A human cyber-physical system to study the motion sickness of seafarers.

Date
2023-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Maritime 4.0 offers technical opportunities to digitally enable ships. Systems are equipped with virtual counterparts, forming cyber-physical systems, to manage operations. However, the human element remains constrained to the physical layer. This dissertation proposes the Mariner 4.0 concept that encourages equipping seafarers with virtual counterparts. Mariner 4.0 is a contribution formulated to serve as a branch of digitalisation that addresses opportunities and challenges associated with human factors in Maritime 4.0, such as a lack in accessibility of human-centric data during operation. Human cyber-physical systems offer a promising means for human-system integration and human digital representation amidst technically-centred developments. This dissertation contributes an architecture for a human cyber-physical system that defines core elements – a physical layer, where seafarers are present, a cyber layer, which contains virtual counterparts for seafarers, and communication between the layers. A human cyber-physical system for seafarers is implemented and deployed, which is the first objective of this dissertation. The trialled human cyber-physical system is a contribution that facilitated human-centric data acquisition and processing for seafarers on a ship over the course of a 20-day long voyage. The motion sickness of seafarers is monitored subjectively and objectively in near real time, a novel feat in shipping, in a case study with 63 participants on board. Seafarers recorded their subjective experiences of motion sickness through two methods. The first, traditional method used paper-based questionnaires, while the second, novel method used the human cyber-physical system. The second objective of this dissertation is to use the human cyber-physical system as a mechanism for advancing the study of motion sickness in shipping. The human cyber-physical system enables personalised data analysis as well as conventional aggregation of results. As such, novel understanding of motion sickness and the study thereof in shipping is uncovered. Measures of motion exposure are determined objectively according to recommended procedures in ISO 2631-1 (1997) and are integrated with the percentage of motion sick individuals on board, forming motion sickness criteria. The human cyber-physical system provides a platform for inspecting the evolution of criteria development during ship operation. The results contribute diagnostic thresholds that could be used beyond the operational stage to assess the levels of sickness that individuals or a cohort may present if exposed to certain measures of ship motion. The motion sickness criteria accommodates factors, such as exposure duration, for tailoring diagnostic thresholds to voyage missions – potentially applicable for voyage planning and ship design. The human cyber-physical system provides a customised platform for addressing challenges and opportunities associated with human factors in Maritime 4.0. Moreover, the human cyber-physical system extended the knowledge basis of motion sickness on ships innovatively. The human cyber-physical system served as a human-centric platform for seafarers that empirically revealed the importance of performing data acquisition and analysis at an individual level in addition to an aggregate level.
AFRKAANSE OPSOMMING: Maritiem 4.0 bied geleenthede om digitale tegnologie op skepe te gebruik. Deur tegnologie word stelsels toegerus met virtuele eweknieë wat kuber-fisiese stelsels vorm om bedrywighede te bestuur. Tans is die menslike element egter beperk tot fisiese voorstellings. Hierdie proefskrif stel die Matroos 4.0-konsep voor as motivering om seevaarders met virtuele eweknieë toe te rus. Matroos 4.0 is ‘n bydrae geformuleer om as ’n tak van digitalisering te dien wat geleenthede en uitdagings rakende menslike faktore in Maritiem 4.0 aanspreek, byvoorbeeld die gebrek aan toeganklikheid tot mens-gesentreerde data tydens skeepsvaart. Menslike kuber-fisiese stelsels bied ’n belowende manier vir mens-stelsel-integrasie en menslike digitale voorstelling te midde van tegnies-gesentreerde ontwikkelings. Hierdie proefskrif dra by ’n argitektuur vir ’n menslike kuber-fisiese sisteem ontwikkel wat uit die volgende kernelemente bestaan – ’n fisiese laag, waar seevaarders teenwoordig is, ’n kuberlaag, wat virtuele eweknieë vir seevaarders bevat, en kommunikasie tussen die lae. Die eerste doelwit van die proefskrif is om ’n menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel vir seevaarders te implementeer en ontplooi. Die vermoë van die beproefde menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel, wat self ‘n bydrae is, om mens-gesentreerde data te verkry en verwerk is ten toon gestel is op ’n 20-dag vaart op ’n skip. Die bewegingsiekte van individue is in reële tyd objektief en subjektief gemonitor, ‘n prestasie in skeepsvaart, in ’n gevallestudie met 63 deelnemers aanboord. Deelnemers het deurgaans terugvoer verskaf oor hoe seesiek hulle voel deur twee metodes. Die eerste, tradisionele metode het papier-gebaseerde vraelyste behels, terwyl die tweede, nuwe metode gebruik gemaak het van die menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel. Die tweede doelwit van die proefskrif is om die menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel te gebruik as ’n meganisme om die studie van bewegingsiekte in skeepsvaart te bevorder. Die menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel het individuele data-analise moontlik gemaak asook die konvensionele samevoeging van resultate. Hierdeur is nuwe begrip van bewegingsiekte en die studie daarvan in skeepsvaart ontbloot. Maatstawwe van skeepsbeweging word bereken soos voorgestel in ISO 2631-1 (1997) en is geïntegreer met die persentasie seesiek persone aanboord, wat bewegingsiekte-kriteria vorm. Die menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel verskaf ’n platform waardeur die evolusie van kriteria-ontwikkeling tydens skip operasie waargeneem kan word. Die resultate dra by diagnostiese vlakke wat tydens skip operasies gebruik kan word, en in die skeepsontwerpproses kan invoer, om die vlakke van siekte te bepaal wat individue of ’n groep kan ondervind as hulle aan sekere maatstawwe van skeepsbeweging blootgestel is. Die kriteria akkommodeer faktore, soos die duur van blootstelling, om diagnostiese vlakke aan te pas by reismissies wat moontlik van toepassing kan wees tydens reisbeplanning en skeepsontwerp. Die menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel is ’n pasgemaakte platform wat uitdagings en geleenthede wat met menslike faktore in Maritiem 4.0 geassosieer is aanspreek. Boonop het die menslike kuber-fisiese stelsel die kennisbasis van bewegingsiekte op skepe in ’n innoverende wyse uitgebrei. Die menslike kuber-fisiese sisteem het gedien as ’n mens-gesentreerde platform vir seevaarders wat empiries die belangrikheid onthul om data-verkryging en -analise op ’n individuele vlak bykomend tot ’n saamgevoegde vlak uit te voer.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2023.
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