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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 June 2023

Kabir Ibrahim, Fredrick Simpeh and Oluseyi Julius Adebowale

Technologies have had a positive impact on the construction industry. Technologies such as BIM, automation, augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things and robotics have…

Abstract

Purpose

Technologies have had a positive impact on the construction industry. Technologies such as BIM, automation, augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things and robotics have been adopted by construction firms to enhance productivity. However, not much research has been done on the awareness and adoption of wearable technologies for health and safety (H&S) management. This paper investigates the level of awareness and adoption of wearable technologies for H&S management in the Nigerian construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research method was adopted for the study. An electronic questionnaire format was used as an instrument to collect the data. Both descriptive (mean score) and inferential statistics (Kruskal–Wallis test) were used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results indicate that organisations rarely use H&S wearable devices for H&S management although professionals within the construction industry are somewhat aware of the common H&S wearable devices. The findings further indicate that all 11 variables were perceived as “rarely adopted”, whereas 2 variables were perceived as “aware”, 3 variables as “slightly aware” and the remaining 6 variables as “somewhat aware”.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected from only construction professionals working in government agencies, consultancy firms and grade D contracting firms in Lagos and Abuja. For a broader perspective, a study that expands the number of states and categories of construction firms is recommended.

Practical implications

The construction industry in Nigeria can use the recommendations to improve H&S management on site. Moreover, the recommendations can contribute to the development of policies to promote the adoption of wearable technologies in construction sites.

Originality/value

Research on wearable technologies, particularly in the Nigerian construction industry, is at the developing stage. With this article, the authors contribute to the body of knowledge in this area of research.

Details

Frontiers in Engineering and Built Environment, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-2499

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2021

Wei Fang, Mingyu Fu and Lianyu Zheng

This paper aims to perform the real-time and accurate ergonomics analysis for the operator in the manual assembly, with the purpose of identifying potential ergonomic injuries…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to perform the real-time and accurate ergonomics analysis for the operator in the manual assembly, with the purpose of identifying potential ergonomic injuries when encountering labor-excessive and unreasonable assembly operations.

Design/methodology/approach

Instead of acquiring body data for ergonomic evaluation by arranging many observers around, this paper proposes a multi-sensor based wearable system to track worker’s posture for a continuous ergonomic assessment. Moreover, given the accurate neck postural data from the shop floor by the proposed wearable system, a continuous rapid upper limb assessment method with robustness to occasional posture changes, is proposed to evaluate the neck and upper back risk during the manual assembly operations.

Findings

The proposed method can retrieve human activity data during manual assembly operations, and experimental results illustrate that the proposed work is flexible and accurate for continuous ergonomic assessments in manual assembly operations.

Originality/value

Based on the proposed multi-sensor based wearable system for posture acquisition, a real-time and high-precision ergonomics analysis is achieved with the postural data arrived continuously, it can provide a more objective indicator to assess the ergonomics during manual assembly.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2018

Alaaldeen Al-Halhouli, Hala Qitouqa, Abdallah Alashqar and Jumana Abu-Khalaf

This review paper aims to introduce the inkjet printing as a tool for fabrication of flexible/wearable sensors. It summarizes inkjet printing techniques including various modes of…

2510

Abstract

Purpose

This review paper aims to introduce the inkjet printing as a tool for fabrication of flexible/wearable sensors. It summarizes inkjet printing techniques including various modes of operation, commonly used substrates and inks, commercially available inkjet printers and variables affecting the printing process. More focus is on the drop-on-demand printing mode, a strongly considered printing technique for patterning conductive lines on flexible and stretchable substrates. As inkjet-printed patterns are influenced by various variables related to its conductivity, resistivity, durability and dimensions of printed patterns, the main printing parameters (e.g. printing multilayers, inks sintering, surface treatment, cartridge specifications and printing process parameters) are reported. The embedded approaches of adding electronic components (e.g. surface-mounted and optoelectronic devices) to the stretchable circuit are also included.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, inkjet printing techniques for fabrication of flexible/stretchable circuits will be reviewed. Specifically, the various modes of operation, commonly used substrates and inks and variables affecting the printing process will be presented. Next, examples of inkjet-printed electronic devices will be demonstrated. These devices will be compared to their rigid counterpart in terms of ease of implementation and electrical behavior for wearable sensor applications. Finally, a summary of key findings and future research opportunities will be presented.

Findings

In conclusion, it is evident that the technology of inkjet printing is becoming a competitor to traditional lithography fabrication techniques, as it has the advantage of being low cost and less complex. In particular, this technique has demonstrated great capabilities in the area of flexible/stretchable electronics and sensors. Various inkjet printing methods have been presented with emphasis on their principle of operation and their commercial availability. In addition, the components of a general inkjet printing process have been discussed in details. Several factors affect the resulting printed patterns in terms of conductivity, resistivity, durability and geometry.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on flexible/stretchable optoelectronic devices which could be implemented in stretchable circuits. Furthermore, the importance and challenges related to printing highly conductive and highly stretchable lines, as well as reliable electronic devices, and interfacing them with external circuitry for power transmission, data acquisition and signal conditioning have been highlighted and discussed. Although several fabrication techniques have been recently developed to allow patterning conductive lines on a rubber substrate, the fabrication of fully stretchable wearable sensors remains limited which needs future research in this area for the advancement of wearable sensors.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 38 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 June 2016

Mohammad Iman Mokhlespour Esfahani, Somaye Taghinezhad, Vahid Mottaghitalab, Roya Narimani and Mohammad Parnianpour

The purpose of this study is the measuring of the human movement using printed wearable sensor. Human movement measurement is one of the usages for wearable sensors. This…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is the measuring of the human movement using printed wearable sensor. Human movement measurement is one of the usages for wearable sensors. This technology assists the researchers to collect data from the daily activities of individuals. In other words, the kinematics data of human motion will be extracted from this data and implemented in biomechanical aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

This study presents an innovative printed wearable sensor which can be used for measuring human movement orientations. In this paper, the manufacturing process, implementation, measurement setup and calibration procedure of this new sensor will be explained, and the results of calibration methods will be presented. The conductive flexible nylon/lycra fabric strain gauge was developed using polypyrrole (PPy)–1, 5-naphthalenedisulfonic acid by using a sophisticated method composed of screen printing followed by chemical vapor deposition at room temperature.

Findings

The morphological characterization using scanning electron microscopy shows the PPy-coated fabric exhibiting a homogenous and smooth surface. Based on the results, the linearity and hysteresis error are 98 and 8 per cent, respectively. Finally, the behavior of our sensor is evaluated in some cases, and the effects of relaxation and strain rate will be discussed.

Practical implications

The wearable sensor is one of the most advanced technologies in biomedical engineering. It can be used in several applications for prohibition, diagnosing and treatment of diseases.

Originality/value

The paper present original data acquired from a technical set-up in biomechanic labs. An innovative method was used for collecting the resistance changing of the sensor. A measurement setup was prepared as a transducer to convert the resistance into voltage.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 October 2017

Richard Bloss

The purpose of this paper is to review the advancements in new multi-technology sensor products being developed or already serving the market and to explore such applications. The…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the advancements in new multi-technology sensor products being developed or already serving the market and to explore such applications. The paper also addresses some hacking problems which may arise.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a review of published information and papers on multi-technology sensor research as well as contact and discussions with multi-technology sensor researchers and suppliers in this field.

Findings

Microelectronics and electrochemical technologies have been major factors in the multi-sensor technology advancements of sensors for a wide range of applications. Sensors are becoming much smarter; solving application problems better than has been previously possible with single-technology sensors. Multi-technology sensors in many cases may offer better resolution and are much more sensitive than single technology sensors in the past.

Practical implications

Readers may be very excited to learn of the many advances in multi-technology sensors which are coming to the sensor field. Applications that were previously served with more than one sensor or were not possible before are now being served by multi-technology sensors. One such application which many readers may not be aware of but may be using is the wearable individual exercise sensor. One such device is the Apple Watch which will be reviewed in some detail later in this paper.

Originality/value

No previous review of multi-technology sensing has been observed.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2024

Gülçin Baysal

The aim of this review is to present together the studies on textile-based moisture sensors developed using innovative technologies in recent years.

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this review is to present together the studies on textile-based moisture sensors developed using innovative technologies in recent years.

Design/methodology/approach

The integration levels of the sensors studied with the textile materials are changing. Some research teams have used a combination of printing and textile technologies to produce sensors, while a group of researchers have used traditional technologies such as weaving and embroidery. Others have taken advantage of new technologies such as electro-spinning, polymerization and other techniques. In this way, they tried to combine the good working efficiency of the sensors and the flexibility of the textile. All these approaches are presented in this article.

Findings

The presentation of the latest technologies used to develop textile sensors together will give researchers an idea about new studies that can be done on highly sensitive and efficient textile-based moisture sensor systems.

Originality/value

In this paper humidity sensors have been explained in terms of measuring principle as capacitive and resistive. Then, studies conducted in the last 20 years on the textile-based humidity sensors have been presented in detail. This is a comprehensive review study that presents the latest developments together in this area for researchers.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 August 2021

Cynthia Mejia, Katherine Ciarlante and Kinjal Chheda

Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, the purpose of this paper was to posit an industry-wide technological intervention for hotel housekeeper safety and health through the…

1306

Abstract

Purpose

Adopting an interdisciplinary perspective, the purpose of this paper was to posit an industry-wide technological intervention for hotel housekeeper safety and health through the advancement of wearable technology.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the task-technology fit (TTF) model and examples of successful safety and health applications of wearable technologies in the health-care and construction management industries, interventions and future research directions are presented to address workplace hazards experienced by hotel housekeepers.

Findings

The fit between a variety of hotel housekeeper user requirements, task demands and wearable functions are explored with justification for the use of wearable devices to improve safety and health-related outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

A research agenda is proposed for the adoption and use of wearables in the hospitality industry with the intention to generate meaningful interventions beyond corporate wellness, and the mitigation of employee privacy concerns to enhance wearable adoption.

Practical implications

Given the importance of consumer safety and health assurance in a post-pandemic business environment, hospitality and tourism organizations should place greater emphasis on protecting front line employees who will be essential in regaining economic viability.

Social implications

Theoretical and practical foci should move beyond a simplistic view of hospitality and tourism worker safety and health that generally centers on wellness initiatives and other baseline strategies, toward a more holistic view benefitting the hospitality industry.

Originality/value

Extant concerns about hotel housekeeper safety and health, in addition to new concerns and threats in a post-pandemic work environment, are largely understudied and worthy of investigation.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 July 2019

Sampath Dakshina Murthy Achanta, Karthikeyan T. and Vinoth Kanna R.

The recent advancement in gait analysis combines internet of things that provides better observations of person living behavior. The biomechanical model used for elderly and…

Abstract

Purpose

The recent advancement in gait analysis combines internet of things that provides better observations of person living behavior. The biomechanical model used for elderly and physically challenged persons is related to gait-related parameters, and the accuracy of the existing systems significantly varies according to different person abilities and their challenges. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Deployment of wearable sensors in gait analysis provides a better solution while tracking the changes of the personal style, and this proposed model uses an electronics system using force sensing resistor and body sensors.

Findings

Experimental results provide an average gait recognition of 95 percent compared to the existing neural network-based gait analysis model based on the walking speeds and threshold values.

Originality/value

The sensors are used to monitor and update the predicted values of a person for analysis. Using IoT a communication process is performed in the research work by identifying a physically challenged person even in crowded areas.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Unmanned Systems, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-6427

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2017

Robert Bogue

This paper aims to show how a range of new and emerging applications are driving technological innovations in gas sensing.

462

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to show how a range of new and emerging applications are driving technological innovations in gas sensing.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a short introduction, this paper first considers developments relating to the needs of the military and security sectors. Wearable gas sensors, energy harvesting and self-powered gas sensors are then discussed. The role of gas sensors in mobile phones is then considered, together with details of new developments in sensors for carbon-dioxide, particulates and formaldehyde. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.

Findings

This paper shows that a technologically diverse range of gas sensors is being investigated and developed in response to a number of new and emerging requirements and applications. The gas sensors respond to numerous inorganic and organic gases and vapours over a wide range of application-specific concentrations and are based on a multitude of often innovative sensing techniques, technologies and materials.

Originality/value

This paper provides technical details of a selection of gas sensor research activities and product developments that reflect the needs of a range of new and emerging applications.

Details

Sensor Review, vol. 37 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0260-2288

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 May 2018

Jayden Khakurel, Helinä Melkas and Jari Porras

The purpose of this paper is to expand current knowledge about the recent trend of wearable technology to assess both its potential in the work environment and the challenges…

13602

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand current knowledge about the recent trend of wearable technology to assess both its potential in the work environment and the challenges concerning the utilisation of wearables in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

After establishing exclusion and inclusion criteria, an independent systematic search of the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect and Web of Science databases for relevant studies was performed. Out of a total of 359 articles, 34 met the selection criteria.

Findings

This review identifies 23 categories of wearable devices. Further categorisation of the devices based on their utilisation shows they can be used in the work environment for activities including monitoring, augmenting, assisting, delivering and tracking. The review reveals that wearable technology has the potential to increase work efficiency among employees, improve workers’ physical well-being and reduce work-related injuries. However, the review also reveals that technological, social, policy and economic challenges related to the use of wearable devices remain.

Research limitations/implications

Many studies have investigated the benefits of wearable devices for personal use, but information about the use of wearables in the work environment is limited. Further research is required in the fields of technology, social challenges, organisation strategies, policies and economics to enhance the adoption rate of wearable devices in work environments.

Originality/value

Previous studies indicate that occupational stress and injuries are detrimental to employees’ health; this paper analyses the use of wearable devices as an intervention method to monitor or prevent these problems. Introducing a categorisation framework during implementation may help identify which types of device categories are suitable and could be beneficial for specific utilisation purposes, facilitating the adoption of wearable devices in the workplace.

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