scholarly journals Mental Workload of Local vs Remote Operator in Human-Machine Interaction Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Zimmer ◽  
Ali Al-Yacoub ◽  
Pedro Ferreira ◽  
Ella-Mae Hubbard ◽  
Niels Lohse
Keyword(s):  
Mental Workload ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Human Machine Interaction ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Full Production ◽  
Interaction Task ◽  
Perceived Workload ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

Since late 2019, a novel Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally. As a result, businesses were forced to send their workforce into remote working, wherever possible. While research in this area has seen an increase in studying and developing technologies that allow and support such remote working style, not every sector is currently prepared for such a transition. Especially the manufacturing sector has faced challenges in this regard. In this paper, the mental workload of two groups of participants is studied during a human-robot interaction task. Participants were asked to bring a robotised cell used in a dispensing task to full production by tuning system parameters. After the experiment, a self-assessment of the participants’ perceived mental workload using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) was used. The results show that remote participants tend to have lower perceived workload compared to the local participants.

Perceived Mental Workload in an Endocopic Surgery Simulator

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1014-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina I. Klein ◽  
Michael A. Riley ◽  
Joel S. Warm ◽  
Gerald Matthews
Keyword(s):  
Endoscopic Surgery ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Target Tissue ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Normal Hand ◽  
Multiple Resource ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index ◽  
Surgery Simulator ◽  
Experimental Effort

Endoscopic surgery–a procedure wherein a target organ is displayed on a monitor and physicians use graspers to manipulate the tissue - has benefits for patients in terms of reduced blood loss, infection, and pain. However, physicians' informal reports indicate that this type of surgery is challenging to perform. These challenges arise from the need to view the target tissue on a monitor, resulting in reduced depth information as well as a disruption of the normal hand-eye mapping. This study represents the initial experimental effort to assess the workload demands experienced in an endoscopic surgery simulator using the NASA-Task Load Index (TLX), a well validated workload measure, and the Multiple Resource Questionnaire (MRQ), a newly developed workload scale. The TLX revealed that the workload experienced in the simulator was indeed high. Additionally, the MRQ revealed different workload profiles associated with different levels of handeye mapping disruption.

scholarly journals A-111 The Relationship between Bilingualism and Perceived Workload on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test in Traumatic Brain Injury Survivors

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 904-904
Author(s):  
Lopez-Hernandez D ◽  
Litvin P ◽  
Rugh-Fraser R ◽  
Cervantes R ◽  
Martinez F ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Perceived Workload ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objective We evaluated perceived workload (measured by the NASA Task Load Index; NASA-TLX) as related to Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) performances in monolingual and bilingual traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors and healthy comparison participants (HC). Method The sample consisted of 28 TBI survivors (12 monolinguals & 16 bilinguals) and 50 HC (20 monolinguals & 30 bilinguals). SDMT written (SDMT-W) and SDMT oral (SDMT-O) were used to evaluate group differences. Results ANCOVA, controlling for age, revealed that the HC group outperformed the TBI group on SDMT-W, p = .001, and SDMT-O, p = .047. Furthermore, bilinguals outperformed monolinguals on SDMT-W, p = .017. On the NASA-TLX, an interaction emerged on temporal demand rating, p = .023, with TBI bilinguals reporting higher temporal demand on SDMT tasks compared to TBI monolinguals, while the HC monolingual participants reported higher temporal demands ratings compared to HC bilingual participants. Furthermore, monolingual participants showed higher levels of frustration with regard to the SDMT task compared to bilingual participants, p = .029. Conclusion Our data revealed TBI survivors underperformed on both SDMT trials compared to the HC participants. Also, bilingual participants demonstrated better SDMT-W performances compared to monolingual participants. Furthermore, our TBI bilingual sample reported themselves to be more rushed to complete the SDMT compared to monolingual TBI sample, but they were less frustrated. Meanwhile, our HC monolingual sample felt more rushed to complete the SDMT tasks compared to HC bilingual participants, but they were less frustrated. While we observed differences in workload ratings between language groups, it is unclear if language use, and/or other variables are driving these results.

Subjective Measurement Assessment in a Full Mission Scout-Attack Helicopter Simulation

1998 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan T. Heers ◽  
Patricia A. Casper
Keyword(s):  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Additional Equipment ◽  
The Us ◽  
Perceived Workload ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

A full mission helicopter simulation was conducted in support of the US Army's Rotorcraft Pilot's Associate Advanced Technology Demonstration. Four crews flew four doctrinally correct scenarios under two mission equipment package conditions. The Advanced Mission Equipment Package (AMEP) contained additional equipment and longer sensor ranges than the Baseline Mission Equipment Package (BMEP). Following each run, pilots filled out the NASA Task Load Index (TLX) workload scales and a perceived situation awareness (SA) scale. TLX ratings were lower for the AMEP, while SA ratings were higher for the AMEP. A similar inverse relationship was found in the scenario effects. A stepwise multiple regression found a significant relationship between SA ratings and three of the component TLX subscale ratings. Both perceived workload and situation awareness ratings indicate a benefit from the advanced technologies available on the AMEP. These measures were also sensitive to the varying demands of the scenarios and pilot responsibilities.

scholarly journals Fuzzy-TLX: using fuzzy integrals for evaluating human mental workload with NASA-Task Load indeX in laboratory and field studies

Ergonomics ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 752-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Mouzé-Amady ◽  
Eric Raufaste ◽  
Henri Prade ◽  
Jean-Pierre Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Mental Workload ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

Perceived Workload between the Keybowl and the Qwerty Keyboard

1995 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter McAlindon ◽  
Gene C. Lee
Keyword(s):  
New Method ◽  
Input Device ◽  
Finger Movement ◽  
Wrist Motion ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Perceived Workload ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

The Keybowl alphanumeric input device was designed and developed to totally eliminate finger movement and drastically reduce wrist motion. Typing without finger movement requires a typist to adapt to a new method of key activation. This new method requires new mental, physical, and temporal demands, associated with new levels of performance, effort, and frustration. Together these requirements are measured to produce an overall measure of workload. Keybowl workload requirements are somewhat different than QWERTY keyboard workload requirements. With the significant reduction of finger and wrist motion comes concern over how much workload is expected in re-learning to type with the Keybowl. Typing workload was analyzed via the NASA Task Load Index. Typing workload analyses were performed to determine how the two groups of subjects (Keybowl and QWERTY) compared in terms of overall workload.

scholarly journals Ageing drivers’ mental workload in real-time driving tasks based on subjective and objective measures

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3B) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurul Izzah Abd Rahman ◽  
◽  
Siti Zawiah Md Dawal ◽  
Nukman Yusoff ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Workload ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Complex Situation ◽  
The Road ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index ◽  
And Control

The ageing drivers’ population is increasing rapidly, and they are exposed to disabilities due to degenerative processes, thus affecting their driving performance. The main objective of this study is to determine the mental workload of ageing drivers, while the second objective is to compare the mental workload between ageing drivers and control group. The methodology consisted of on-the-road experimental driving tasks that comprised three levels of situation complexity. The NASA-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) and electroencephalogram (EEG) were measured on 30 drivers. The NASA-TLX scores revealed that the ageing drivers’ mean physical demand score was the highest compared to others in moderately complex situation and very complex situation, scoring 37.25 and 43.50, respectively. Meanwhile, for electroencephalogram signals’ fluctuation, results showed that situation complexity had significant effects on RPθ and RPα of channel locations FZPZ and O1O2. There was a significant difference in the weighted workload scores for the ageing drivers and control group in simple situation, while there was no significant difference found in RPθ and RPα bands at all channel locations. The findings would be beneficial as a guideline for designers, manufacturers, developers, and policy makers in designing better driving environment for ageing drivers.

Context Effects in Subjective Mental Workload Ratings

1998 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 591-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herbert A. Colle ◽  
Gary B. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Task Difficulty ◽  
Context Effect ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Performance Context ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index ◽  
The Impact ◽  
High Range

The impact of performance context on subjective mental workload ratings was assessed with the Subjective Workload Assessment Technique (SWAT) and the NASA Task Load Index (TLX). In Experiment 1, a strong context effect was demonstrated. A low range of task difficulty produced considerably higher ratings on a common set of difficulty levels than did a high range of task difficulty. In Experiment 2, increasing the participants′ range of experiences during practice eliminated the context effect. We recommend that methods for standardizing context, such as providing experience with the complete difficulty range, be developed for subjective mental workload evaluations. Actual or potential applications of this research include providing methodologies for controlling context effects in practical assessments of mental workload to increase the validity of subjective measures.

scholarly journals WAUC: A Multi-Modal Database for Mental Workload Assessment Under Physical Activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabela Albuquerque ◽  
Abhishek Tiwari ◽  
Mark Parent ◽  
Raymundo Cassani ◽  
Jean-François Gagnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Real World ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Skin Response ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index ◽  
Blood Volume Pulse

Assessment of mental workload is crucial for applications that require sustained attention and where conditions such as mental fatigue and drowsiness must be avoided. Previous work that attempted to devise objective methods to model mental workload were mainly based on neurological or physiological data collected when the participants performed tasks that did not involve physical activity. While such models may be useful for scenarios that involve static operators, they may not apply in real-world situations where operators are performing tasks under varying levels of physical activity, such as those faced by first responders, firefighters, and police officers. Here, we describe WAUC, a multimodal database of mental Workload Assessment Under physical aCtivity. The study involved 48 participants who performed the NASA Revised Multi-Attribute Task Battery II under three different activity level conditions. Physical activity was manipulated by changing the speed of a stationary bike or a treadmill. During data collection, six neural and physiological modalities were recorded, namely: electroencephalography, electrocardiography, breathing rate, skin temperature, galvanic skin response, and blood volume pulse, in addition to 3-axis accelerometry. Moreover, participants were asked to answer the NASA Task Load Index questionnaire after each experimental section, as well as rate their physical fatigue level on the Borg fatigue scale. In order to bring our experimental setup closer to real-world situations, all signals were monitored using wearable, off-the-shelf devices. In this paper, we describe the adopted experimental protocol, as well as validate the subjective, neural, and physiological data collected. The WAUC database, including the raw data and features, subjective ratings, and scripts to reproduce the experiments reported herein will be made available at: http://musaelab.ca/resources/.

scholarly journals Breakfast high in whey protein or carbohydrates improves coping with workload in healthy subjects

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (9) ◽  
pp. 1712-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Sihvola ◽  
Riitta Korpela ◽  
Andreas Henelius ◽  
Anu Holm ◽  
Minna Huotilainen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Whey Protein ◽  
Healthy Subjects ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Controlled Study ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Plasma Tryptophan ◽  
Nasa Tlx ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

Dietary components may affect brain function and influence behaviour by inducing the synthesis of neurotransmitters. The aim of the present study was to examine the influence of consumption of a whey protein-containing breakfast drink v. a carbohydrate drink v. control on subjective and physiological responses to mental workload in simulated work. In a randomised cross-over design, ten healthy subjects (seven women, median age 26 years, median BMI 23 kg/m2) participated in a single-blinded, placebo-controlled study. The subjects performed demanding work-like tasks after having a breakfast drink high in protein (HP) or high in carbohydrate (HC) or a control drink on separate sessions. Subjective states were assessed using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), the Karolinska sleepiness scale (KSS) and the modified Profile of Mood States. Heart rate was recorded during task performance. The ratio of plasma tryptophan (Trp) to the sum of the other large neutral amino acids (LNAA) and salivary cortisol were also analysed. The plasma Trp:LNAA ratio was 30 % higher after the test drinks HP (median 0·13 (μmol/l)/(μmol/l)) and HC (median 0·13 (μmol/l)/(μmol/l)) than after the control drink (median 0·10 (μmol/l)/(μmol/l)). The increase in heart rate was smaller after the HP (median 2·7 beats/min) and HC (median 1·9 beats/min) drinks when compared with the control drink (median 7·2 beats/min) during task performance. Subjective sleepiness was reduced more after the HC drink (median KSS − 1·5) than after the control drink (median KSS − 0·5). There were no significant differences between the breakfast types in the NASA-TLX index, cortisol levels or task performance. We conclude that a breakfast drink high in whey protein or carbohydrates may improve coping with mental tasks in healthy subjects.

Measuring Driver’s Perceived Workload Using Fractal Dimension of Pupil Dilation

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1620-1624
Author(s):  
Jung Hyup Kim ◽  
Xiaonan Yang
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Driving Simulator ◽  
Significant Negative Correlation ◽  
Pupillary Response ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Simulation Environment ◽  
Task Load ◽  
Perceived Workload ◽  
Nasa Task Load Index

Many physiological measures have been proposed for quantifying the workload in a driving environment. Among them, pupillary response has been identified as an effective workload indicator that can be measured less intrusively and without disrupting the worker’s ongoing activities. The purpose of this study is to investigate the fractal dimension of pupil dilation (FDPD) to measure perceived workload in a driving simulation environment. For the experiment, two different driving scenarios were developed and tested by using the OpenDS driving simulator. The results demonstrate that one of the scenarios shows a significant negative correlation between FDPD and the perceived workload outcome from NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) questionnaires.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document