Mattia Pistolesi

Europe is facing unparalleled demographic chang- es due to the progressive aging of the population and low birth rates. People who are getting older are more subject to illness and disability, in fact around 51% of the elderly in Tuscany declare to suffer from a chronic or long-term illness. How- ever, despite health problems, most of them hope to be able to live in their own home for as long as possible. Although this desire could improve the perception of quality of life, it is strongly related with the risk of domestic accidents, such as falls, social isolation, depression and loneliness. In this paper the research program CloudIA is presented. Its main challenge and purpose concern the development and testing of wearable devices and a robot connected in cloud, for the support of frail and non-self-sufficient people in Nursing Homes for the elderly (RSA)1 and at home. This paper describes the methodology applied for the CloudIA research program.

Accident investigations suggest that the most of errors are due to deficiencies in user interface (UI) design. Use error occurs when a user does not interact with the system in the manner intended by the designer. Given the importance of the current challenges launched by the healthcare sector, Design for Healthcare and specifically Design for medical technologies, assistive technology and medical devices, together with Ergonomics and Human-Centred design approach have the chance to face the status quo of health and care. he ergonomic approach to the project, and particularly, the usability evaluation and design methods of Human-Centred Design are appropriate for a field where “the phase of the product use” represents the main risk factor for users. Special attention should be paid to an easier understanding of conditions of use and to reduce the risk factors in accordance with the potential difficulties and limitations of final users. As a matter of fact, the project of a medical device implies the knowledge of the human factors, which focus on the interaction between the human and the system, as an instrument to minimize risks of use and ensure a safer and usable medical device.

Nowadays, the spread of digital technologies is one of the most significant phenomena that is changing our daily activities, social and working habits and, consequently, the domestic environ- ment. Worldwide, the digital revolution is gener- ating considerable transformations, improving the quality of life of human beings. Domestic environments are pursuing digitalisa- tion, and the "product" is no longer just a physical object, but it is becoming a digital, dynamic and flexible container. Technology has to find a place in domestic environments and these, in turn, have to adapt themselves to new technologies. In this scenario, Design, in particular the Interac- tion Design and Design Ergonomics methods, are strategic factors and added values for the innova- tion. They have the opportunity to challenge the status quo of the domestic environment and can offer their contribution through the creation of products-services and systems focused on people’s needs and expectations. This paper presents the results of the design experimentation conducted, together with some international students with- in the Arts Abroad Project (AAP) program, on the theme of Interaction Design: High-tech products and interfaces in the domestic environments.

The main design problems related to the layout, sizing and organisation of the environment, the sizing of products and equipment and the organisation of the required activities, require the joint consideration of aspects relating to physical tasks and cognitive tasks, as well as the emotional aspects related to the subjective situation of each one. A similar approach applies to the assessment of potential risks, which may derive from the partial or total incompatibility of the physical, sensory or cognitive characteristics and capabilities of the person, and the levels of performance required (and/or the constraints imposed) by the physical, social and organisational context in which they operate. 

Operationally, this involves identification of: 

- the people to whom the design is addressed (who use the product1 to be evaluated); 

• the main activities for which the product/system to be evaluated and/or designed are, or may be, used; 

- the physical and mental tasks required; 

• the anthropometric reference parameters (for example the height, the height of the eyes, the size of the hand, etc.) and the data relating to the group of users to whom they are addressed; 

- the physical and mental abilities (of movement and physical and cognitive effort) of the group of users under consideration, and the relative acceptance thresholds; 

- users’ limits. You must also define:

- the limits of the design solution; 

- the acceptability thresholds and the related dimensional and functional constraints; 

- the dimensional requirements for the accessibility and dimensional usability of the environments, the products and their components, and in particular the spaces for movement and accessible areas; 

- the requirements relating to the characteristics, duration and/or intensity of the postures, movements and efforts required by each expected physical and mental task. 

The steps necessary for the correct definition of the dimensional constraints, and the limits of intervention of the project, can be further broken down and follow a succession different from the one just listed.

Anthropometry is the most applicable, economical and non-invasive way to determine the size, proportions and composition of the human body. Moreover, since the body size at each age reflects the general state of health and well-being of individuals and populations, anthropometry can be used to estimate functionality, health status and survival

Increasing physical activity and physical education are very important issues to overcome ageing population, but require the development of a conscious attitude of citizens towards their own health. Ergonomics for Design and methods of the Human-centred design and User Experience may allow outlining possible solutions for increasing human expectations towards active life, wellness and prevention. This paper presents the results of the Wellness Outdoor workshop, promoted by the Laboratory of Ergonomics and Design (LED) of the University of Florence in collaboration with Technogym, a leading-edge company that develops fitness equipment for any physical activity. Main aims of the workshop were to define and design novel scenarios and systems concepts for outdoor fitness. To this aim, we followed a first research step based on focus groups, personas methods, user observations and Task Analysis, which led to the definition of user needs and context-of-use. Then, brainstorming activities driven by scenarios-based design and parallel design sessions proved to be effective for outlining inputs and ideas generation. Finally, in the present work four system concepts, named S.O.Fiber, Hexagon Space, Outdoor Training and Develop, are presented.

Raising the retirement age characterizes the Italian pension policies as long as many other Western countries. The problems associated with the rise of the working-age population occur at the level of the production sector and at the level of the over 50 age workers safety and health risks, who work in the handling and control of industrial machineries. (ILO, 2015) The sector of mechanical engineering is part of the metal industry, and it deals with machineries and facilities production. Today many people work into the metal industry, especially the over 50 workers. By identifying the over 50 workers as a specific category of users, the design needs require the adaptation of the workstation to prevent any risks related to safety and to incapacity to work. The purpose of this ergonomics evaluation is the raising of safety and usability standard conditions. This is the case of OCEM 2 company. It is made up of workers aged between 22 and 54. The project in question aims to an ergonomic evaluation of 6 workstations in the carpentry and assembly departments. The purpose of research project is to improve current workstations through an euristic evaluation of users risks conditions, using the methodological approach of ergonomics for design and its theoretical and operational tools, as Task Analysis, Users observation, Thinking Aloud, questionnaires and interviews. The aim of the results is to provide the basis for developing the design phase and to improve users risk conditions, usability and users comfort.

The main design issues relating to layout, sizing and organisation of the environment, sizing of products and equipment, and organisation of the required activities require joint consideration of aspects relating to physical and cognitive tasks, in addition to emotional aspects relating to each individual's subjective situation. A similar approach applies to the assessment of possible risks that may arise from the partial or total incompatibility between people's physical, sensory or cognitive characteristics and abilities and the levels of performance required (and/or constraints imposed) by the physical, social and organisational context in which they operate.

From an operational point of view, it is necessary to identify: 

- the people targeted by the project (who use the product1 to be evaluated); 

- the main activities for which the product/system to be evaluated and/or designed are or may be used; 

- the physical and mental tasks required; 

- the anthropometric reference parameters (e.g. height, eye height, hand size, etc.) and data relating to the target user group; 

- the physical and mental abilities (movement, physical and cognitive effort) of the target user group and the related acceptability thresholds; 

- the limit users.

The following must also be defined: 

- the limits of the design solution; 

- the acceptability thresholds and related dimensional and functional constraints; 

- the dimensional requirements relating to the accessibility and dimensional usability of environments, products and their components, and in particular to movement spaces and reachability zones; 

- the requirements relating to the characteristics, duration and/or intensity of the postures, movements and efforts required by each physical and mental task envisaged. 

The steps necessary for the correct definition of dimensional constraints and project intervention limits can be further broken down and follow a different sequence from the one just listed.

The specificity and innovative value of the ergonomic approach to design lie in its ability to assess the multitude of variables that define the interaction between people and what they come into contact with (i.e. the characteristics and abilities of users; the characteristics of the product and the activities for which it is, or may be, used; the characteristics of the physical, social and organisational context), their mutual relationships and their possible modification over time, identifying and interpreting, from time to time, the needs and expectations that people express or may express with regard to this interaction. The design intervention is thus based on the ability to understand, interpret – and imagine the different realities and possibilities with which people can, or could, interact with the system, identifying the multiplicity of variables at play and the complexity with which their mutual relationships are determined, defining the system of requirements for the product and the parameters and criteria necessary to evaluate and design the quality of the product. Ergonomic intervention methods make it possible to define and manage these relationships, organise the data collected during the design process, and define the intervention requirements in an integrated manner. In particular, methods for assessing usability and safety of use, as well as methods for assessing user experience, are based on the collection of information relating to the ways in which people interact with the products and systems they come into contact with within a given context of use. They also make it possible to identify and analyse the behaviour of people (or users), their needs (requirements, expectations and desires) and, finally, the type and frequency of errors they may make when performing the required tasks.

Some people may find it difficult to manage products or interact with systems. This is mostly due to product designed and not to final user. In healthcare the medical devices (DMs) that highlight design flaws can cause operating errors and generate adverse events. Despite manufactures of medical devices claim that Human Factors have a high priority in their projects, few of these are flawless products from the perspective of design and human-machine interface. Ergonomics and design methodologies were used in the context of a negotiated procedure for the supply of anesthesia systems for surgeries. Hierarchical task analysis, User Observation, Questionnaire, and Gap Analysis were used for the ergonomics evaluation and to evaluate the usability of an anesthesia system for two Tuscany hospitals. The evaluations were conducted with medical personnel (doctors and nurses). The obtained results allowed the effectiveness usability levels of product and its components and digital interfaces. The methodology showed in this article provides a useful tool to study ergonomics, usability and errors during the use of anesthesia workstation.