Search results

1 – 10 of 509
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

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…

13716

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.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 November 2021

Rosiane Serrano, Larissa Fortunati and Daniel Pacheco Lacerda

The fashion sector is complex. It involves multiple actors with distinct and potentially conflicting interests, forming a value ecosystem. Thus, knowing the interested parties and…

2209

Abstract

Purpose

The fashion sector is complex. It involves multiple actors with distinct and potentially conflicting interests, forming a value ecosystem. Thus, knowing the interested parties and belonging to the fashion sector may be a means to promote technological innovation, such as products with wearables. The purpose of this paper to identify the participants of the fashion ecosystem from the perspective of wearable technologies and develop a conceptual model.

Design/methodology/approach

The present work aims to identify the participants (actors) and develop a conceptual model of the fashion ecosystem from the perspective of wearable technologies. The systematic literature review is the recommended method to qualitatively analyze documents and identify the interested parties (actors) in the fashion sector in order to design the proposed conceptual model.

Findings

From the studies, the conceptual model of the fashion value ecosystem was designed, and the wearable product was considered its core business. The studies identified addressed ecosystems of fashion value in general but not specific to wearable products and their relations with other complementary industries.

Research limitations/implications

The model was designed using secondary data only. Its validation is relevant through interviews with experts.

Originality/value

In terms of relevance, when conducting a systematic literature review, there were no studies that included wearable technologies in the fashion ecosystems discussed and their relations with other industries. The topic of wearables is an emerging subject that needs further research aiming to insert this technology in productive sectors.

Details

Innovation & Management Review, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2515-8961

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 April 2023

Solomon Hopewell Kembo, Patience Mpofu, Saulo Jacques, Nevil Chitiyo and Brighton Mukorera

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) necessitated the need for “Hospital-at-home” improvisations that involve wearable technology to classify patients within households before…

Abstract

Purpose

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) necessitated the need for “Hospital-at-home” improvisations that involve wearable technology to classify patients within households before visiting health institutions. Do-It-Yourself wearable devices allow for the collection of health data leading to the detection and/or prediction of the prevalence of the disease. The sensitive nature of health data requires safeguards to ensure patients’ privacy is not violated. The previous work utilized Hyperledger Fabric to verify transmitted data within Smart Homes, allowing for the possible implementation of legal restrictions through smart contracts in the future. This study aims to explore privacy-enhancing authentication schemes that are operated by multiple credential issuers and capable of integration into the Hyperledger ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

Design Science Research is the methodology that was used in this study. An architecture for ABC-privacy was developed and evaluated.

Findings

While the privacy-by-design architecture enhances data privacy through edge and fog computing architecture, there is a need to provide an additional privacy layer that limits the amount of data that patients disclose. Selective disclosure of credentials limits the number of information patients or devices divulge.

Originality/value

The evaluation of this study identified Coconut as the most suitable attribute-based credentials scheme for the Smart Homes Patients and Health Wearables use case Coconut user-centric architecture Hyperledger integration multi-party threshold authorities public and private attributes re-randomization and unlinkable revelation of selective attribute revelations.

Details

International Journal of Industrial Engineering and Operations Management, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2690-6090

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 28 October 2014

Peter Fernandez

5122

Abstract

Details

Library Hi Tech News, vol. 31 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0741-9058

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 March 2023

Kabir Ibrahim, Fredrick Simpeh and Oluseyi Julius Adebowale

Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to…

3195

Abstract

Purpose

Construction organizations must maintain a productive workforce without sacrificing their health and safety. The global construction sector loses billions of dollars yearly to poor health and safety practices. This study aims to investigate benefits derivable from using wearable technologies to improve construction health and safety. The study also reports the challenges associated with adopting wearable technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a quantitative design, administering close-ended questions to professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. The research data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Findings

The study found that the critical areas construction organizations can benefit from using WSDs include slips and trips, sensing environmental concerns, collision avoidance, falling from a high level and electrocution. However, key barriers preventing the organizations from adopting wearable technologies are related to cost, technology and human factors.

Practical implications

The time and cost lost to H&S incidents in the Nigerian construction sector can be reduced by implementing the report of this study.

Originality/value

Studies on WSDs have continued to increase in developed countries, but Nigeria is yet to experience a leap in the research area. This study provides insights into the Nigerian reality to provide directions for practice and theory.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 July 2020

Milad Dehghani, A. Mohammed Abubakar and Mohsen Pashna

The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the drivers of lean approaches and successful management of wearable technology start-ups. The paper is a descriptive study…

3899

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify and describe the drivers of lean approaches and successful management of wearable technology start-ups. The paper is a descriptive study that employed a case study methodology based on semi-structured interviews with ten start-ups’ managers in Wearable Technology 2017 conference. Participants were selected based on convenience sampling and the pre-set criteria. The current study contributes to this field through the main findings, which suggest that four stages need to be considered by starts-up for a successful market readiness, including the time of entry and overcoming market entry barriers, product attributes, product development process, and commercialization. Finally, findings were categorized in the form of an iterative learning loop model and also, practical strategies and methods were recommended for successfully going through each stage.

Details

Applied Computing and Informatics, vol. 18 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2210-8327

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 March 2022

Luke McCully, Hung Cao, Monica Wachowicz, Stephanie Champion and Patricia A.H. Williams

A new research domain known as the Quantified Self has recently emerged and is described as gaining self-knowledge through using wearable technology to acquire information on…

Abstract

Purpose

A new research domain known as the Quantified Self has recently emerged and is described as gaining self-knowledge through using wearable technology to acquire information on self-monitoring activities and physical health related problems. However, very little is known about the impact of time window models on discovering self-quantified patterns that can yield new self-knowledge insights. This paper aims to discover the self-quantified patterns using multi-time window models.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a multi-time window analytical workflow developed to support the streaming k-means clustering algorithm, based on an online/offline approach that combines both sliding and damped time window models. An intervention experiment with 15 participants is used to gather Fitbit data logs and implement the proposed analytical workflow.

Findings

The clustering results reveal the impact of a time window model has on exploring the evolution of micro-clusters and the labelling of macro-clusters to accurately explain regular and irregular individual physical behaviour.

Originality/value

The preliminary results demonstrate the impact they have on finding meaningful patterns.

Details

Applied Computing and Informatics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2634-1964

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 April 2022

Elina Ilén, Farid Elsehrawy, Elina Palovuori and Janne Halme

Solar cells could make textile-based wearable systems energy independent without the need for battery replacement or recharging; however, their laundry resistance, which is…

2704

Abstract

Purpose

Solar cells could make textile-based wearable systems energy independent without the need for battery replacement or recharging; however, their laundry resistance, which is prerequisite for the product acceptance of e-textiles, has been rarely examined. This paper aims to report a systematic study of the laundry durability of solar cells embedded in textiles.

Design/methodology/approach

This research included small commercial monocrystalline silicon solar cells which were encapsulated with functional synthetic textile materials using an industrially relevant textile lamination process and found them to reliably endure laundry washing (ISO 6330:2012). The energy harvesting capability of eight textile laminated solar cells was measured after 10–50 cycles of laundry at 40 °C and compared with light transmittance spectroscopy and visual inspection.

Findings

Five of the eight textile solar cell samples fully maintained their efficiency over the 50 laundry cycles, whereas the other three showed a 20%–27% decrease. The cells did not cause any visual damage to the fabric. The result indicates that the textile encapsulated solar cell module provides sufficient protection for the solar cells against water, washing agents and mechanical stress to endure repetitive domestic laundry.

Research limitations/implications

This study used rigid monocrystalline silicon solar cells. Flexible amorphous silicon cells were excluded because of low durability in preliminary tests. Other types of solar cells were not tested.

Originality/value

A review of literature reveals the tendency of researchers to avoid standardized textile washing resistance testing. This study removes the most critical obstacle of textile integrated solar energy harvesting, the washing resistance.

Details

Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1560-6074

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 February 2022

Tahereh Saheb, Francisco J. Liébana Cabanillas and Elena Higueras

This study aims to determine how Internet of Things (IoT) risks and benefits affect both the intention to use and actual use of a smartwatch.

4720

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine how Internet of Things (IoT) risks and benefits affect both the intention to use and actual use of a smartwatch.

Methodology

The stimulus–organism–behavior–consequence (SOBC) hypothesis is used to explain the mechanisms underpinning the discontinuity between intention and technology usage. A total of 394 questionnaires distributed to smartwatch users were analyzed, using convergent analysis, discriminant analysis and structural modeling.

Findings

The IoT’s technical features, such as continuous connectivity and real-time value, serve as effective stimuli for smartwatches, positively influencing individuals’ responses and behavioral consequences associated with smartwatch usage. While IoT risks such as data, performance and financial have no negative relationship with the usefulness of smartwatches, data and financial risks have a negative influence on their ease of use. Additionally, as ease of use and usefulness have a positive impact on intention to use, users’ behavior is positively influenced by their intentions to use a smartwatch.

Value

The study applies technology acceptance theory and the SOBC paradigm to smartwatches to determine if users’ intentions to use them impact their behavior. Furthermore, the research analyzed the technical elements of smartwatches in terms of IoT advantages and risks.

Propósito

El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar cómo los riesgos y beneficios del Internet de las Cosas afectan tanto a la intención de uso como al uso real de un smartwatch.

Metodología

Se utiliza el modelo Estímulo-Organismo-Comportamiento-Consecuencia (SOBC) para explicar los mecanismos que sustentan la discontinuidad entre la intención y el uso de la tecnología. Se analizaron 394 cuestionarios distribuidos a usuarios de smartwatches, empleando análisis convergente, análisis discriminante y modelización estructural.

Resultados

Las características técnicas del IoT, como la conectividad continua y el valor en tiempo real, sirven como estímulos efectivos para los smartwatches, influyendo positivamente en las respuestas de los individuos y en las consecuencias conductuales asociadas al uso del smartwatch. Mientras que los riesgos de la IO, como los datos, el rendimiento y los financieros, no tienen una relación negativa con la utilidad de los smartwatches, los riesgos de los datos y los financieros influyen negativamente en su facilidad de uso. Además, dado que la facilidad de uso y la utilidad tienen un impacto positivo en la intención de uso, el comportamiento de los usuarios está positivamente influenciado por sus intenciones de usar un smartwatch.

Originalidad

El estudio aplica la teoría de la aceptación de la tecnología y el paradigma SOBC a los smartwatches para determinar si las intenciones de uso de los usuarios influyen en su comportamiento. Además, la investigación analiza los elementos técnicos de los smartwatches en cuanto a las ventajas y los riesgos del IoT.

目的

本研究的目的是确定物联网的风险和利益如何影响智能手表的使用意向和实际使用。

方法。

刺激-组织-行为-后果(SOBC)假说被用来解释意图和技术使用之间不连续的基础机制。对发放给智能手表用户的394份调查问卷进行了分析, 采用了收敛分析、判别分析和结构模型法。

研究结果。

物联网的技术特点, 如持续连接和实时价值, 作为智能手表的有效刺激, 对个人的反应和与智能手表使用相关的行为后果产生积极影响。虽然数据、性能和财务等物联网风险与智能手表的有用性没有消极关系, 但数据和财务风险对其易用性有消极影响。此外, 由于易用性和有用性对使用意图有积极影响, 用户的行为受到他们使用智能手表的意图的积极影响。

原创性。

该研究将技术接受理论和SOBC范式应用于智能手表, 以确定用户的使用意图是否影响其行为。此外, 该研究还从物联网的优势和风险方面分析了智能手表的技术要素。

1 – 10 of 509