Networking and cooperation was the motto of today's meeting of the two projects #CoboTank and #Portskill 4.0 of #IHATEC II (funding of the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr).
PortSkill 4.0 is the first IHATEC project to focus on employees with the topic of training and further education in the context of increasing automation and digitalisation. Learn more (DE): https://portskill.de/
The #CoboTank team is developing and testing a partially automated system for loading and unloading tankers using a collaborative robot ("cobot") in human-technology interaction. Furthermore, concepts for a fully automated robot system are being developed.

With our project Bestmod we were at the mobility conference in the district of Wesel. Under the motto "Mobility in the area of tension between metropolis and rural areas", we came into conversation with numerous representatives from politics, business, municipalities and civil society. The conference was all about sustainable mobility based on people's needs. A central message was the importance of good cooperation between stakeholders and cross-regional thinking, especially in the context of the Lower Rhine, where metropolis, rural area and European neighbours come together.

Within our project "Safebin", we started the sighting and digitisation of accident data in inland navigation at the GDWS in Bonn. Piles of paper from the past decades had to be sifted through. Despite the sweaty work, it was extremely exciting to get an impression of accidents in inland navigation from a human factors perspective. The first review already gave us a good impression of the relevance of human factors in the large variance of different types of accidents. We look forward to continue.

We are thrilled to announce the publication of our latest research paper. The paper represents a significant milestone in our pursuit of a more efficient public transportation system. With our research paper, we present a comprehensive roadmap for achieving sustainable public transport systems. By leveraging advanced modeling techniques, data analytics, and optimization algorithms, we can address the challenges of urban mobility, environmental impact, and operational efficiency simultaneously. We invite you to dive into the details and explore the possibilities of our innovative methodological approach to model, optimize, and shape the future of public transportation.

Link to the paper: From Modeling to Optimizing Sustainable Public Transport

As part of the CoboTank project, we visited the Transport Logistics fair in Munich, one of the most important international platforms for the exchange of ideas and the presentation of new technologies in the field of logistics. With an abundance of exhibitors and trade visitors from all over the world, the fair provided the perfect opportunity to talk about our developments in the field of human-machine interaction, and we received valuable feedback. Interacting with other industry experts reinforced our belief that our research can contribute to the optimization of the transportation industry.

Last week, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Europe Chapter held its annual meeting in Liverpool. The event brought together researchers to discuss the latest developments in the field of human factors. Our team was thrilled to participate and share our current research results on two topics: rethinking public transportation and understanding commuters' intention to adapt, and the relationship between subjective knowledge and acceptance of automated technologies.

Apart from presenting our research, we also enjoyed reconnecting with colleagues and meeting new people. The HFES Europe Chapter meeting provided an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from other researchers' experiences, and network with peers in our field. We are already looking forward to the next meeting in Lübeck in 2024.

At the end of March, TeaP 2023 (Conference of Experimental Psychologists) took place at the University of Trier. Our team was represented there in a talk on "Technology acceptance and risk assessment" and presented research data on the topics of driver assistance systems and mental stress (see abstract on TeaP website), subjective knowledge and the acceptance of autonomous vehicles (see abstract), and technology acceptance in occupational contexts (see abstract). We also presented a pre-data poster on self-directed mindfulness training (see abstract).

We were particularly impressed with the wide range of topics covered at the conference. Participants presented a variety of research approaches and methods from different areas of experimental psychology, which broadened our perspectives and gave us a lot of new food for thought for future research projects. 

Within our Cobotank project, we have started data collection on the mental workload and physical stress of both the operators in the tank farm and the crew on the ship. We use different measurements such as eye-tracking, heart rate, biomechanical measurements and questionnaires. In addition, we collect data on influencing factors such as cognitive functions, experience and other psychological constructs. Many thanks to Evos and the staff for the excellent support and willingness, and the possibility to start the data collection within their tank farm.

I'm pleased to announce that I had the privilege of delivering a keynote lecture at the Colloquium organized by the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute. The event focused on "Digitalization in inland navigation - challenges and current developments", which shed light on the immense opportunities and challenges arising through digital technologies in our waterway systems.

I was honoured to be able to bring a different perspective to the field at the very beginning of the event, highlighting humans as central players in the field of human-machine interaction and discussing insights in the field with esteemed organizations.

As we move forward, it is imperative that we foster a collaborative approach to innovation. By working together across sectors, sharing knowledge, and embracing emerging technologies, we can drive the digital transformation of inland navigation. The next few years hold immense potential for breakthroughs and advancements, and I am excited to be part of this transformative journey.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the organizers, the esteemed participants, and everyone involved in making this Colloquium a resounding success. Let's continue to push the boundaries of digitalization in inland navigation, leveraging its opportunities to create a more efficient, sustainable, and prosperous future for our waterway systems.

#Digitalization #InlandNavigation #Transportation #Innovation #Collaboration

Last week, I was able to experience once again what it means to think together topics in human factors research. The recipe is simple: Take a few psychologists together with a few engineers, spend an afternoon together with different technologies and the results are numerous ideas for future research topics. In addition to classical engineering topics the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Duisburg-Essen lives and breathes the topic of Human Factors within their individual research focus. Many thanks to Maximilian Jarofka, Christian Hürten, Dr. Frédéric Etienne Kracht, Markus Nieradzik, Stephan Schweig, Verena Staab, Eva Gößwein, Maike Ramrath, Vanessa Böhmer, Leonie Bergerhausen and the DST - Development Centre for Ship Technology and Transport Systems for a great day. #future #research #university #engineers #humanfactors

This week we (Verena Staab, Eva Gößwein and I) had the plesure to visit our collegues from Transport Psychology at DTU in Copenhagen, Denmark. We presented our work on psychological aspects of interacting with highly automated technologies and spend one week at the DTU discussing different research themes and ideas in the field of Human Factors. Look forward to future collaborations and many thanks for hosting us.

We pitched something! And won something!

Our idea is about mental workload & measuring it through a new technology, we won 3rd place in the GUIDE Idea Contest 2022. Together with Pia Musebrink, Verena Staab and Eva Gößwein. You find our pitch online

In our project Cobotank we spend the last two days in Hamburg to get a first insight into the process flows of loading and unloading liquid goods. We are looking forward to the next steps. Many thanks to John Fischer from Hamburg Hafen Marketing for the organization.

You can access the book via the following link: Psychologie. The table of contents, the foreword and a reading sample are also available there.

Look forward to seeing you at my presentation on Tuesday, 2022-09-13 at 2pm at the main campus (N007).  Find my abstract: 52.DGPs-Kongress

Using digital media has become the most popular leisure activity for children and adolescents. The effects of digital media use on the developing brain and cognitive processes of children are subject to debate. Here, we examine the effect of digital media use on attention subdomains in children aged 6 to 10 years. In total, 77 children participated in the study. Read more: Children

With the drastic expansion of the games industry, psychological research is concerned with the question as to why certain genres might be more addictive than others. Besides specific games characteristics and motivational profiles of gamers, skills that are relevant to play certain games and genres might provide more insights for answering this question. An exploratory online survey was designed, asking for played genres, subjective relevance of required skills to play the game, gaming motives, and symptom severity. The analyses aimed at investigating which genres are associated with higher and lower symptoms of their players and the relationship between the relevance of skills required for certain genres and the symptom severity of players. Read more: Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking

Many thanks to Prof. Bernhard Schick and the whole team for this event. It was two days full of impressions of new technologies and insights into an impressive institute with great potential. See also: IFM (Insittute for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and Connected Mobility).

The project aims at developing and testing a semi-automatic system for loading and unloading tankers using a collaborative robot ("cobot") in human-technology interaction. I am looking forward to an exciting 3 years in an interdisciplinary team.

It was a pleasure to speak at ICBA 2022 in Nottingham about Mindfulness Meditation and Neurofeedback in the context of behavioural addictions. They were enriching days full of of informative exchange and new impressions.

I am happy to be part of this interdisciplinary project. Together with the Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Duisburg-Essen, we are aiming to develop an optimal, hybrid on-demand solution for public transport in Krefeld and the surrounding area. Together with SWK MOBIL and the city of Krefeld, an approach is to be developed in which a wide range of user-oriented services for rural and urban areas can be created, which at the same time covers additional costs due to the increase in customers. Read more: BestMOD

Digital media defines modern childhood, but iths cognitive effects are unclear and hotly debated. We believe that studies with genetic data could clarify causal claims and correct for the typically unaccounted role of genetic predispositions. Here, we estimated the impact of different types of screen time (watching, socializing, or gaming) on childrens's intelligence while controlling for the confounding effects of genetic differences in cognition and socioeconomic status. We analyzed 9855 children from the USA who were part of the ABCD dataset with measures of intelligence at baseline (age 9-10) and after two years.  Read more: Scientific Reports