilitation center of a university-affiliated hospital. Results showed that the proposed McCracken–Aldrich technique was suitable as an analysis tool for predicting metal workloads of physical therapists. Some possible implications about the information provision and user interface design for reducing therapists' mental workloads on current therapy operations were discussed.Relevance to industryResults of this paper are expected to contribute the research and development in healthcare industry on its system design and workflow analysis.     

数据操作系统中的双层优化调度模型

调度问题是数据操作系统研究中的关键性问题,它建立了计算资源、计算任务以及数据间的链接关系。在海云协同网络环境下的调度问题中,常见的调度考量包括公平性、数据本地性等。由于数据操作系统使用环境的演化,工作负载中任务的交互特性给调度问题提出了新的挑战。本文在保留传统调度考量的基础上,兼顾交互、批处理两种作业模式的异同,提出一种优化的双层调度模型,并使用符合实际产业环境分布的工作负载在现实集群上对该调度模型进行了验证。实验结果说明,该模型以微量降低系统吞吐量的代价整体优化了交互作业的响应时间,同时兼顾了用户级公平性。     

MABP: an optimal resource allocation approach in data center networks

In data center networks, resource allocation based on workload is an effective way to allocate the infrastructure resources to diverse cloud applications and satisfy the quality of service for the users, which refers to mapping a large number of workloads provided by cloud users/tenants to substrate network provided by cloud providers. Although the existing heuristic approaches are able to find a feasible solution, the quality of the solution is not guaranteed. Concerning this issue, based on the minimum mapping cost, this paper solves the resource allocation problem by modeling it as a distributed constraint optimization problem. Then an efficient approach is proposed to solve the resource allocation problem, aiming to find a feasible solution and ensuring the optimality of the solution. Finally, theoretical analysis and extensive experiments have demonstrated the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed approach.     

基于移动地理信息系统的油气管道工程量统计系统的设计

为了快速准确获取油气管道线路铺设的工程量,将移动地理信息系统( GIS)技术应用到管道线路方面,利用其空间数据获取功能和其可嵌入性的优点,设计基于移动GIS的油气管道线路工程量的获取统计系统。该系统利用GPS定位技术智能化地获取显示预设管道线路路况和周边地理信息,并利用获取的空间数据通过图形近似化算法快速地计算出管道线路铺设工程量,通过Dijkstra算法选出最优路径,为油气管道的选线提供有力依据,并且可以为管道选线人员和野外数据采集人员提供远程交流服务。该系统的应用将大大减少油气管道选线的时间和工作量。