It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Saturday, June 01, 2024
Improving the safety and reliability of self-driving cars
SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY
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SMU ASSISTANT PROFESSOR XIE XIAOFEI AIMS TO HELP DEVELOP SINGAPORE’S SMART CITY CAPABILITIES.
SMU Office of Research – Autonomous driving systems (ADSs) are complex as they consist of modules such as perception, localisation, prediction, motion planning and control. Each module performs specific tasks which can enable self-driving cars to operate safely and efficiently.
In their grant application proposal, Professor Xie and his collaborator, Dr Liu Yang of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), state that the perception module serves as a ‘vital link between the vehicle and its environment.’
The research project, funded by a Ministry of Education Academic Research Funding (AcRF) Tier 2 grant, is due to start in August 2024 and is expected to last three years. It aims to assess the reliability and robustness of the perception module, which relies on various sensors including cameras, radar, and light detection (LiDAR) sensors to interpret road and traffic conditions.
The objective of the project, the grant proposal states, will be to develop new technologies that ‘assess the quality and reliability of the perception module in an ADS with respect to vehicle motion and understand the impact of perception errors on other modules of ADSs such as decision-making.’
“Like human beings, self-driving vehicles need to understand the road conditions, the traffic, whether there are other vehicles or obstacles,” Professor Xie told the Office of Research. “So this is the first stage and now the driving system has some basic understanding of the environment. Then you have the planning module. Based on the traffic situation, I need to plan a route to get to my destination. And finally comes the control module, turning left or right based on the perception and plan.”
Understanding ADS
However, software and module issues can have an impact on the robustness of the overall system. Professor Xie points out that, while most studies have focused on the robustness of the perception module, these often overlook the broader impact of perception errors on the entire ADS.
“So, in this project we will test the perception module but at the same time we will also consider the other modules like planning and control.
“You can make some errors with the perception module but in planning we can mitigate them. However, there are some perception errors that have a significant influence on planning and on the whole system, so we need to understand the relationships and influence of the different modules. That’s our focus.”
According to the grant proposal, the researchers aim to develop advanced error prediction methods to ‘enable proactive mitigation strategies … and enhance the quality of reliability of perception modules in ADSs.’
“This is complex. Our focus is the perception module as this is very important, but we will also consider the influence of this module on the others. This is a key difference between our project and other existing projects.”
The project is expected to yield a series of top-tier journal and conference papers but Professor Xie, whose research has previously focused on software quality assurance, hopes they will also be able to “develop a software system to automatically test self-driving systems.”
Driving the Smart City
He hopes this project ‘will help to advance’ the Singapore Government’s Smart Urban Mobility Project, which seeks to enhance the country’s public transport systems.
“Our long-term goal is to contribute to the Singapore smart city.”
Initially, the project will deploy simulator-based software systems. After that, the plan is to move on to conducting tests on a small, unmanned vehicle, before seeking to evaluate the system on a self-driving car provided by the industry collaborators.
“Once we have such a system, we can use it to test the autonomous driving car and then report on potential issues.”
“A lot of companies are developing self-driving systems, but how can you ensure your system is robust and safe? This is our objective as we’ll be developing software to test and evaluate these systems.”
“We won’t distinguish between perception errors, planning or control errors. We just say this is a black box system and, in this project, we will open the black box.”
Fast charging electric vehicles with stable high-energy density lithium-ion batteries
A KERI team led by Dr. Choi Jeong Hee developed an aluminum oxide-based surface coating for anode materials. A simple process for treating the surface, rather than the materials inside the electrode, prevents irreversible lithium loss.
CREDIT: KOREA ELECTROTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE(KERI)
A research team led by Dr. Choi Jeong Hee at the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute (KERI) Battery Materials and Process Research Center, in cooperation with a Hanyang University team mentored by Professor Lee Jong-Won and a Kyunghee University team mentored by Professor Park Min-Sik, developed a core technology to ensure the charging/discharging stability and long-life of lithium-ion batteries under fast-charging conditions.
A crucial prerequisite for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is the enhancement of lithium-ion battery performance in terms of driving range and safety. Fast charging is also essential for user convenience. However, increasing the energy density of lithium-ion batteries necessitates thicker electrodes, which can lead to battery degradation and performance deterioration during rapid charging.
To address this issue, the KERI team discovered a solution by partially coating the surface of the anode of the lithium-ion battery with aluminum oxide (Al2O3) particles smaller than 1 micrometer (㎛). While many researchers worldwide have concentrated on the materials within the electrode, such as introducing functional nanotechnology into anode materials like graphite, Dr. Choi's team employed a straightforward processing technique to coat the electrode's surface with aluminum oxide.
Low in cost, excellent in electrical insulation and heat resistance, chemically stable, and possessing good mechanical properties, aluminum oxide is widely used in various ceramics. The KERI researchers found that aluminum oxide particles effectively control the interface between the anode and the electrolyte in lithium-ion batteries, forming an interfacial highway for efficient Li+ transport. This prevents the electrodeposition of lithium (an irreversible change that makes the lithium unavailable for additional charging and discharging) during fast charging, thereby ensuring the stability and lifespan of the lithium-ion battery during charging and discharging.
Another advantage of this technology is that it enables an increase in the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. Introducing other functional materials into the electrode's interior to improve performance and stability often complicates the synthesis process and reduces the amount of reversible lithium (initial coulombic efficiency). It also increases the electrode thickness, leading to performance deterioration under fast charging conditions. However, the KERI technology involves surface treatment of the graphite anode, rather than modifying the interior active graphite materials. This approach achieves stable performance even under fast charging conditions for high-energy-density thick-film electrodes without a loss in the amount of reversible lithium.
Through various tests, the team confirmed that the high-energy-density anode coated with aluminum oxide (4.4 mAh/cm²) exhibits world-class performance, maintaining more than 83.4% of its capacity (residual capacity ratio) even after 500 cycles of rapid charging. They have verified this performance with pouch cells of up to 500mAh. The team is now planning to scale up the technology to make it applicable to large-area, medium- to large-capacity cells.
"Convenient fast charging and the energy density of lithium-ion batteries have long been considered a trade-off, which has hindered the widespread adoption of electric vehicles," said Dr. Choi. "Our work will help develop stable, high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries capable of fast charging. This advancement will contribute to the wider adoption of EVs and support the achievement of national carbon neutrality."
The excellence of this work has been demonstrated by patent registrations in both Korea and the United States. The findings were also published in a recent edition of Advanced Functional Materials, an internationally renowned journal in the field of materials engineering (JCR Impact Factor 19, top 3.7%).
KERI is a government-funded research institute under the National Research Council of the Ministry of Science and ICT. This research was funded by the Samsung Future Technology Project and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Industrial Technology Innovation Project (high-power battery and charging system technology for EVs). <KERI>
KERI researchers are partially coating aluminum oxide on the surface of the anode of a lithium-ion battery.
The cross-sectional SEM images of the cycled bare anode and Al2O3-coated anode for lithium ion battery. (left)
Phenomenon of irreversible lithium plating occurring in lithium-ion batteries with conventional anodes after fast charged cycling test, (right) Al2O3-coated KERI anode for lithium-ion batteries that suppresses the irreversible lithium plating even after fast charged cycling test.
Aluminum oxide dispersion (left) and anode for lithium ion battery coating it on.
Multi-Interface Strategy for Electrode Tailoring Toward Fast-Charging Lithium-Ion Batteries
Relieving a fear of public speaking
SINGAPORE MANAGEMENT UNIVERSITY
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INSPIRED BY HER OWN EXPERIENCE, SMU ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR KYONG JIN SHIM IS LEADING A RESEARCH PROJECT THAT INTEGRATES VIRTUAL REALITY TECHNOLOGY AND AI TO IMPROVE PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS IN STUDENTS.
SMU Office of Research - If you dread public speaking you are not alone. It is a leading social phobia, one that can cause a state of anxiety that reduces otherwise articulate people to nervous incoherence.
A strong fear of public speaking is known as glossophobia. Academic studies estimate it affects 20 per cent of the population, but depending on the sample and methodology, the figure could be as high as 40 per cent.
As American writer and humourist Mark Twain said, "There are two types of speakers: Those who get nervous and those who are liars.”
But help may be on the way. Kyong Jin Shim, an Associate Professor of Information Systems at Singapore Management University (SMU), is leading a research project that explores the integration of virtual reality (VR) technology and AI to improve public speaking skills in students.
And while the research specifically focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of utilising this technology for the development of public speaking skills for university students, the methodology could have wider applications. The project has been awarded an MOE Tertiary Education Research Fund (TRF) grant and the proposed solution is called PresentationPro.
"[Through headsets], presenters will see a three-dimensional virtual environment that mimics a real-world presentation setting, complete with a crowd of AI-driven avatars representing an audience," Professor Shim says.
"These avatars will display behaviours typical of a live audience, such as nodding, making eye contact, showing various expressions and providing real-time feedback to the presenter," Professor Shim says.
In a high-tech update on practice makes perfect, PresentationPro aims to provide a way for presenters to hone their public speaking skills without the logistical challenges of assembling a live audience for every student.
The team is collaborating with SMU’s Centre for English Communication (CEC) to translate their “presentation” know-how and best practices into a digital platform, and eventually to scale CEC’s communication coaching.
Avatar triggers
The VR content, including the audience avatars, is generated through a combination of advanced computer graphics and AI algorithms. To make the avatars responsive in real time is no small task.
"This is achieved through sophisticated AI programming that includes natural language processing (NLP) and behaviour modelling. The system uses machine learning to analyse the presenter’s speech and body language, allowing avatars to respond realistically in real time to both verbal and non-verbal cues," Professor Shim says.
By working with SMU’s Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE), Professor Shim’s faculty team tapped into CTE’s expertise in classroom management and wealth of knowledge in different kinds of behaviour that can manifest in classroom “presentation” scenarios. The behaviours of students and faculty/instructors play a crucial role in engineering PresentationPro’s “audience avatar” behaviours using AI.
But can the avatars interrupt the presenter?
"Yes, avatars can interrupt and ask questions, simulating a dynamic interaction typical of real audiences. This capability is enabled by integrating NLP and speech recognition technologies, allowing avatars to process spoken language and respond appropriately," Professor Shim says.
The physical cues of presenters will also be monitored.
"In addition to heart rate tracking with Fitbits, the system uses VR headsets such as Meta Quest equipped with head and gaze tracking technology to monitor where the presenter is looking, such as whether they are avoiding eye contact by staring at their feet. Gesture tracking is also employed to catch other physical behaviours like fidgeting," Professor Shim says.
Verbal triggers for the avatars are set up using a combination of speech recognition and sentiment analysis technologies.
"These triggers are calibrated to recognise various speech patterns and anomalies such as tics, stutters, or deviations from the script, which then cue the avatars to react in specific ways that mimic a real audience's response," Professor Shim says.
Behavioural changes
The researchers have generated digital twins, which are highly detailed digital replicas of human behaviours and interactions – much like individuals – ensuring a diverse and realistic audience simulation reflective of a typical SMU classroom.
"Using different avatars helps to avoid repetition and predictability in audience reactions, enhancing the realism of the virtual environment and mimicking a typical seminar or classroom setting," Professor Shim says.
"VR and AI can simulate realistic social interactions, which can help individuals practise and improve their public speaking skills in a low-risk environment. Repeated exposure and positive reinforcement through VR can reduce anxiety, build confidence and lead to behavioural changes.
"Improvements will be measured through both subjective evaluations (participant and instructor feedback) and objective metrics (performance data collected during VR sessions and traditional in-person assessments). Comparisons will be drawn between control and experimental groups to assess the efficacy of VR training," Professor Shim says.
Transformative tool
Interestingly, for a project that is about behavioural change, no psychologists were among the project's expert investigators when it began.
"The research team primarily consists of specialists in education technology, AI, and public speaking, focusing on the technological and instructional design aspects of the project," Professor Shim says.
"Although psychologists play a crucial role in understanding and addressing anxiety, our project's current scope concentrates on developing and integrating AI-driven solutions for public speaking training. Nevertheless, we recognise the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and are very open to partnering with experts in the social sciences to enhance our understanding of anxiety management.
"Such collaborations could lead to further refinements in our VR system, ultimately enriching the learner's experience by more effectively addressing public speaking anxiety."
Professor Shim has since added SMU Assistant Professor of Psychology Andree Hartanto to the team to explore:
Psychological mechanisms through which VR may reduce glossophobia;
Long-term impacts of VR training on public speaking anxiety; and
Differential effects of VR training across diverse demographic groups
Professor Shim's journey into VR applications began in 2021 with a prototype designed to train new lecturers at SMU.
"My personal experiences as a faculty member, grappling with the challenges of adapting to a new cultural and academic environment, deeply influenced this initiative. During my early years at SMU, I found lecturing to a seminar-style classroom of 45 students from diverse backgrounds to be particularly daunting," she says.
"As I transitioned into a mentorship role for newer faculty members, I realised how beneficial immersive technologies like VR could be in accelerating the on-boarding process for new lecturers. This technology allows them to practice lecturing in their own time and space, repeat sessions as needed, and eliminates the logistical challenges of scheduling real seminar rooms and audiences.
"Inspired by the potential of this initial application, we set out to develop a similar VR system to enhance public speaking skills for students. This project not only leverages my teaching-related research in collaboration with CTE, but also builds upon our foundational work in VR, aiming to provide a transformative educational tool for a wider audience," Professor Shim says.
Lighting up the brain: What happens when our ‘serotonin center’ is triggered?
By studying how activating the brain’s serotonin center affects awake animals for the first time, scientists show that serotonin activates brain areas influencing behavior and motivation.
OKINAWA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (OIST) GRADUATE UNIVERSITY
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USING LIGHT STIMULATION AND MRI, SCIENTISTS COMPARED THE EFFECTS OF STIMULATING THE BRAIN’S SEROTONIN CENTER IN AWAKE AND ANESTHETIZED MICE, SHOWING A CLEAR DIFFERENCE IN ACTIVATION LEVELS BETWEEN THE TWO STATES.
Our brains are made of tens of billions of nerve cells called neurons. These cells communicate with each other through biomolecules called neurotransmitters. Serotonin, a type of neurotransmitter, is produced by serotonin neurons in our brains and influences many of our behavioral and cognitive functions such as memory, sleep, and mood.
Using mice, scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and their collaborators from Keio University School of Medicine have studied the main source of serotonin in the brain – the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). By studying how activating the brain’s ‘serotonin center’ affects awake animals for the first time, they found that serotonin from the DRN activates brain areas that affect behavior and motivation.
“Learning about the brain’s serotonin system can help us understand how we adapt our behaviors and how mood therapy medication works. But it was hard to study how serotonin from the DRN affects the entire brain. First, because electric stimulation of the DRN can also activate neurons that don’t use serotonin to communicate with each other, and second, using drugs can affect other serotonin in the brain,” explained Dr. Hiroaki Hamada, a former PhD student at OIST’s Neural Computation Unit and lead author of a paper on this study published in the journal Nature Communications.
“We knew that DRN serotonin activation has strong effects on behavior, but we didn’t know how this serotonin activation affects different parts of the brain,” Prof. Kenji Doya, leader of the Neural Computation Unit, stated.
Observing the entire brain’s response to DRN serotonin activation
The researchers used a novel technique called opto-functional MRI to address this question. They used a method called optogenetics to selectively activate serotonin neurons in the DRN with light and observed the entire brain’s response using functional MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging). They utilized the latest MRI scanner with a strong magnetic field to achieve the high resolution needed to study the small brains of mice. The mice were put in the MRI scanner and serotonin neurons were stimulated at regular intervals to see how this affected the whole brain.
They found that DRN serotonin stimulation causes activation of the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia, brain areas involved in many cognitive functions. This result was very different from a previous study performed under anesthesia. Additionally, the brain's response to serotonin stimulation is strongly linked to the distribution of serotonin receptors (proteins activated by serotonin) and the connection patterns of DRN serotonin neurons.
“We clearly see from the high-field MRI images which areas in the brain are activated and deactivated during the awake state and under anesthesia when we activate serotonin neurons in the DRN,” Dr. Hamada said. “A previous study showed that the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia were mostly deactivated under anesthesia, which we also observed, however, in awake states these areas are significantly activated.”
The cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia are parts of the brain critical for many cognitive processes, including motor activity and behaviors to gain rewards such as food and water. Activation of DNR serotonin neurons can therefore lead to changes in motivation and behavior.
Patience and stimulating your own serotonin
Combining the new technique of high field MRI and optogenetics presented many obstacles that Dr. Hamada had to overcome. “We introduced and adapted a method previously used by our collaborators and established many new procedures at OIST. For me, the main challenge was using the new MRI machine at the time, so I needed to have patience and stimulate my own serotonin. I started doing a lot of exercise after that,” he laughed.
Seeing activations in the DRN for the first time was a standout moment for Dr. Hamada. In the beginning, he used the same light intensity that his collaborators used, but this was too weak to see the brain responses in the MRI. He then used bigger optical fibers and increased the intensity to stimulate the DRNs.
Prof. Doya noted that the next important milestone to achieve is understanding exactly how this brain-wide activation of serotonin occurs: “It’s important to find out what is the actual molecular mechanism allowing this activation in our brain. People who would like to get better at adjusting their behavior and thinking in different situations could also find it helpful to learn more about how serotonin helps control our moods.”
To read more about research on the effects of serotonin from Prof. Doya’s unit, please see here.
Activation of the brain when the DRN is stimulated in awake states
In awake states, when serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) are stimulated by light, specific areas of the brain are activated at different levels of intensity.
CREDIT
Hamada et al., 2024
The high-field MRI scanner located at OIST was a key instrument in this study.
From the moment immigrants set eyes on acquiring citizenship in their host country - especially when they accept it as a nationality of higher status - they already begin to identify with the particular nation. Furthermore, they simultaneously grow attachment to its culture as they distance themselves from their original one. These are the conclusions made by a Swiss research team after surveying 400 immigrants from Portugal, who either: (1) have already acquired Swiss citizenship; (2) wished to acquire Swiss citizenship; or (3) did not want to acquire Swiss citizenship. Their findings are published in the open-access scholarly journal Social Psychological Bulletin.
People belong to particular social groups depending on their gender, ethnicity, profession, or nationality. Often these groups are perceived as having a specific social status within the society which affects evaluations of individuals in the group. For example, a Portuguese immigrant in Switzerland may be perceived as of lower status, because they belong to a group that is less valued than the host population. In addition, this low status is often combined with other features of low-status group memberships, such as having a profession that is poorly paid and of lower status in the context of employment.
On these lines, a research team from Switzerland decided to study how Portuguese immigrants in Switzerland negotiate between their multiple identities, in terms of their sentiments towards both their home and host culture. This depends on whether they have acquired Swiss citizenship or wish to acquire it. The team further explains that they were particularly interested in Portuguese immigrants, because they are currently the third-largest immigrant population in Geneva, and are also overrepresented in manual labour. Compared to other European immigrant groups in the country, they are also earning the lowest mean salary.
Amongst the major findings of the team was that it was not necessary for immigrants to have already acquired Swiss citizenship for them to identify as Swiss. Rather, it was “already the desire or wish to join a group that leads the individuals to ready themselves for joining the group through an increase in identification with the desired group”.
Curiously, things changed when it came to the immigrants identifying with Portuguese. Compared to both, the Portuguese who had already acquired Swiss citizenship and those who were not interested in applying for it, the immigrants who anticipated to qualify for citizenship showed the weakest attachment bond with their home country. According to the researchers, this phenomenon can be interpreted as a strategy of “assimilation to the host society” in the sense that the surveyed immigrants had a strong desire to make it clear for the community they wish to join, and, moreover, that it is their preferred one. However, as soon as they achieve it, they start to regrow more attachment to their original group.
As for the engagement and interest in cultural practices, results were similar to those concerning identity. Interest in Swiss practices is reported to increase when the immigrants desired to acquire Swiss citizenship or had actually become Swiss nationals. Meanwhile, their interest in Portuguese practices decreased.
While the scientists did not find an effect of citizenship and presumed social status on attitudes towards immigration in general, their findings suggest that immigrants who have become Swiss nationals or wished to become ones, were more unlikely to engage in collective actions with other Portuguese.
“Overall, these findings let us conclude that individuals psychologically manage their identities,”
says the team.
“They approach the high-status identity (Swiss nationality), when they wish to be part of it, or are already part of it. At the same time, immigrants seem to start distancing themselves from their original, and - in the host country - less valued identity, by showing lower levels of attachment, lower interest in cultural practices and support for other Portuguese in Switzerland.”
“Thus, these changes in identity management are not a consequence of officially becoming a citizen in the host country. Rather, they can be considered a sign of the psychological preparation to one day become a member of a higher valued group,”
the researchers conclude.
Original source:
Chipeaux, M., Kulich, C., Iacoviello, V., Politi, E., & Lorenzi-Cioldi, F. (2024). Anticipated and Achieved Individual Mobility Amongst Portuguese Immigrants in Switzerland: Social Identity Adjustment and Inter-Minority Relations. Social Psychological Bulletin, 19, 1-25. https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.9465
Anticipated and Achieved Individual Mobility Amongst Portuguese Immigrants in Switzerland: Social Identity Adjustment and Inter-Minority Relations
Moving beyond cubicles: How an active workplace design can drive workers’ behaviors
Researchers underscore the impact of workplace culture and building layouts on workers’ behaviors and the necessity for accurate behavioral measures
JAPAN ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
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WORKPLACES WITH ACTIVITY-PROMOTING FEATURES COULD INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND REDUCE SITTING TIME AMONG OFFICE-BASED WORKERS, ENHANCING THEIR HEALTH AND OVERALL WELL-BEING.
CREDIT: "EMPTY CUBICLES" BY OREGONDOT ON OPENVERSE. IMAGE SOURCE LINK: HTTPS://OPENVERSE.ORG/IMAGE/C156D8D9-A974-4432-B7F1-963AA8C3E5B2
Ishikawa, Japan -- Physical inactivity and sitting for prolonged hours are highly prevalent among office-based workers, known to be resulting in various health risks and economic constraints. However, to reduce sedentary time and increase physical activity, health promotion interventions alone are insufficient. The design of workplaces should also be considered to promote interactive behavior among workers.
Many models, such as the socio-ecological model, show how multiple factors interact to influence workers' active and sedentary behaviors. These models specifically magnify the impact of workplace environments in shaping these behaviors. Several studies have also shown that physical environmental factors within and outside the workplace can encourage physical activity among workers. However, several gaps in the existing literature warrant further investigation.
Recently, researchers from the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) have identified three significant gaps in understanding how workplace design influences sedentary and active behaviors among employees. The research team was led by Associate Professor Mohammad Javad Koohsari from JAIST, who is also an adjunct researcher at Waseda University and an honorary associate fellow at Deakin University (Australia), along with Associate Professor Andrew T. Kaczynski from the University of South Carolina, Professor Akitomo Yasunaga from Bunka Gakuen University, Associate Professor Tomoya Hanibuchi from Kyoto University, Professor Tomoki Nakaya from Tohoku University, Professor Gavin R. McCormack from the University of Calgary, and Professor Koichiro Oka from Waseda University. Their study was published online in British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Delving deeper, Dr. Koohsari and his team reviewed existing literature to underscore the importance of investigating these gaps and to suggest future research directions. Elaborating further, he says, “We have focused on the interactive effects of workplace norms and culture, and the spatial layout of buildings on workers’ behaviors, along with the need for accurately measuring these behaviors.”
Workplace norms and culture can influence workers’ sedentary behaviors and determine how workplace design affects above mentioned behaviors. However, existing studies in this area have been conducted primarily in Western settings. So, cross-cultural studies are needed to understand these dynamics across different geographical settings, ensuring workplace interventions are culturally relevant. Moreover, the extension of workplace norms to remote and hybrid work environments could also be explored.
Understanding the full impact of workplace design on workers’ behaviors requires measuring active and sitting behaviors accurately and identifying the locations where these behaviors usually occur. While the global positioning system (GPS) in combination with accelerometer devices are commonly used for this purpose, the signals are less accurate indoors. Instead, an indoor positioning system (IPS), which uses low-cost Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, can precisely locate people within indoor environments. Through its integration with activity-tracking wearable devices, workers’ movements, intensity of activities, and other biometric data could also be collected. Additionally, combining IPS and geospatial AI (GeoAI) to analyze geospatial data could precisely locate people within workplaces and analyze workers’ movement patterns.
Previous studies have considered the impact of isolated design elements on movement and behaviors. However, the overall building layout, which is the spatial arrangement of elements like walls, doors, windows, and access routes, majorly defines the functionality of interior spaces. Yet, it remains unclear which workplace layouts promote active behaviors among employees. Space syntax theory—a method of quantifying spatial layouts using graph-based estimators—could fill this knowledge gap. Dr. Koohsari highlights, “By considering the spatial layout of a whole building rather than only the individual design elements, space syntax could be used to study how factors of building layout, such as locations of common spaces and workstation arrangement, impact workers’ movements and behaviors.”
As digitalization and automation engulf the modern world, sedentary behaviors among office-based workers are expected to increase. In response, Dr. Koohsari reiterates, “Future studies should examine the interactive effects of workplace norms and culture on behavior and conduct cross-cultural studies to identify similarities and differences. Innovative measurement methods can also be employed to accurately measure behaviors and locations where those behaviors occur within workplaces. Additionally, exploring the influence of spatial layout, and utilizing space syntax, can offer valuable insights into the design of work environments that facilitate workers' engagement inactive behaviors. ”
In conclusion, these insights suggest that addressing the existing knowledge gaps is crucial for developing workplace interventions and designing healthy and productive work environments, eventually enhancing the well-being of workers.
Active Workplace Design: Current Gaps and Future Pathways
Authors:
Mohammad Javad Koohsari*, Andrew T. Kaczynski, Akitomo Yasunaga, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Tomoki Nakaya, Gavin R. McCormack, and Koichiro Oka
Journal
British Journal of Sports Medicine
DOI:
10.1136/bjsports-2024-108146
About Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
Founded in 1990 in Ishikawa prefecture, the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) was the first independent national graduate school in Japan. Now, after 30 years of steady progress, JAIST has become one of Japan’s top-ranking universities. JAIST counts with multiple satellite campuses and strives to foster capable leaders with a state-of-the-art education system where diversity is key; about 40% of its alumni are international students. The university has a unique style of graduate education based on a carefully designed coursework-oriented curriculum to ensure that its students have a solid foundation on which to carry out cutting-edge research. JAIST also works closely both with local and overseas communities by promoting industry–academia collaborative research.
About Associate Professor Mohammad Javad Koohsari from Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Japan
Dr Koohsari is an Associate Professor at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Japan. He also is an Adjunct Researcher with the Faculty of Sport Sciences at Waseda University, Japan, and an Honorary Associate Fellow with the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at Deakin University, Australia. He obtained his PhD in Urban Design from the University of Melbourne, Australia, and another PhD in Health and Sport Sciences from Waseda University, Japan. His research focuses on how built environment science can contribute to population health, especially in the context of super-aged societies. Dr Koohsari has a publication record with over 115 refereed journal articles (such as at Nature Reviews Cardiology). In 2020, 2021, and 2022, he was recognised in the top 2% of most influential researchers worldwide across all scientific disciplines (Stanford University & Elsevier). He is also included in the 'Top Scientists' list in the field of 'Social Science & Humanities' for the year 2022 (Research.com). He is an editorial board member of several international journals, such as Landscape & Urban Planning, Heart & Mind, Clinical eHealth, and Journal of Architectural & Planning Research.
Funding information
Mohammad Javad Koohsari is supported by the JSPS KAKENHI (grant 23K09701). Koichiro Oka is supported by the JSPS Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research program (grant 20H04113).
