Neuroergonomic Assessment of Wheelchair Control in Real World Environments with both Healthy and Clinical Populations

摘要 神经工效学是一个新兴的领域，研究人类大脑与行为的关系。 在自然环境和日常环境中的表现。神经工效学研究旨在扩大我们的 理解人类感知，认知和运动功能的神经机制， 专注于现实世界的背景。传统的神经成像设备，如功能性磁共振成像 功能磁共振成像（fMRI）可能是昂贵的、不切实际的，并且不适合大规模部署以探索、利用和进一步开发。 理解复杂的运动任务，特别是在残疾社区。因此，功能性近红外 光谱（fNIRS），一种新兴的可穿戴神经成像技术，测量类似的皮质 与功能磁共振成像中的血流动力学反应一样，但使用便携式、更容易获得且成本相对较低的传感器， 独特的机会，探索认知功能的实验室，包括轮椅控制。认知 工作负荷是指任务对大脑有限处理能力的要求。通常当一个人 处理能力达到极限时，会出现性能故障和错误。丰富的人中 残疾，表现错误可能导致严重伤害，行为改变，并影响平等和自主。 辅助性无障碍方法涉及新一代辅助设备接口，包括电源接口， 辅助功能，可以减少认知和身体工作量，提高安全性，自主性， 社会福利和生活质量。然而，目前我们对认知和身体的理解 工作量仅限于轮椅控制方面的主观评估。 该提案是同类提案中的第一个，使用新一代超便携式大脑监测传感器， 探索和理解活动期间个人和环境的认知工作负荷相互作用 轮椅控制，最终导致独特的方法和客观评估的发展， 目前接受的标准和移动设备。AIM1将结合便携式大脑和身体测量 （皮质血流动力学氧合变化与fNIRS，心率与ECG，身体运动与中枢 加速度计）和自我报告的评估，以评估活动轮椅期间的精神和身体努力 在美国残疾人协会监管的环境中进行控制。我们在目标2中进一步扩展， 将评估动力辅助设备的神经人体工程学设计，以表征如何互补 移动性接口可以影响用户体验和环境参与。 本研究将建立一个综合分析用户认知、情感和 未来辅助设备的物理交互，以改善个性化，移动性和康复。这 这项研究将有助于理解操作员-环境-机器相互作用对脑力负荷的影响。 不同能力的用户。此外，它将提供一种新的方法来客观地评估操作员的相互作用 用于研究和开发当前和新的移动设备。

Abstract Neuroergonomics is an emerging field that investigates the human brain in relation to behavioral performance in natural environments and everyday settings. Neuroergonomics research aims to expand our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying human perceptual, cognitive, and motor functioning with a focus on real-world contexts. Traditional neuroimaging devices such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) can be expensive, impractical, and ill-suited for large scale deployment to explore, utilize and further understand complex motor tasks, particularly within communities of disability. Therefore, functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), an emerging wearable neuroimaging technique that measures the similar cortical hemodynamic response as in fMRI but with portable, more accessible and relatively low cost sensors, offers a unique opportunity to explore the cognitive function out of the laboratory, including wheelchair control. Cognitive workload refers to the task demands on the limited processing capacity of the brain. Often when an individual’s processing capacity reaches its limit, performance breakdown and errors will occur. Among people with disabilities, performance errors can lead to serious injury, behavioral change, and impact equality and autonomy. Complementary approaches to accessibility involve new generation assistive device interfaces, including power- assist features, which can provide reductions in cognitive and physical workload, for improved safety, autonomy, social-wellness, and quality of life. However, currently much of our understanding of cognitive and physical workload is limited to subjective assessments in the context of wheelchair control. This proposal is the first of its kind, using new generation ultra-portable brain monitoring sensors to explore and understand the cognitive workload interactions of the individual and the environment during active wheelchair control, ultimately leading to the development of unique methodology and objective assessments of currently accepted standards and mobility devices. Aim 1 will incorporate portable brain and body measurements (cortical hemodynamic oxygenation changes with fNIRS, heart rate with ECG, body movement with a central accelerometer), and self-reported assessments to evaluate mental and physical effort during active wheelchair control within American Disability Association regulated environments. We expand further in Aim 2, where we will assess the neuroergonomic design of Power-Assisted Devices, in order to characterize how complementary mobility interfaces can impact user experience and environmental engagement. This study will develop a framework for a comprehensive analysis of user’s cognitive, affective and physical interaction for future assistive devices to improve personalization, mobility, and rehabilitation. This study will contribute to understanding the operator-environmental-machine interactions on mental workload of differently-abled users. Furthermore, it will provide a new approach to objectively assess operator interactions for the research and development of current and new mobility devices.