CHILD SAFETY IN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: "LIVING ROOM" LAYOUT

Autonomous vehicles start to be introduced on our roads and will soon become a reality. Although fatal traffic accidents will be significantly reduced, remaining fatal passenger car crashes should be taken into account to ensure the safety of users. The new highly adaptable interior designs, with totally different layouts from the current ones, may significantly impact occupant safety, especially child passenger safety. Analyzing how these new vehicles affect child safety is a challenge that needs to be addressed. The "living room" layout (face-to-face seating position) is one of the preferences of families traveling with children. Young children need further support and supervision so the possibility of rotating seats to be able to be in front of the small children is a valuable feature for parents. Therefore, new seating orientations away from the forward facing position should be taken into account to ensure children protection. The objective of this study is to evaluate child occupant safety in a "living room" seating position (a possible option in full autonomous vehicles) versus the current forward facing position. Virtual testing methodology was used to perform this study. The virtual PIPER child human body model (HBM) was used. This model is one of the only HBMs developed and validated from child PMHS data (Paediatric Post-Mortem Human Surrogate). The two configurations were defined according with the EuroNCAP child occupant protection test protocol. It was found that the "living room" layout presents worse results according to the child's head injury patterns than in forward facing position. In conclusion, attending to the new seating orientations away from the forward facing position, it is necessary to adapt the restraint systems; otherwise children could suffer potentially dangerous situations.

Analysis of Trends and Correlation in Child Restraint Use and Seating Position of Child Passengers in Motor Vehicles: Application of a Bivariate Probit Model

Motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death and injury for children under 8 years. While different states are showing increases in the proportion of child restraint device use, only around half of the children aged between 4 to 7 years are being properly restrained. This study was undertaken to identify the factors contributing to the proper child restraint use and child passenger’s seating position through the direct observation surveys of more than 10,000 child passengers in 2015 and 2018 in Michigan. A bivariate probit model was developed to simultaneously identify the contributing factors for the proper restraint use and seating position of child passengers. The bivariate framework is able to account for correlation of the two dependent variables in the study. The results show that the two dependent variables are positively correlated, and this correlation is strongly significant. Also, the key factors simultaneously influencing proper child restraint use and appropriate seating position of the child passenger include the age of the child, number of the child passengers in the vehicle, driver belt use, driver gender, age, and race, vehicle type, stratum, weather, and the time of the day and week. However, factors such as county-specific population, income, and education, and the type of location did not have a significant association with either child restraint use or the seating position of the child passenger.

Early Motor Skills in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders Are Marked by Less Frequent Hand and Knees Crawling

Our aim in this study was to affirm or negate (quantitatively) our subjective impression of altered hands and knees crawling (H&K crawling) among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Through parental questionnaires and children’s health records, we retrospectively compared early motor skills, including the frequency of H&K crawling in 79 children with Autistic Disorder or Asperger Syndrome versus 100 children with typical development (TD). We found H&K crawling to be significantly less frequent among children with ASD (44.2%) versus children with TD (69%). Children with ASD also showed a decreased frequency of acquiring a seating position without help and a later mean walking age compared to the TD children. These data suggest that early motor development delays may be a useful sign for detecting ASD at early ages.

A Novel Framework for Quantifying Accuracy and Precision of Event Detection Algorithms in FES-Cycling

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is a technique used in rehabilitation, allowing the recreation or facilitation of a movement or function, by electrically inducing the activation of targeted muscles. FES during cycling often uses activation patterns which are based on the crank angle of the pedals. Dynamic changes in their underlying predefined geometrical models (e.g., change in seating position) can lead to desynchronised contractions. Adaptive algorithms with a real-time interpretation of anatomical segments can avoid this and open new possibilities for the automatic design of stimulation patterns. However, their ability to accurately and precisely detect stimulation triggering events has to be evaluated in order to ensure their adaptability to real-case applications in various conditions. In this study, three algorithms (Hilbert, BSgonio, and Gait Cycle Index (GCI) Observer) were evaluated on passive cycling inertial data of six participants with spinal cord injury (SCI). For standardised comparison, a linear phase reference baseline was used to define target events (i.e., 10%, 40%, 60%, and 90% of the cycle’s progress). Limits of agreement (LoA) of ±10% of the cycle’s duration and Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) were used to evaluate the accuracy and precision of the algorithm’s event detections. The delays in the detection were determined for each algorithm over 780 events. Analysis showed that the Hilbert and BSgonio algorithms validated the selected criteria (LoA: +5.17/−6.34% and +2.25/−2.51%, respectively), while the GCI Observer did not (LoA: +8.59/−27.89%). When evaluating control algorithms, it is paramount to define appropriate criteria in the context of the targeted practical application. To this end, normalising delays in event detection to the cycle’s duration enables the use of a criterion that stays invariable to changes in cadence. Lin’s CCC, comparing both linear correlation and strength of agreement between methods, also provides a reliable way of confirming comparisons between new control methods and an existing reference.

Student Seating Position and Their Academic Performance in Computer Science Major

A number of studies regarding the correlation between student seating position and their academic performance have been conducted. However, only a few of them focusing on computer science major, which is argued to be unique in terms of teaching style and classroom layout; as the discipline puts more emphasise on hands on activity like programming, system and network configuration. Further, among those works focusing on that major, none of them specifically address undergraduate students. This paper presents an observational study involving 426 computer science undergraduate students. The study covers student activity over one academic semester. A questionnaire survey measuring student awareness about that correlation in their seating preference was also performed, with 126 students as the respondents. In general, the correlation only exists on some circumstances like student major and lecture time. Further, the seating preference can be driven by the awareness of that correlation with some motivating factors like friends, whiteboard position, and personal habit. Per occasion, it is suggested to analyse the class circumstances and the student motivating factors prior performing further actions. Index Terms— seating position; academic performance; observational study; survey instrument; computing education

Teenage and Adult Drivers’ Views of a One-Day Car Control Class on a Closed-Road Course

Traffic-related crashes impact drivers of all ages. Post-license driving classes have emerged to equip drivers with higher level skills needed to prevent and avoid emergency situations. A performance driving center offers teenage and adult car control classes designed to address defensive driving skills through both classroom instruction and hands-on practice on a closed-road track. To obtain the views from teenagers and adults, both groups completed a survey immediately after their classes, and the adults completed a phone interview six months later. Results from the teenage and adult survey showed that both groups reported the most important topics learned during the car control class were skid recovery, using the antilock braking system (ABS) and looking where the car should go. Both teenagers and adults reported that they plan to significantly change their driving behaviors, especially those concerning seating, hand and mirror positions. Overall, after the class, the teenagers and adults felt “moderately competent” in their ability to perform the exercises practiced during the class, which increased from the rating of “not competent” prior to the class. The results from the phone interview with the adults suggest that ABS braking was the most important topic six months later. ABS braking was also the single-most reported skill used after the class and the self-identified skill most used to avoid a crash. The phone interview showed that the adults accurately predicted their use of the behaviors (seating position, vision, distractions, etc.) and turned those behaviors taught during the class into habits of their daily driving. Overall, the results from the teenage and adult survey, as well as the phone interview with the adults, suggest that the participants benefitted from the knowledge and skills gained from the one-day car control class.

Extremely Low-Frequency Magnetic Fields Exposure Measurement during Lessons in Elementary Schools

Schools are an important place for children’s exposure to electromagnetic fields, which may cause adverse health effects. To better understand environmental extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs) exposure among elementary school students, we measured numeric values of ELF-MFs in five classrooms at four schools during digital learning class hours. The measurement of ELF-MFs was taken with an EMDEX II field analyzer. Specifically, we examined the level of exposure to ELF-MFs for each student’s seating position in the classroom. The results showed that ELF-MFs exposure levels were lower than those in the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection guidelines; however, there were significant differences in the level of magnetic field exposure at each school and at each student’s seat. The exposure to ELF-MFs at students’ seat positions was mostly caused by electrical appliances, electronic wiring, and distribution boxes, but the exposure level decreased as the distance increased. Therefore, it is important to design safe and appropriate environments for digital learning in schools, such as proper seating arrangements, to avoid ELF-MFs exposure to students as much as possible. Future studies should measure ELF-MFs levels in other areas and investigate the effects of exposure to ELF-MFs during school hours on children’s health.