Work zone sign design for increased driver compliance and worker safety

Many studies have investigated the effect of dynamic message signs (DMS) on drivers' speed reduction and compliance in work zones, yet only a few studies have examined the design of sign content of DMS. The purpose of this study was to develop design standards for DMS to improve driver compliance and worker safety. This study investigated the impact of sign content, frame refresh rate, and sign placement on driver speed reduction, compliance, and eye movements. A total of 44 participants were recruited for this study. Each participant completed 12 simulated driving tasks in a high-fidelity driving simulator. A small-scale field study was also conducted to test the effect of DMS on vehicle speed in a highway work zone. Results showed sign content and placement had no impact on speed reduction and compliance. However, sign frame refresh rate was found to have a significant effect on drivers' initial speed and speed reduction. Participants had longer fixation duration on DMS when worker presence was mentioned in the sign content. Results of the field study suggested that the DMS is most effective at night.

Improvement of the performance of animal crossing warning signs

INTRODUCTION

Animal-vehicle collisions (AVCs) can result in serious injury and death to drivers, animals' death, and significant economic costs. However, the cost effectiveness of the majority of AVC mitigation measures is a significant issue.

METHOD

A mobile-based data collection effort was deployed to measure signs under the Utah Department of Transportation's (UDOT) jurisdiction. The crash data were obtained from the UDOT risk management database. ArcGIS was employed to link these two data sets and extract animal-related crashes and signs. An algorithm was developed to process the data and identify AVCs that occurred within sign recognition distance. Kernel density estimation (KDE) technique was applied to identify potential crash hotspots.

RESULTS

Only 2% of AVCs occurred within the recognition distance of animal crossing signs. Almost 58% of animal-related crashes took place on the Interstate and U.S. highways, wherein only 30% of animal crossing signs were installed. State routes with a higher average number of signs experienced a lower number of AVCs per mile. The differences between AVCs that occurred within versus outside of sign recognition distance were not statistically significant regarding crash severity, time of crash, weather condition, driver age, vehicle speed, and type of animal. It is more likely that drivers become accustomed to deer crossing signs than cow signs.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the historical crash data and landscape structure, with attention given to the low cost safety improvement methods, a combination of different types of AVC mitigation measures can be developed to reduce the number of animal-related crashes. After an in-depth analysis of AVC data, warning traffic signs, coupled with other low cost mitigation countermeasures can be successfully placed in areas with higher priority or in critical areas. Practical applications: The findings of this study assist transportation agencies in developing more efficient mitigation measures against AVCs.

Signage as a tool for behavioral change: Direct and indirect routes to understanding the meaning of a sign

Signs, prompts, and symbols are a common means to change behavior in our society. Understanding the psychological mechanisms by which signage influences behavior is a critical first step to achieve the desired outcome. In the current research, we propose a theoretical model of sign-to-behavior process. The model suggests that when one encounters a sign, it is encoded to construct an action representation (comprehension process), which is then acted on unless its enactment is inhibited (decision process). We test the implications of the model in two studies. In support of our hypothesis, for unfamiliar signs, clarity of purpose predicts perceived effectiveness of a sign; however, for familiar signs, clarity of purpose does not matter. Insights gained from the studies will help to design effective signs. Practical implications of the model are discussed, and future research directions are outlined.

Representativity and univocity of traffic signs and their effect on trajectory movement in a driving simulation task: Warning signs

OBJECTIVE

The effect of traffic signs on the behavior of drivers is not completely understood. Knowing about how humans process the meaning of signs (not just by learning but instinctively) will improve reaction time and decision making when traveling. The economic, social, and psychological consequences of car accidents are well known.

METHODS

This study sounds out which traffic signs are more ergonomic for participants, from a cognitive point of view, and determines, at the same time, their effect in participants' movement trajectories in a driving simulation task.

RESULTS

Results point out that the signs least representative of their meaning produce a greater deviation from the center of the road than the most representative ones.

CONCLUSIONS

This study encourages both an in-depth analysis of the effect on movement of roadside signs and the study of how this effect can be modified by the context in which these signs are presented (with the aim to move the research closer to and analyze the data in real contexts). The goal is to achieve clarity of meaning and lack of counterproductive effects on the trajectory of representative signs (those that provoke fewer mistakes in the decision task).

Age-related differences in decision-making for digital escape route signage under strenuous emergency conditions of tilted passenger ships

This age-differentiated study investigated preferences for new digital, situation-adaptive escape route signage with informative and flashing elements under simulated emergency conditions of tilted passenger ships. The decision-making behaviour of 26 young (20-30 years) and 26 elderly (60-77 years) participants was observed in four conditions varying in applied stressors and in level versus uphill walking at 7° and 14°. In line with previous studies, decisions of young participants were significantly influenced by flashing elements on signs. In contrast, elderly participants based their decisions significantly stronger on integrated information about the sign's updatedness and reported irritation by flashing elements. These preferences were also persistent under increased mental, emotional and physical strain, evaluated by ratings and (psycho-)physiological measures. The findings demonstrate the importance to carefully design digital, situation-adaptive signage for passenger ships in a way that it not only attracts attention but also inspires trust especially for the elderly population.

Dissuasive exit signage for building fire evacuation

This work presents the result of a questionnaire study which investigates the design of dissuasive emergency signage, i.e. signage conveying a message of not utilizing a specific exit door. The work analyses and tests a set of key features of dissuasive emergency signage using the Theory of Affordances. The variables having the largest impact on observer preference, interpretation and noticeability of the signage have been identified. Results show that features which clearly negate the exit-message of the original positive exit signage are most effective, for instance a red X-marking placed across the entirety of the exit signage conveys a clear dissuasive message. Other features of note are red flashing lights and alternation of colour. The sense of urgency conveyed by the sign is largely affected by sensory inputs such as red flashing lights or other features which cause the signs to break the tendencies of normalcy.

Factors influencing experience in crowds - The participant perspective

Humans encounter crowd situations on a daily basis, resulting in both negative and positive experiences. Understanding how to optimise the participant experience of crowds is important. In the study presented in this paper, 5 focus groups were conducted (35 participants, age range: 21-71 years) and 55 crowd situations observed (e.g. transport hubs, sport events, retail situations). Influences on participant experience in crowds identified by the focus groups and observations included: physical design of crowd space and facilities (layout, queuing strategies), crowd movement (monitoring capacity, pedestrian flow), communication and information (signage, wayfinding), comfort and welfare (provision of facilities, environmental comfort), and public order. It was found that important aspects affecting participant experience are often not considered systematically in the planning of events or crowd situations. The findings point to human factors aspects of crowds being overlooked, with the experiences of participants often poor.

Flying solo: A review of the literature on wayfinding for older adults experiencing visual or cognitive decline

Accessible tourism is a growing market within the travel industry, but little research has focused on travel barriers for older adults who may be experiencing visual and cognitive decline as part of the normal aging process, illness, or other disabling conditions. Travel barriers, such as difficulty finding one's way throughout an airport, may adversely affect older adults' travel experience, thereby reducing their desire to travel. This review of the literature investigates wayfinding strategies to ensure that older passengers who have planned to travel independently can do so with dignity. These include facility planning and design strategies (e.g., layout, signage) and technological solutions. Although technological approaches, such as smart phone apps, appear to offer the most promising new solutions for enhancing airport navigation, more traditional approaches, such as designing facilities with an intuitive building layout, are still heavily relied upon in the aviation industry. While there are many design guidelines for enhancing wayfinding for older adults, many are not based on scientific investigation.

Seamless patient journeys the goal

Chris Wiegand, CEO of Jibestream, a software development company for digital interactive technologies with bases in Toronto and Arlington, Virginia, explains how technologies including Wi-Fi, GPS, RFID, and Bluetooth LE are enhancing wayfinding in healthcare facilities, and, in the process, simplifying the patient journey and helping reduce the stress and anxiety often associated with a visit to the hospital.

Introduction of the development of the mo- bile smartphone application, "PWH easyGo" to help patients and visitors to navigate differ- ent departments and facilities on the hospital premises with ease

"PWH easyGo" is a mobile smartphone application (app) designed to help patients and visitors to look for different departments and facilities on the hospital premises. Posters with QR code are displayed at various hospital entrances. Users with the app installed can scan the QR codes printed on posters on site or manually select their current locations and destinations in the app, and the system will display the relevant routes with photos. It is the first such app developed by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority and is available for download at Apple store (iOS version) and Play Store (Android version).

Restoration of motion-blurred image based on border deformation detection: a traffic sign restoration model

Due to the rapid development of motor vehicle Driver Assistance Systems (DAS), the safety problems associated with automatic driving have become a hot issue in Intelligent Transportation. The traffic sign is one of the most important tools used to reinforce traffic rules. However, traffic sign image degradation based on computer vision is unavoidable during the vehicle movement process. In order to quickly and accurately recognize traffic signs in motion-blurred images in DAS, a new image restoration algorithm based on border deformation detection in the spatial domain is proposed in this paper. The border of a traffic sign is extracted using color information, and then the width of the border is measured in all directions. According to the width measured and the corresponding direction, both the motion direction and scale of the image can be confirmed, and this information can be used to restore the motion-blurred image. Finally, a gray mean grads (GMG) ratio is presented to evaluate the image restoration quality. Compared to the traditional restoration approach which is based on the blind deconvolution method and Lucy-Richardson method, our method can greatly restore motion blurred images and improve the correct recognition rate. Our experiments show that the proposed method is able to restore traffic sign information accurately and efficiently.

Driver behavior in use of guide and logo signs under distraction and complex roadway conditions

White-on-blue logo signs on the sides of highways are typically used to notify drivers of food, gas, and lodging at an upcoming interchange. The current research assessed driver performance and attention allocation in a simulated freeway driving task when exposed to six-panel logo signs, nine-panel logo signs, mileage guide signs, and roadway work zones both with and without an in-car navigation device. The objective was to identify the impact of signage types on driver behavior under realistic driving conditions. Results revealed glance durations and fixation frequencies to guide signs to be significantly lower than with six-panel and nine-panel logo signs, but no differences were found between six-panel and nine-panel logo signs. There were also statistical differences among the independent variables for speed deviation and lane deviation, but magnitudes were not large enough to be considered practically significant in terms of driving safety. Overall, there were minor differences in sign processing time between logo signs and mileage guide signs, but such differences did not translate to degradations in vehicle control.

Seamless personal health information system in cloud computing

Noncontact ECG measurement has gained popularity these days due to its noninvasive and conveniences to be applied on daily life. This approach does not require any direct contact between patient's skin and sensor for physiological signal measurement. The noncontact ECG measurement is integrated with mobile healthcare system for health status monitoring. Mobile phone acts as the personal health information system displaying health status and body mass index (BMI) tracking. Besides that, it plays an important role being the medical guidance providing medical knowledge database including symptom checker and health fitness guidance. At the same time, the system also features some unique medical functions that cater to the living demand of the patients or users, including regular medication reminders, alert alarm, medical guidance, appointment scheduling. Lastly, we demonstrate mobile healthcare system with web application for extended uses, thus health data are clouded into web server system and web database storage. This allows remote health status monitoring easily and so forth it promotes a cost effective personal healthcare system.

Effects of competing environmental variables and signage on route-choices in simulated everyday and emergency wayfinding situations

This study examined the relative influence of environmental variables (corridor width and brightness) and signage (directional and exit signs), when presented in competition, on participants' route-choices in two situational variables (everyday vs. emergency), during indoor wayfinding in virtual environments. A virtual reality-based methodology was used. Thus, participants attempted to find a room (everyday situation) in a virtual hotel, followed by a fire-related emergency egress (emergency situation). Different behaviours were observed. In the everyday situation, for no-signs condition, participants choose mostly the wider and brighter corridors, suggesting a heavy reliance on the environmental affordances. Conversely, for signs condition, participants mostly complied with signage, suggesting a greater reliance on the signs rather than on the environmental cues. During emergency, without signage, reliance on environmental affordances seems to be affected by the intersection type. In the sign condition, the reliance on environmental affordances that started strong decreases along the egress route.

Learning and recognition of on-premise signs from weakly labeled street view images

Camera-enabled mobile devices are commonly used as interaction platforms for linking the user's virtual and physical worlds in numerous research and commercial applications, such as serving an augmented reality interface for mobile information retrieval. The various application scenarios give rise to a key technique of daily life visual object recognition. On-premise signs (OPSs), a popular form of commercial advertising, are widely used in our living life. The OPSs often exhibit great visual diversity (e.g., appearing in arbitrary size), accompanied with complex environmental conditions (e.g., foreground and background clutter). Observing that such real-world characteristics are lacking in most of the existing image data sets, in this paper, we first proposed an OPS data set, namely OPS-62, in which totally 4649 OPS images of 62 different businesses are collected from Google's Street View. Further, for addressing the problem of real-world OPS learning and recognition, we developed a probabilistic framework based on the distributional clustering, in which we proposed to exploit the distributional information of each visual feature (the distribution of its associated OPS labels) as a reliable selection criterion for building discriminative OPS models. Experiments on the OPS-62 data set demonstrated the outperformance of our approach over the state-of-the-art probabilistic latent semantic analysis models for more accurate recognitions and less false alarms, with a significant 151.28% relative improvement in the average recognition rate. Meanwhile, our approach is simple, linear, and can be executed in a parallel fashion, making it practical and scalable for large-scale multimedia applications.