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- Loughborough University
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Cultural
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Museums need innovative ways to improve visitor experience while protecting cultural heritage. Research at Loughborough University developed new approaches for 3D scanning and 3D printing of cultural artefacts and provided a new methodological approach for artefact restoration and replication. Cultural heritage partners (including Forbidden City, Beijing; Manchester Museum; Kelvingrove Museum, Glasgow; World Museum, Liverpool; Museum of Wigan Life) used this knowledge during major replication and restoration projects, with the following impacts: 1) Two economic benefits – a) established a new artefact restoration and replication company with £290k annual turnover, and b) reduced the cost and time needed for artefact restoration at four organisations; and 2) increased public engagement and improved visitor experience at two major exhibitions.
2. Underpinning research
Early museums provided a sensory experience where visitors could hold and interact with displayed objects. In the nineteenth century, a shift towards conservation concerns contributed to the move away from physical interaction. Recent decades have seen a shift back towards interactive exhibits, requiring museums to manage the difficult balance between protecting artefacts and improving visitor experience. Push-button displays provide a degree of hands-on interaction but with increasing technology available within homes (e.g., games consoles) the novelty of this experience is becoming limited. Museums need to fully exploit the benefits of innovative digital design technologies to improve the preservation, exhibition, and replication of rare, valuable, and fragile artefacts.
This research programme, conducted by Campbell, Bibb, Graham and Paterson, aimed to determine how 3D scanning and 3D printing technologies could be used to maximum benefit in the heritage sector. The research identified the different combinations of techniques most appropriate to individual artefacts to assist in their replication or restoration, requiring consideration of accuracy, timescales, and costs. This was achieved through research projects examining how artefacts with a wide range of materials, sizes and required accuracy should be processed. The research also applied these digital tools to visualisation and representation of human anatomy in the medical field [R1].
The research involved 3D scanning and physical reproduction of cultural artefacts. Eleven projects involved Chinese partners: six projects with the Director of Restoration, Palace Museum (2009 – 2019); two projects with the Director of Research, Summer Palace Museum (2012 – 2015 & 2019 - present); two projects with the Director of Management, Garden Museum (2013 – 2015); one project with the Director of Exhibition Design, Palace Museum (2018 - present). The accuracy, cost and timing data generated through these projects was used to develop a new methodological approach for accurate and efficient replication and restoration of artefacts [R2], [R3]. The twelfth project involved collaboration with archaeologists at the University of Manchester (2014 – 2020), Prof Andrew Chamberlain, Professor of Bioarchaeology, and Dr Lidija McKnight, Research Fellow, Dept of Earth and Environmental Sciences. The 3D printing and scanning research at Loughborough focused on developing techniques for the visualisation and physical reproduction of anatomy and artefacts from within mummified animals. This involved the isolation of bone anatomy data to facilitate definitive species identification. Computer-aided visualisation techniques were developed to help visitors better understand the contents of mummies. Physical items were produced to enable handling and physical interpretation by museum staff and visitors, with special attention paid to visually impaired visitors [R4], [R5].
Overall, the research generated new knowledge on how to better 3D scan ancient, mummified objects and manipulate 3D scan data in preparation for 3D printing, optimising the effectiveness of 3D scanning and 3D printing in mummified animal species identification, and developing a new methodological approach for artefact restoration and replication.
3. References to the research
R1: Bibb R, Eggbeer D, Paterson A, “Medical modelling: the application of advanced design and development technologies in medicine”, 2nd edition, Elsevier (Woodhead), Cambridge, UK, January 2015, ISBN 978-1-78242-300-3. (supplied by HEI on request)
R2: Zhang, F, Campbell, RI, Graham, IJ, “Application of Additive Manufacturing to the Digital Restoration of Archaeological Artefacts”, International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing, 2017, 6(1), pp.75-94, ISSN: 1757-8825. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJRAPIDM.2016.078747.
R3: Zhang, F, "Digital applications in the field of heritage preservation", in Beijing papers on the history of garden culture, p365-372, Edited by Society of the Summer Palace, China Social Press, Beijing, 2013 (supplied by HEI on request)
R4: McKnight LM, Adams JE, Chamberlain A, Atherton-Woolham SD, Bibb R, “Application of clinical imaging and 3D printing to the identification of anomalies in an ancient Egyptian animal mummy”, Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2015, 3: pp.328–332, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2015.06.028
R5: McKnight L and Bibb R, “4.6 Industrial imaging” in McKnight L and Atherton-Woolham S (eds) Gifts from the Gods: Ancient Egyptian Animal Mummies and the British, Liverpool University Press, 2015, UK, ISBN: 978-1-78138-255-4, pp 82-85 (supplied by HEI on request)
The research was published in peer reviewed journals and books. It was funded by a competitively awarded HEIF grant from Loughborough’s Enterprise Projects Group.
4. Details of the impact
Close collaboration with many of the museums was embedded within the underpinning research, creating an immediate pathway for the two key impacts:
Impact 1: New economic activity in cultural heritage restoration and replication.
a) New artefact restoration and replication company established in China.
A new private company was established in China in 2014 to provide the expertise generated through our research to museums and other organisations, on a commercial basis. Nanjing Shuwei Cultural Creative Co. Ltd. has one full-time employee and had a 2019 turnover of approximately £290k [S1].
b) The cost and speed of artefact restoration and replication was reduced while artefact quality was improved at three museums in China and the UK and at a theme park in China.
The techniques discovered in our research [R2, R3] have been adopted by leading museums in China (in collaboration with Nanjing Shuwei Cultural Creative Co. Ltd) and the UK. The Palace Museum in Beijing (aka the Forbidden City) is the most visited museum in the world, with approximately 19 million visitors in 2019. In 2019, 3D-printed replicas of an ancient vase and plant were displayed in a special exhibition. 3D-printed cloisonné replicas were displayed in the Forbidden City when the Qianlong Garden opened to the public in 2020. The Director of Restoration, Ancient Architecture Department, Palace Museum, stated:
“The partnership … has enabled the Palace Museum to achieve many more of its restoration targets than would otherwise have been possible. It is estimated the overall time saving over a five-year period has been in the region of 1,800 hours” [S2].
Full-size replicas of the two guardian lions from the entrance to the Summer Palace are now displayed at the entrance to the new Garden Museum in Beijing (see Figure 1). The techniques used to produce the bronze and marble replicas outperformed conventional processes, which had failed to replicate the undercuts on fine detailed relief sculpture.
Figure 1: Replica guardian lion at the entrance to the Garden Museum (left) and the original lion at the entrance to the Summer Palace (right).
In the UK, 3D scanning of hidden artefacts wrapped within Egyptian animal mummies was completed for the Manchester Museum. The data was used to produce 3D-printed replicas of the previously unseen artefacts. The Curator of Egypt and Sudan at the Manchester Museum states:
“… the use of 3D prints in these contexts have been really transformative… in testing assumptions of what mummies actually contain…” [S3].
The replication techniques were also used in non-museum organisations, e.g., consultancy work for the Aero-Sun Engineering Art Co. towards building a 76m tall statue of a Chinese empress. This is a central attraction in the Huayi Brothers’ movie theme park in Suzhou, near Shanghai. The theme park attracts around 5 million visitors per year [S].
Impact 2: Increased public engagement with, and improved visitor experience at two major exhibitions.
Our research led to an improvement in the quality of museum exhibitions by using 3D scan data to create virtual reality (VR) presentations and 3D-printed replicas [R2, R3, R4, R5].
At a major exhibition in the Forbidden City, visitors were able to engage in immersive VR experiences and touch the 3D-printed replica artefacts. Writing about this exhibition, the Director of Design in the Exhibition Department of the Palace Museum stated:
“the partnership … has enabled the Palace Museum to explore new means of introducing digital technology into exhibition spaces” [S5].
Another major exhibition, “Gifts for the Gods: Animal Mummies Revealed”, was initially held at Manchester Museum in 2015 and subsequently at the Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, the World Museum in Liverpool, and the Museum of Wigan Life. At least 300,000 individual visitors saw the original and touring exhibition in person, with over 165,000 people using Manchester’s related social media resource. 3D printing proved successful in demonstrating to visitors the previously hidden artefacts inside the linen wrappings of the animal mummies. Visitor feedback was captured at the first three venues, which showed increased visitor engagement due to the use of science and technology in the study of cultural artefacts. For example, visitors stated:
“A fascinating exhibition, amazing to see the mummified creatures.”
“It was brilliant to be able to touch the replica artefacts and fascinating to learn about the technology that enabled them to be produced” [S6].
As part of the Gifts for the Gods exhibition tour, a range of targeted engagement events were held for the public, including evening ‘Mummy Re-rollings’, daytime talks, guided tours, and sessions for school visitors (covering educational Key Stages 1 to 4). These evolved over time to include handling sessions using the 3D replicas (see Figure 2, below).
Figure 2: Digital visualisations of mummy and hidden artefacts (left)
and handling session using 3D-printed replicas (right).
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
.**
S1: Company registration certificate (Chinese Mandarin, with translation)
S2: Testimonial letter from the Director of Restoration, Ancient Architecture Department, Palace Museum.
S3: Testimonial letter from the Curator of Egypt and Sudan at the Manchester Museum.
S4: Testimonial letter from the Director of Nanjing Aerosun Art Engineering.
S5: Testimonial letter from the Director of Design, Exhibition Department, Palace Museum.
S6: Evaluation of Gifts for the Gods touring exhibition conducted by volunteer guide.
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
International road safety policy aims to reduce road death and casualties. Historically, road safety policy effectiveness has been limited by difficulty accessing scientific knowledge and an absence of comparable national statistics. Loughborough University-led research developed new methods and open access tools to inform international, national and local level road safety policymaking, through the provision of an evidence-base and standardised approach to effectively monitor crashes. This has led to (1) crash data being uniformly recorded across the EU and (2) adoption of the tools by key international stakeholders including the European Commission, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), World Bank and World Health Organisation (WHO), used routinely by policy makers to develop effective road safety strategies worldwide.
2. Underpinning research
Following adoption of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (2011) to reduce traffic casualties, local/national/global road safety policymakers began searching for reliable/detailed evidence to support their goals. Yet knowledge and data were unstructured, un-analysed or unavailable. Our research team (Thomas, Morris, Filtness, Barnes, Welsh & Talbot 2004–2020) led a programme of research developing consistent European-level crash data resources, making traffic safety knowledge available and applying it to pressing road safety challenges. The programme incorporated large Loughborough-led EU funded projects, SafetyNet (2004–2008, €13m), DaCoTA (2010–2012, €7m) and SafetyCube (2016–2019, €6m) and several smaller projects. Research collaborators included academic institutes and car manufacturers from across the EU. Close engagement with policy makers was maintained to ensure usable outcomes. The principal outcomes of this research programme were (1) compatible EU road safety data and (2) synthesised road safety knowledge.
(1) Compatible EU road safety data
Road crashes are a global concern with 1.35 million people killed each year. The World Health Organisation recognises crashes as the only non-disease issue in the top ten causes of death. There is consensus that better data systems were needed to allow development and refinement of crash countermeasures. Research undertaken within the Loughborough-led SafetyNet project identified that data from EU Member States was not compatible, meaning aggregated data on crashes were not valid and EU-wide safety policies could not be established. SafetyNet produced a new Common Accident Data Set protocol that was adopted by the EU and implemented in Member States enabling all 28 sets of crash data to converge over time [R1]. The team also identified obstacles in classifying and enumerating non-fatal injury casualties due to different Member State reporting systems. A new criterion was developed by the Loughborough-led project based on research with hospital and police injury data. The subsequent Loughborough-led SafetyCube project, undertook additional research comparing estimates of serious injury frequency using different methodological approaches based on institutional data. This improved on previous estimates [R2]. Further research, led by Loughborough, developed a new standardised method for estimating severity of injuries based on International Classification of Diseases, commonly used in epidemiological settings [R3].
Research was extended internationally within SaferAfrica [R4] examining road safety challenges in Africa and identifying that poor safety data resources, inadequate strategic direction and capacity gaps were prevalent in many African countries. The Project developed new methods to specify crash details validated by Government experts from six African countries.
(2) Road safety knowledge synthesis
The Loughborough-led DaCoTA project (Data Collection, Transfer and Analysis) revealed road safety policymakers lacked access to information about the nature of safety challenges thus preventing evidence based policy-making. Following detailed research into effective road safety management procedures we developed a new harmonised methodology to capture existing information and synthesise policy-relevant information [R5]. Further research undertaken in the SafetyCube project found a major need amongst policymakers for specific information on the magnitude of road safety risks and the effectiveness of countermeasures. SafetyCube developed new comprehensive approaches including meta-analysis methods that enable policymakers to access up-to-date scientific data to evaluate casualty reduction effectiveness and cost-efficiency of measures [R6].
3. References to the research
R1: Yannis, G., Evgenikos, P., Chaziris, A., Broughton, J., Lawton, B., Walter, L., Hoeglinge, S., Leitner, T., Angermann, A., Bos N., Hemdorff, S., Hollo, P., Tecl, J, Thomas, P, Rackliff, L, Sammartin, J & Pace, JF. (2008). Building the European Road Safety Observatory. SafetyNet. D. 1.14 CADaS-The common accident data set. Project report for the European Commission https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/articles/report/Building_the_European_Road_Safety_Observatory_SafetyNet_D_1_14_CADaS_-_The_common_accident_data_set/9353768
R2: Perez, K., Weijermars, W., Bos, N., Filtness, A., Bauer, R., Johannsen, H., Nuyttens, N., Pascal, L., Thomas, P. & Olabarria, M. (2019). Implications of estimating road traffic serious injuries from hospital data. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 130, 125-135 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.04.005
R3: Barnes, J., Loftis, K. L., Jones, L., Price, J. P., Gillich, P. J., Cookman, K., ... & Brennan, M. (2020). Development of an expert derived ICD-AIS map for serious AIS3+ injury identification. Traffic injury prevention, 21(3), 181-187 https://doi.org/10.1080/15389588.2020.1725494
R4: Thomas, P., Welsh, R., Folla, K., Laiou, A., Mavromatis, S., Yannis, G., Usami, D., Meta, E & Persia, L. (2018) Recommendations for a common data collection system and definitions [SaferAfrica D4.2] Project Report for the European Commission https://hdl.handle.net/2134/35127
R5: Jähi, H., Muhlrad, N., Buttler, I., Gitelman, V., Bax, C., Dupont, E., Giustiniani, G., Machata, K., Martensen, H., Papadimitriou, E., Persia, L., Talbot, R., Vallet G. & Yannis G (2012). Investigating road safety management processes in Europe. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 48, 2130-2139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.06.1186
R6: Martensen, H., Diependaele, K., Daniels, S., Van den Berghe, W., Papadimitriou, E., Yannis, G., Van Schagen, I., Weijermars, W., Wijnen, W., Filtness, A., Talbot, R, Thomas, P., Machata, K., Aigner Breuss, E., Kaiser, S., Hermittee, T., Thomson, R., & Elvik, R. (2019). The European road safety decision support system on risks and measures. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 125, 344-351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.08.005
The research was supported by €4.2M awarded to Loughborough University from the European Commission following highly competitive processes. For example, with 87 competing proposals SafetyCube was the only project funded under MG-3.4-2014. All EU projects are closely scrutinised and peer reviewed while the research is active and upon completion all were regarded as highly successful by the peer reviewers and EC project officers.
4. Details of the impact
The Loughborough-led research programme on enhancing international road safety policymaking assists policymakers in optimising their policy approach, understanding road safety challenges, and facilitating use of evidence in policy making. These impacts have been achieved through numerous pathways including end-user engagement throughout the research programme culminating in the creation of three open access online tools (European Road Safety Observatory (ERSO), African Road Safety Observatory (ARSO) and European Road Safety Decision Support System (DSS) and provision of data. Each tool was independently awarded a Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award in the relevant year post-release.
Impact 1 – Enabling comparable international crash injury data
Our research underpinned provisions of new methods to monitor crashes and ensure crash data are uniformly recorded. Without standardised approaches to crash injury data it is impossible to set benchmarks for road safety improvement and compare between countries. Historically, road safety policy focused on fatality reduction, because fatalities are easier to count than serious injuries. Across the EU a standardised approach to national crash data sets is now used as a result of our research creating the Common Accident Dataset (CADaS) [S1] this facilitates analysis of trends and targets. Also, as a result of our research, it is now possible to count ‘serious’ injury crashes in a standardised way across the EU, whereas historically countries applied different definitions to injury severity which resulted in the same injury being classified as ‘Serious’ in one country but ‘Minor’ in another. This significant problem, tackled by the research conducted in “SafetyNet” (2004 – 2008) [R1], underpinned the adoption of the new definition of “Serious injury” (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale, MAIS 3+) [R3].
In 2015, the EC conducted evaluations of its 10-year road safety strategy and identified a need for increased focus on counting, recording and reducing MAIS 3+ injuries. This conclusion was supported by the OECD which called for Member countries to adopt the SafetyNet MAIS 3+ definition [S2]. SafetyCube research [R2] evaluated the practicability of the definition; subsequently in 2017 the EC endorsed the Valletta Declaration [S3] calling for the EU to strive towards improved serious injury data based on the SafetyNet MAIS 3+ definition, and a 50% reduction of MAIS3+ injuries by 2030. This approach is now standard practice e.g. the UK Department for Transport has been counting injury crashes using MAIS 3+ since 2015 [S4].
SafetyNet enabled the convergence of disparate national crash datasets, enabling benchmarking and target-setting between countries. The CADaS (adopted by the EC in 2008) continues to act as the basis of crash statistics for all EU Member States [S1]. Subsequently, CADaS became recommended practice by the World Road Association [S5], World Bank [S6] and German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development [S7].
Impact 2 – Enabling better decision making through evidence-based tools for road safety policymakers worldwide
Our research underpinned development and adoption of open access evidence-based tools for road safety policymaking. Previously, policymakers had limited access to scientific knowledge. This posed problems as policy was introduced without an evidence-base making it ineffective. The SafetyNet project conceptualised a Road Safety Observatory as a repository for knowledge and scientific data detailing effectiveness of measures to improve road safety which founded the ERSO and its adoption by the EC. The impact from this adoption is realised during the reporting period.
The DaCoTA project [R5] enhanced ERSO by strengthening the Observatory, thereby benefiting road safety by enabling policymakers to make evidence-based decisions. ERSO was awarded the Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award in December 2013 and according to the WHO [S8] was emulated in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Tunisia and the UK. The success of policy decisions is attributable to being underpinned by evidence. ERSO, DSS and ARSO all give policy makers free access to evidence in an understandable format. By 2016, traffic fatalities in Europe had reduced by 42% compared to 2007, as a result of national and European policy decisions.
The SaferAfrica project [R4] evaluated knowledge and data needs in several African Countries developing the ARSO. Following an inter-ministerial agreement in Marrakech (November 2018) it was agreed that ARSO would continue with African leadership and financial support of the World Bank, Federation Internationale d’Automobiles (FIA) and International Transport Forum (OECD) [S9].
In addition, the DSS [R6] was developed by SafetyCube (2018) and scientific evidence targeted at policy makers became accessible to enhance knowledge of risks, measures to improve safety considerations for infrastructure, vehicles, road user behaviour and road safety management (traditionally infrastructure had been the primary focus). Policymakers now actively use the DSS e.g. The UK Department for Transport in the current UK Road Safety Statement [S10].
On reviewing the DSS (2018) both the European Commissioner for Transport and Mobility [S11], and the President of the FIA recognised the SafetyCube legacy.
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
S1: European Commission Reference Guide for a Common Accident Data Set. Version 3.6 - September 2017. Document history and introduction confirms source as SafetyNet project.
S2: The International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis Group (IRTAD) Road Safety Annual Report 2015, OECD Publishing, Paris. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/irtad-2015-en
S3: Council of the European Union Draft Council conclusions on "Road safety endorsing the Valletta Declaration" 7629/1/17 REV 1 TRANS 125 (Valletta, 28 – 29 March 2017) http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-8666-2017-REV-1/en/pdf
S4: Department for Transport, UK 2015. Reported road casualties GreatBritain:2015 annual report.
S5: Road Safety Manual of the World Road Association 2016 updated 2019. Part II Road Safety Management, Chapter 5 Safety Data https://roadsafety.piarc.org/en
S6: World Bank and South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) Road Safety Inspection Manual. Common problems – shared solutions. 2016.
S7: Sustainable Transport: A Sourcebook for Policy-makers in Developing Cities for Urban Road Safety, German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, 2017
S8: World Health Organisation. Global Status Report on Road Safety. 2018 https://www.who.int/publications-detail/global-status-report-on-road-safety-2018
S9: Press release on the World Bank / Federation Internationale d’Automobiles (FIA) Adoption of the SaferAfrica Road Safety Observatory. 23/05/18 https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/05/23/first-african-observatory-to-tackle-the-continents-road-safety-crisis
S10: Department for Transport, UK 2019. The Road Safety Statement 2019 A Lifetime of Road Safety Moving Britain Ahead. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/817695/road-safety-statement-2019.pdf
S11: Testimonial from the European Commissioner for Transport and Mobility, and the President of the Federation Internationale d’Automobiles (FIA) in support of the European Road Safety Decision Support System.
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
The UK social care market (which has grown from £2bn in 2012 to £6bn in 2020) is fragmented into Assistive Technology (AT) ‘niches’ supplied by specialist businesses who only have limited access to R&D investment and lack the ability to optimise their designs for their product users. Mainstream NPD (new product development) also needs to account for the needs of the widest population to ensure social inclusivity. Our research addressed this by developing a novel design process (‘LUCAT’), which delivered two key impacts: (1) Enabled niche designers of AT (e.g. Nottingham Rehab Supplies Ltd) and mainstream companies (e.g. Philips, Arup) to use a cost-effective way to elicit user requirements and deliver optimal design solutions, and (2) improved the ability of people with disabilities, and the charities that represent them, to engage with previously inaccessible sports, such as Boccia and independent running.
2. Underpinning research
Research led by Dr Torrens, ongoing for the last ten years, aimed to improve the lives of people living with disabilities through developing a process to support new product developers of AT in designing products that truly meet the needs and wants of users in a cost-effective way. Our research approach to developing this design process used novel participatory research design methods and heuristics, underpinned with theory and principles from social psychology and systems engineering. The resulting design process was called LUCAT (The Loughborough User-Centred Assistive Technology process) [R1].
The LUCAT process is a streamlined collection of design, engineering, ergonomics and human factors theory and best practice in User-Centred Design (UCD) brought together to enable time-compressed market research and evidence-based design decision-making. The process concept was based on Torrens’ experience of working in the field of AT product design since 1986. He then refined the process and through further research studies between 2010-2020, has significantly expanded the methods and heuristics into the current LUCAT process with the support of Fray [R3, R4, R5, R6].
LUCAT was developed through a practice-based, bottom-up participatory approach within AT product design, informed by Ergonomics and Human Factors theory. The research programme that underpinned the LUCAT process initially defined a suitable approach [R1, R2]. This was based on the conventions of design innovation, the fast time-compressed and iterative cycle of participatory design, and best practice from small batch production design engineering.
These initial methods and heuristics were augmented by additional research into best practice relating to optimum formats of communication to be used by new product developers [R3], principles from social sciences and psychology [R4], and applied within a mixed methods research approach [R2].
Some of the novel principles and heuristics added to the LUCAT process included ‘social camouflage’ (using principles from military camouflage to disguise unusual shapes and profiles within AT products that would be seen as ‘different’); ‘blacksmith’s approach’ (a one-to-one dialogue between designer-maker and user that would have been commonplace in pre-industrial design); and, ‘technology footprint’, (the visual area within the profile of a person with a disability taken up by equipment that affects the viewer’s perception of that person’s persona). In addition, principles used in other disciplines but not conventionally within design development were also employed, such as ‘cultural blindness’, (the differences in how people from different cultures perceive images – important for online sales of AT products) [R1, R4].
The potential for a wider application of the LUCAT process was shown through the review of case studies from other researchers [R1, R2]. The review highlighted the limited number of methods which designers use within new product development, (conventionally four: literature review, task analysis/ usability evaluation, interview, and observation), and the opportunity to apply the LUCAT process whose elements have been sourced from over 200 research and design methods in appropriate communication formats for this market [R2, R3, R6].
3. References to the research
R1: Torrens, G., 2011. Universal design: empathy and affinity. IN: Karwowski, W., Soares, M.M. and Stanton, N.A. (eds). Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics in Consumer Product Design. Boca Raton, Fl: CRC Press, pp. 233 - 248. DOI: 10.1201/9780429143946
R2: Torrens, G.E., 2017. The order and priority of research and design method application within an assistive technology new product development process: a summative content analysis of 20 case studies. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 13(1), pp.66-77. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2017.1280547
R3: Torrens, G.E., 2018. Dialogue Appropriate to Assistive Technology Product Design: A Taxonomy of Communication Formats in Relation to Modes of Sensory Perception. She Ji: The Journal of Design, Economics, and Innovation, 3(4), pp.262-276. DOI: 10.1016/j.sheji.2018.01.001
R4: Asghar, S., Torrens, G.E. and Harland, R., 2019. Cultural influences on perception of disability and disabled people: a comparison of opinions from students in the United Kingdom (UK) Pakistan (PAK) about a generic wheelchair using a semantic differential scale. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 15(3), pp.292-304. DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2019.1568595
R5: Torrens, G.E. and Newton, H., 2013. Getting the Most from Working with Higher Education: A review of methods used within a participatory design activity involving KS3 special school pupils and undergraduate and post-graduate industrial design students. Design and Technology Education: an international journal, 18(1), pp.58-71. Available at: http://ojs.lboro.ac.uk/ojs/index.php/DATE/article/view/1800
R6 : Torrens, G.E. and SMITH, N.C.S., 2012. Evaluation of an assistive technology product design using a paired comparisons method within a mixed methods approach: A case study evaluating preferences for four types of cutlery with 34 upper limb impaired participants. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 8 (4), pp. 340 - 347. DOI: 10.3109/17483107.2012.735746
The underpinning research and commercial development contacts were supported by competitively won funding from UKRI, Sport England, NRS Ltd and other Charities worth over £200,000. The outputs were published in peer-reviewed journals and edited collections in the fields of design, assistive technology, design education and human factors.
4. Details of the impact
The pathways to impact for the LUCAT design process have involved collaborative activity instigated many years before its development. For 25 years, Torrens has regularly invited local and national representatives of charities (e.g., Age UK, University of the Third Age, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Arthritis Care, REMAP GB, Vista Blind) to collaborate on network events and student projects, linking their membership directly to student designers and the underpinning research being done by the research team [R4, R5, R6]. This collaboration provided a deep understanding of the assistive technology design needs of industry and charities. LUCAT is made accessible to practitioners via the Usability-NET website ( https://usability-net.lboro.ac.uk/). This resource developed by Torrens contains a cohesive collection of inspirational and best-practice research case studies to support those applying user-centred design approaches to cost-effectively design products to meet the needs of people with disabilities. The free resource, used by both practitioners and students, aligns the methods and heuristics with the relevant standards for the New Product Development (NPD) of AT. The LUCAT process has been presented at industry exhibitions and conferences such as NAIDEX and recognised through Industry Awards. It was a finalist in the 2019 Leicestershire LIVE awards for education, and a Graduate Inclusive sports product developer (a recipient of LUCAT training) won the Young Innovator Award at the same event [S5], demonstrating knowledge transfer from education into industrial design practice. Over 500 graduates and postgraduates have been trained in the LUCAT process, many of whom now hold senior positions in consultancies or global brands such as Samsung and JPMorgan Chase & Co. The Senior Usability Designer, Philips Experience Design, has provided evidence of how training in the LUCAT process has impacted on his professional practice [S1]. Together, the research and its pathways have led to the following impacts.
Impact 1: Enabled designers of AT to use a cost-effective way to elicit user requirements and deliver optimal design solutions.
Our research on the underpinning design methods, applied using heuristics and an approach communicated through best practice and exemplars [R1, R2, R3] delivered a better way of doing new product development to designers and businesses within the AT product market. The LUCAT process addressed the need of inventors, start-ups and small businesses to have an effective way of cost-effectively gaining insights from the AT market. This is highlighted through the examples of a student enterprise project, Tap Dash, an inclusive point-to-point running game, and AT equipment development for Visually Impaired (VI) Boccia. The Inventor of the VI Boccia game had attended an event to bring student designers and people with a need for AT products together, organised by Torrens.
For example, the production of Kura Care cutlery demonstrates the effectiveness of the LUCAT process in practice (Figure 1). The cutlery was designed for Nottingham Rehab Supplies Limited (NRS). NRS had given invited lectures to our students and were aware of the work of Torrens before commissioning commercial design work. It was produced using the LUCAT process for a small budget and in less than three months from request to production. It followed an earlier research study of cutlery for NRS and applied Gestalt principles of perception (associated with foreground background and applied through military camouflage) to deliver ‘social camouflage’ for the unusually shaped products to appear more conventional, reducing stigma and associated product abandonment. [R1, R2, R6]
| | Figure 1. Kura Care cutlery Range, Nottingham Rehab Supplies Ltd. Highlighting application of Social Camouflage, part of the LUCAT process. | | --- | --- |
The LUCAT process provided New Product Development (NPD) teams with a clear stage-by-stage process for rapid research and design methods including co-design, reducing the time and cost risks within NPD. The Head of New Product Development at Nottingham Rehab Supplies Ltd (NRS), a major manufacturer and supplier of assistive technology products internationally, and regional representative of the British Healthcare Trades Association, stated:
“The Kura Care cutlery range is one of our best-selling cutlery ranges. We sell approximately 30,000 sets and items per year, with increased sales year on year.” [S2]
Furthermore, as evidence of the LUCAT process delivering cost-effective solutions, The Senior Design Engineer at NRS, reported:
“The training I had in the LUCAT process enabled me to get my current and previous job. I have introduced elements of the LUCAT process to engineers and healthcare professionals in my teams in each new role to more effectively gain insights from end users and stakeholders and deliver commercially viable products.” [S3]
Other beneficiaries of the LUCAT process [R1] report its impact, including the cost-effectiveness and suitability of the process for gaining user and stakeholder needs, ensuring appropriateness for the market. The Senior Usability Designer at Philips Experience Design stated:
“A user-centred approach to design is a core aspect of any project I lead. I have introduced much of the LUCAT process as described into our new product development process and to the multi-disciplinary team, which has enhanced our ability to gain consumer insights.” [S1]*
Similarly, a Human Factors Consultant at SYSTRA Scott Lister, reflected on how he had raised awareness of the process within his multi-disciplinary team during stakeholder consultations, whilst on placement with Arup Group Ltd, a major civil engineering company:
“...I knew within the first week of the brief that the elements of the LUCAT process were applicable to the project. ...not having an early codesign intervention, especially for an infrastructure project, would be detrimental… due to the success of using the insights, the organisation was considering adopting the approach for future work.” [S4]
He was referring to the need to gain insights and an affinity from individuals and stakeholder groups, representing people with a wide range of disabilities, at the design stage who would use the transport system to avoid major additional costs due to alterations at the construction stage.
Impact 2: Improved the ability of people with disabilities, and the charities who represent them, to engage in sports.
The underpinning research [R1, R5, R6] was used by Torrens and Fray to gain a better understanding of the needs and aspirations of people with disabilities, and the charities that represent them, engaging them in participatory codesign to produce outcomes with a sense of ownership. [S6, S7] The application internationally of the LUCAT process, is presented in the following examples. These show the reach and impact the approach has had on individuals, communities, organisations, and its usefulness in empowering individuals in different cultures and social groups to have the confidence to change their lives. The examples shown are (i) the Tactile Boccia Grid and (ii) Visually Impaired Running Line.
(i) Boccia is a Paralympic inclusive sport like French Boules. The LUCAT process was used with the Inventor and Visually Impaired (VI) Boccia players to develop the Tactile Boccia Grid, which enabled players to progress rapidly to an advanced level of tactical play and become competitive against sighted players. (See Figure 3 below). Since 2014, from a few local teams in the East Midlands, the game has expanded to two National competitions and is regularly played in over 30 centres around the country. Over 150 units have been used in 14 countries. [S3] The Director of Handi Life Sport, Denmark, the main worldwide distributor of Boccia equipment and products, including the Tactile Boccia Grid, stated:
“...the device serves a great purpose of inclusion of the visually impaired players with the sighted players.” [S6]
Furthermore, the Principal of the Sense (Formerly RNIB) College commented on the engagement between College students and University staff and design students on design projects, including the Tactile Boccia grid:
“what's important for them is to be able to be with young people of a similar age to themselves and … exposed … to people outside of their usual frame … to mix with people outside this sphere of knowledge … that's a really important thing … to feel that their contributing to something really important.” [S7]
(ii) The participatory approach and codesign stages from the LUCAT process were embedded in the research [R6] to produce the Visually Impaired (VI) Running Line. This enabled visually impaired and blind people to run independently of a guide runner giving them a sense of control and independence not previously experienced in their life (see Figure 2 right) [S8]. This VI Running Line enabled engagement with many adapted sports groups to deliver a wide range of innovative events, activities and interventions.
Many VI or blind people have never run more than a few steps in their lives, nor competed against other runners. During the sessions the VI Running Line enabled them to race against their VI, blind and sighted peers. The VI Running Line has been demonstrated at nearly 300 events across the UK and used by over 1,600 Blind and Visually Impaired children and adults, most of whom would have never experienced running independently. When parents and carers have also used the running line, it gave them a better understanding of the difficulties faced by those in their care. The Co-Inventor of the VI Running Line and Inclusive Sports Coach, stated:
“The experience gave parents an insight into the level of uncertainty and difficulty their children had in everyday living, moving and travel in their world and opening discussion between them.” [S9]
Figure 2. Left: VI Boccia ‘touch’ grid in use during a codesign session. Right: VI Running line during experience events, (a guide-line with sliding handle between two limit stops)
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
Impact 1: Enabling designers of AT to use a cost-effective way to elicit user requirements and deliver optimal design solutions.
[S1] Senior Usability Designer, Philips Experience Design, integration of LUCAT to their approach to elicitation of user requirements. (Testimonial).
[S2] Head of New Product Development, Nottingham Rehab supplies (AT manufacturer) impact financial result of LUCAT process on Kura Care cutlery. (Testimonial).
[S3] Senior Design Engineer, Nottingham Rehab Supplies Ltd (NRS) effectiveness of LUCAT process. (Testimonial).
[S4] Human Factors Consultant at SYSTRA Scott Lister, application of LUCAT process to a project within Arup Group Ltd during placement. (Testimonial).
[S5] Graduate and developer of the Inclusive sports product-Tap Dash, winner of the Andrew Simpson Sports Enabling Trust Award 2019, and Young innovator of the year award, Leicestershire Live Awards 2019. (Testimonial).
Impact 2: Improving the ability of people with disabilities to engage with sports and design.
[S6] Director, Handi Life sport. Impact of Boccia grid (boccia touch grid), widening participation and engagement through VI Boccia ‘touch grid’. (Testimonial).
[S7] Principal of Sense College Loughborough. (Testimonial).
[S8] VI Running Line Video available at: ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqFk-P1MVxA&feature=emb_logo)
[S9] Inventor VI Boccia, Inclusive Sports Coach, Co-Inventor VI Running line. Widening participation and engagement. (Testimonial).
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Health
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Around the world, at least five patients die every minute because of unsafe care in hospitals and other healthcare settings, with more than one in ten experiencing preventable harm (WHO, 2019), and almost 500,000 healthcare staff reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the UK in 2018/19. Loughborough University’s research is used worldwide by healthcare organisations, insurance companies and governments, supporting the redesign of work systems (policies, procedures), equipment (beds, hoists, etc.), space (ambulances, buildings) and incident investigation (applying a systems approach). Specifically, the research has: 1) Underpinned a new European Standard for the manual handling of patients; 2) Reduced injuries for nursing and other clinical staff in 120 countries; and 3) Improved patient safety practices in the UK, USA, Latin America, Australasia, and Asia.
2. Underpinning research
Human Factors/Ergonomics is an applied scientific discipline which integrates design, engineering, psychology, and human sciences to understand complex systems and optimise the physical and cognitive relationship between people, objects, and the environment. To provide high quality and safe healthcare for patients, the work systems and workers need to be operational, efficient, and safe. Poorly designed work systems can lead to staff injuries and errors in patient care. The underpinning research, conducted by a team led by Hignett, which has changed international healthcare safety, is described in relation to both occupational safety to reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) and manage manual handling risks [R1-R3] and changing systems thinking (culture/practices) about patient safety [R4-R6].
Occupational safety [R1] was conducted with over £11m research funding from EPSRC, AHRC, NIHR, EU Horizon 2020, Innovate UK, government (NHS, DH, MoD, HSE) and industry. The team started nationally, working with the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwifery, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, and industry partners to introduce safer systems of work (including new equipment design for beds and hoists); and working with Department of Health Estates & Facilities and Intensive Care clinicians to recommend better hospital building designs.
We then collaborated with colleagues across the European Union (UK, Finland, Portugal, and Italy) to examine the organisational, staff and patient factors of a patient handling system with industry funding [R2]. This was one of the first examples of HFE systems thinking to take an integrated approach by addressing both occupational and patient safety. The design of safer work clinical systems includes the product/equipment supply chain, building guidance [R3] and socio-technical system design [R4]. Fray and Hignett have received industry funding to test and evaluate innovative equipment for safer clinical care, including hospital beds, patient hoists, and pressure care products. The building design research has looked at a range of acute facility environments, from general medical/surgical wards to intensive care (adult and neonatal), and hygiene facilities (toilets, bathrooms, and sluice rooms).
In 2015 our focus widened to include more patient safety research in collaboration with the Academic Health Service Network (AHSN) Patient Safety Collaborative [R5]. Hignett, Fray, and Jun received funding (£159,679) from NHS Improvement and Health Education England to develop and deliver HFE education and collected data about challenges to patient safety [R6] and developed the national and international guidance and clinical training programmes reported in Section 4. Finally, the research incorporates and uses our previously created/validated research, including HFE methods and tools; for example, Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) which is taught and used internationally as the foundation for HFE methods and research in many countries [R2].
3. References to the research
R1: Hignett, S. (2003) Intervention strategies to reduce musculoskeletal injuries associated with handling patients: A systematic review. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 60, 9, e6. doi.org/10.1136/oem.60.9. e6.
R2: Fray, M., Hignett, S. (2013), TROPHI: Development of a tool to measure complex, multi-factorial patient handling interventions. Ergonomics 56, 8, 1280-1294 doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2013.807360
R3: Hignett, S., Lu, J., Fray, M. (2010) Observational Study of Treatment Space in Individual Neonatal Cot Spaces, Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing 24, 3, 267-273 doi:10.1097/JPN.0b013e3181e8d5c1
R4: Hignett, S., Jones, E., Miller, D., Wolf, L., Modi, C., Shahzad, M.W., Banerjee, J., Buckle, P., Catchpole, K. (2015) Human Factors & Ergonomics and Quality Improvement Science: Integrating Approaches for Safety in Healthcare. BMJ Quality & Safety 24, 4, 250-254 doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2014-003623
R5: Hignett, S., Lang, A., Pickup, L., Ives, C., Fray, M., McKeown, C., Tapley, S., Woodward, M., Bowie, P. (2016) More Holes than Cheese. What prevents the delivery of effective, high quality, and safe healthcare in England? Ergonomics 61, 1, 5-14 doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2016.1245446
R6: Canham, N., Jun, G.T., Waterson, P., Khalid, S. (2018) Integrating systemic accident analysis into patient safety incident investigation practices, Applied Ergonomics, 72, 1-9, DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2018.04.012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oYV3Dqe0A8
The research was published in peer-reviewed journals. The work on occupational safety [R1-R3] was supported by over £11 million competitively awarded research funding between 2003 and 2019 to reduce manual handling risks to clinical staff with 40 grants from EPSRC, Dept. of Health, National Health Service, and Health & Safety Executive and others.
4. Details of the impact
Our research on occupational safety has been presented at international forums and conferences in the US, Europe, Australia, South Korea, United Arab Emirates, Mexico, Peru, and Canada. It has been adopted by governments and professional bodies leading to the following impacts.
Impact 1: Underpinned a new European Standard for the manual handling of patients
In the UK, working with clinical Royal Colleges (nursing, midwifery, occupational therapy) we developed national guidance to improve patient safety and staff safety during care [S1] which has achieved impact, being used by over 560,000 clinical staff. This was used to develop a European Standard Technical Report (ISO/CD 12296 **[S2]**) to establish a best practice baseline for the manual handling of patients across the healthcare sector [R1, R2] for over 4 million nursing and healthcare staff.
Pathway to Impact 1: Our research underpinned a White Paper from the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors (CIEHF) [R4, R5], co-written with clinicians. It has established the Human Factors/Ergonomics approach to patient safety culture which is now used in the UK [S5] and internationally [S6] (Mexico (Spanish translation), Australia, New Zealand, USA, Portugal and Peru) and during the COVID-19 pandemic . The Head of the Ergonomics Research Centre, Universidad de Guadalajara, Mexico, said:
‘without your research and our collaboration all these activities and benefits would not have occurred. The value of this … is to provide a clear path … of integrating HFE principles and practices to transform all aspects of our healthcare systems in México and Latin America’ [S6].
The reach of this change in working practice has been extended internationally and been adopted by multiple agencies across multiple geographies. For example, Fray has supported the implementation of government policy in New Zealand with the Accident Compensation Corporation and in the USA with the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation [S8].
Impact 2: Reduced injuries for nursing and other clinical staff in 120 countries
The analytics for multinational company AON’s insurance for patient handling injuries are based on our research [R2] and benefit AON and their clients by reducing volatility and improving performance to achieve financial savings due to a reduction staff and patient injuries. Furthermore, AON [S3] has reported a trend of reduced injuries across 120 countries which they attribute to the implementation of the Technical Report for ISO/CD 12296 [S2].
To reduce the injury risks associated with working in cramped spaces, our research changed how space in hospital buildings is planned. Our UK research [R3] developed the methodology to determine dynamic space requirements for treatment and care and specific design standards, for example: communication and circulation space throughout the hospital (including ward design and space around each bed); intensive care (adult and neonatal); and accident and emergency departments.
Pathway to Impact 2: We raised awareness and increased understanding of how to change safety culture and practice with Human Factors/Ergonomics (HFE) approaches via competitively commissioned ‘Taster Workshops’ to over 600 clinical staff [R5]. We delivered training and education to clinical staff and healthcare managers with case studies of changes in safety culture and practice both directly and other media, for example a webinar to over 37 countries [S6]. The CEO, International Society for Quality in Healthcare (network of health care professionals) said:
‘if HFE was used routinely as the foundation for interventions in healthcare, then the wellbeing of healthcare workers would be improved. … The attention to the wellbeing of healthcare workers was a focus of the WHO Patient Safety Day recently and that embodied the importance of this research. … You and your team have contributed to our programmes to spread the principles of HFE and the findings of your research’ [S6].
Our Taster Workshops have been transferred to an online platform and we are delivering it through Learning Management Systems at NHS Education for Scotland and Health Education England to make this available to over 1.5 million NHS staff.
Our approach was incorporated into the guidance produced by the Center for Health Design, working with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Facility Guidance Institute (FGA) to develop the Safety Risk Assessment (SRA) tool ( https://www.healthdesign.org/sra). This tool is used across the world, with Hignett providing expert consultancy services, e.g., to the Cleveland Clinic in Dubai [S4]. The Vice President for Research, Center for Health Design, USA said:
‘Our online evidence-based safety Risk Assessment Toolkit, funded through multiple grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), has a specific focus on these same areas. Your papers become extremely valuable additions to our industry’s evidence base [S4]
Impact 3: Improved patient safety practices in the UK, USA, Latin America, Australasia and Asia
Our research has led to national and international impact for healthcare incident investigation (HSIB), clinical procedures (AHSN) and influence on strategic focus (with associated allocated budget) for Patient Safety Advisors in every NHS Trust.
Pathway to Impact 3 *: We created a resource, the ‘Systems Thinking Video’ [R6] which has changed attitudes of healthcare professionals and mangers towards the human contribution to safety [S7]. It was viewed over 20,000 times across over 100 countries, with the resource website being visited by over 5,500 people from 87 countries (over 200 visitors every month). The video was shared through various national e-learning platforms and websites: NHS Education for Scotland; Health Quality & Safety Commission (New Zealand); Clinical Human Factors Group (UK); Korean Society for Quality in Health Care and used by academics and practitioners in medical schools and hospitals around the world for incident investigation and training [S7]. As the Professor of Health Policy and Management University of Ulsan College of Medicine, South Korea, reported:
‘Over 2,000 healthcare professionals and managers in hospitals … attended the KoSQua conference … including … Dr. Jun’s … advice on systems approach to healthcare incident investigation to the national body, KoIHA, was very instrumental in improving … current investigation methods for patient safety incidents. … The newly revised methods will help KoIHA to better learn from incidents and make effective changes for patient safety improvement in various healthcare systems in South Korea. and improved the existing investigation methods for serious patient safety incidents’ [S7].
Our research has influenced the planning practices of education and training for patient safety in the NHS which has underpinned the development of a national patient safety syllabus (launched 2020) [R4-R6]. The Deputy Director of Patient Safety, NHS England & Improvement said:
‘The Human Factors for Health and Social Care White Paper enabled a better understanding and supported the foundation for change that we have built into the national Patient Safety Strategy for the NHS … with a strong focus on human factors, safe systems and learning from incidents’ [S5]
Further, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 we were requested by AHSN (UK) to improve clinical protocols for use when wearing PPE. The AHSN Patient Safety Director (UK) said:
‘During the COVID-19 pandemic the Patient Safety Collaboratives, [we] launched the National Tracheostomy Programme. A suite of resources were developed to include a set of Human Factors Action Cards for the 3 tracheostomy safety interventions These have been shared [nationally] across all 15 PSCs … [and] … to individual hospital trusts. We have achieved 87% adoption of the 3 safety interventions across England. [S5]
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
S1: Occupational Safety: Manual Handling of Patients UKUK best practice guidance ‘The Guide to the Handling of Patients’ (editions 5, 6 and 7) RCN and other healthcare professional standards.
S2: Occupational Safety: Manual Handling of Patients InternationalTechnical Report for ISO/CD 12296 ‘Ergonomics - Manual handling of patients in the healthcare sector’ https://lupin.lboro.ac.uk/viewobject.html?cid=1&id=226757
S3: Occupational Safety: Reduction in injuries International
International AON insurance company www.aon.com/about-aon/about-aon.jsp
S4: Occupational Safety: Building design
Supporting letter from the Vice President for Research, The Center for Health Design, USA
S5: Evidence for impact (and pathway) for using Human Factors to improve patient safety practices in the UK.
Supporting letters from Deputy Director of Patient Safety, NHS England and NHS Improvement; Safety, Skills & Improvement Research Programme Director, NHS Education for Scotland (NES); Patient Safety Director, Academic Health Sciences Network (AHSN).
Science in Parliament - invited paper for the Parliamentary and Scientific Committee, UK.
S6: Patient Safety Practices: International
Supporting letters from Head of Ergonomics Research Centre, University of Guadalajara, Mexico; President of Human Factors & Ergonomics Society, Mayo Clinic, USA; Chief Executive Officer, International Society of Quality in Healthcare; Faculdade de Motricidade Humana, University of Lisbon, Portugal.
Portuguese translation of White Paper
S7: Patient Safety Practices: Systems Thinking videoSupporting letters from Vice President of Korean Society for Patient Safety, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, South Korea; Consultant Psychiatrist, Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, UK); Consultant Anaesthetist, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, UK); Medical Director, Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch; Performance Improvement Team Manager, Seoul St Mary’s Hospital, South Korea.
S8: Occupational Safety: Manual Handling of Patients International Supporting letters from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), New Zealand (Chair of the Manual Handling Association of New Zealand) and the Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, USA (Project Lead – Professor of Industrial Hygiene and Occupational Ergonomics, University of Cincinnati).
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Societal
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
In 2015, Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for universities to ‘embrace indigenization’, and in 2019, its National Enquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and Girls, emphasized the arts and education in empowering marginalized Indigenous women to become community leaders and change makers in order to reduce social, economic and physical violence against them. Research insights from Loughborough University on women, nation, citizenship and photographies led to a partnership with the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) to create an Indigenous feminist art curriculum in unceded Stó:lō territory, generating the following impacts:1. Influenced national education policy in Canada (‘Indigenizing the Academy’), and 2. Enabled Stó:lō and other marginalised Indigenous women to reclaim connections to place and culture, enhancing their personal empowerment and community leadership.
2. Underpinning research
Women’s contributions to the arts have been undervalued and under-researched for generations, a situation even more acute for Black, Indigenous and other women of colour. Changing this situation requires more than locating and documenting ‘lost’ histories of women’s art. Rendering visible the rich and varied work of women in the arts requires deconstructing art’s iniquitous gendered power relationships and decolonising its Eurocentric practices and institutions. This problem was addressed by the long-standing transnational feminist arts research that motivated the collaboration between Marion Arnold and Marsha Meskimmon that came to be called The Lens of Empowerment. Three research insights underpinned the impact claimed here: a) feminisms and the visual arts are key to rethinking concepts of ‘nation’, ‘citizenship’ and ‘sovereignty’; b) feminist art practices and pedagogies simultaneously support women’s personal empowerment and facilitate their community leadership; c) making marginalised women’s stories visible and audible is crucial to changing dominant cultural narratives.
Meskimmon and Arnold met in 2001, shortly after Arnold had resettled in the UK from South Africa. Their research shared core concerns: Meskimmon was completing Women Making Art, [R1] supported by research fellowships in Australia and the United States. In this book she established a transnational feminist approach to reading global women’s art cross-culturally. The volume also marked the author’s first engagement with contemporary Indigenous women’s art, both from the Antipodes and North America. Arnold, well-known for her pioneering work on women artists before, during and after Apartheid, was then co-editing Between Union and Liberation [R2], which explored the power of women’s art practices, pedagogies and activisms to effect political change in a country where citizenship had been denied and ‘nation’ was contested. In 2006, Arnold contributed an essay on South African women artists, diaspora and nation to Women, The Arts and Globalization [R3], co-edited by Meskimmon and Dot Rowe (now Price). Concurrently, Meskimmon was researching the intersections between gender, nation, ‘world citizenship’ and the arts for her book Contemporary Art and the Cosmopolitan Imagination [R4].
In 2009, Arnold and Meskimmon brought their decolonising feminist perspectives on global women’s art together with their examinations of nation, migration and gendered citizenship. This led to the founding of the international research network at the heart of this case study, The Lens of Empowerment: Women, Nation, Photographies (2009-12). The particular insights of their transnational feminist arts research determined the intellectual focus and form of the network; [a] to explore the interconnections between women, nation/citizenship and photographies, through [b] transnational feminist projects on art, pedagogy, community activism and women’s leadership that would [c] facilitate marginalised women’s stories to challenge dominant cultural assumptions.
Partners were invited to the network from places where gender politics and concepts of nation/sovereignty were contested: Palestine, South Africa, Taiwan and Canada. Working collaboratively, network partners each developed projects that applied and extended the central research insights locally. The network facilitated annual meetings, an artists’ residency, exhibitions and an international conference, held at Loughborough in 2012. At the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), the network partners’ project was a radical experiment in ‘Indigenizing the Academy’ through the development of a decolonizing feminist arts programme named for the network: The Lens of Empowerment.
Having attained University status and adopted a strategic plan, Indigenizing Our Academy, in 2008, UFV was in an ideal position to test the potential of the Lens research insights. These were applied through creative curriculum development designed to make a difference to the lives of Indigenous women in unceded Stó:lō territory and to shape policy developments in Canadian Higher Education. The teaching programme’s success in demonstrating the potential of transnational feminist arts research to transform curricula and empower Indigenous women within their communities forms the centrepiece of this Impact Case Study.
3. References to the research
R1: Meskimmon, M, Women Making Art: History, Subjectivity, Aesthetics, London and NY: Routledge, 2003 (supplied by HEI on request)
R2: Arnold, M and B Schmahmann (eds), Between Union and Liberation: Women Artists in South Africa, 1910-1994, Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005; Routledge reprint 2017: (supplied by HEI on request)
R3: Meskimmon, M and D Rowe (eds), Women, the Arts and Globalization: Eccentric Experience, Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2013 (supplied by HEI on request)
R4: Meskimmon, M Contemporary Art and the Cosmopolitan Imagination, London and NY: Routledge, 2010 (supplied by HEI on request)
The above outputs have been peer-reviewed and published by major international publishing houses. R1 was also supported by competitively-awarded AHRC Research Leave (2001-02) and two international research fellowships: CASVA (Centre for Advanced Studies in the Visual Arts) at the National Gallery, Washington, DC (2001) and the Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University (2002); and R3, by conference funding from the V&A Museum, London (2006).
4. Details of the impact
Long-standing research on transnational feminism and the arts led Arnold and Meskimmon to establish the Lens of Empowerment network. The Lens network extended the global reach of their insights into gender, nation, citizenship and photographies [R2, R3, R4] and developed pathways to impact. University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) network members, in partnership with Stó:lō elders, applied these insights in the development of a ground-breaking undergraduate programme (also called Lens of Empowerment) that combined Indigenous learning with feminist arts pedagogies. The programme ran at UFV in 2011-12 and again in 2014-15. Its success in empowering Indigenous women in unceded Stó:lō territory to tell their stories of nation and belonging through documentary film and photography led to the following impacts.
1. Influenced national education policy in Canada
Following Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action in 2015 [S3], Universities Canada, the most prominent national organization of Higher Education Institutions in the country, recognised Indigenous student education as one of its seven core priorities, calling for universities to ‘embrace indigenization’, and acknowledging the central role of the Liberal Arts to ‘Indigenizing the Academy’ (ITA) [S3]. UFV was an early champion of ITA [S4], coming to national prominence in 2012 by convening the conference S’iwes Toti:It Q’ep (Teaching and Learning Together) [S3]. Widely hailed as ‘the first of its kind’ [S4], the event attracted over 275 delegates from 33 leading Canadian post-secondary institutions to UFV and showcased the success of the inaugural Lens programme and its student cohort as an exemplary instance of ITA, firmly placing the significance of Indigenous women’s leadership and the arts on the agenda.
The early impact of UFV’s Lens programme on national-level indigenization debates was continued and extended following the programme’s second run in 2014-15, when it focused on ‘reconciliation’. In 2016, as Canadian education policy at national level turned towards reconciliation, UFV was again seen to be ahead of the pack. UFV’s Senior Advisor on Indigenous Affairs and member of the Lens network, reported at the Post-Secondary Truth and Reconciliation Summit convened by the British Columbia Ministry for Advanced Education in Vancouver, that every programme at UFV had an Indigenous focus. [S4] In 2018, Universities Canada featured women’s documentary production at UFV on their Indigenous Education pages as a leading example of reconciliation through storytelling in Stó:lō territory. [S4] By 2019, when UFV hosted a special session on Indigenizing the Academy at the fifth annual National Building Reconciliation Forum in Ontario, changes made in the wake of the Lens programme and S’iwes Toti:It Q’ep event were cited as a turning point for UFV – from integrating Indigenous students into the University, to transforming the University to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing. [S4]
The success of the Lens programme connected women’s leadership with the visual arts, especially documentary filmmaking, and fostered a deep commitment to Indigenous empowerment. [S4] Four women at UFV played key roles in developing the inaugural Lens curriculum as partners within Loughborough’s Lens research network: The Dean of Arts, the Senior Advisor on Indigenous Affairs, and two instructors in documentary film and photography. When the programme was extended in 2014-15, the initial team were joined by two additional women scholars, one an expert in the field of Indigenous storytelling and the second, the inaugural academic appointment in Indigenous Studies at UFV. Later in the same year, UFV installed its first Indigenous woman Chancellor, whose story had featured in her daughter’s film, made during the Lens programme’s second run in 2014-15.
The impact of the Lens programme on Stó:lō, other Indigenous, and non-Indigenous women leading the wider indigenization strategy at UFV was palpable. As its first documentary film instructor wrote of the programme: ‘UFV’s Lens Project was an extraordinary experience in bringing us together for a common purpose; we looked at our role as educators and our teaching methods with fresh eyes…’ [S2] The Dean of Arts further articulated the programme’s effects on indigenization at UFV as ‘helping to form community both in and out of the classroom… faculty and students became co-learners in collective dialogue and reflection.’ [S2]
Loughborough’s transnational feminist arts research was a catalyst for indigenization at UFV, providing a distinctive research focus for the curriculum that established the clear and articulate presence of women’s leadership, cross-cultural storytelling [R1] and the visual arts within the national ITA policy agenda. As UFV’s Senior Advisor on Indigenous Affairs wrote of the legacy of the Lens programme:
The stories of every woman in Stó:lō territory have an impact on nation. The telling of
these stories through photography and video strengthens connections and nurtures
awareness for coming generations because storytelling connects us to the land, and
to each other’ [S2]
2. Enabled Stó:lō and other marginalised Indigenous women to enhance their personal empowerment and community leadership
Through the Lens network, Loughborough’s long-standing transnational feminist arts research on women, nation and citizenship addressed deep issues concerning the marginalization of Indigenous women in Canada. UFV was, and is, well-placed in this endeavour: at 5.3%, UFV’s Indigenous student population mirrors that of Canada (4.9% nationally; 5.9% in British Columbia); by contrast, BC’s oldest University, the University of British Columbia, reported 2.7% in the same period, and nationally, only 11% of Indigenous Canadians hold University degrees. UFV’s pedagogical innovation, based on the research insights of the Lens network and strong partnerships with Stó:lō elders, created an arts programme that reached Stó:lō and other Indigenous women, empowered them to tell their stories of nation and belonging through film and photography, and enabled them to become leaders of social change and action through community organisations, hubs and socially-engaged art practices, as demonstrated in the following examples.
Lens students produced documentary films and photography that articulated Indigenous women’s personal narratives - stories of racism, poverty and status cards, suicide, missing and murdered women, but also of community, land, matrilineal sovereignty and women’s knowledge. Students’ testimonies of development through the Lens programme are striking, many attesting to its empowering impact:
*…when the [Lens] project began, my whole world changed. …After years of *
questioning where my true roots lay and my identity as an individual, the discovery of
my Aboriginal heritage has been an empowering journey. [S2]
Personal empowerment encouraged social mobility and engagement: “I signed up for Lens of Empowerment as a woman struggling to position myself within the feminist movement and greater social justice issues in Stó:lō territory…The program was truly transformative and has shaped my life and work significantly over the past ten years.” [S2] In the decade following the Lens programme, this former student attained an MA in Actionable Postcolonial Studies in Experiential Education (2016), developed an international profile in creative education and social justice, and worked for three years in settler/Indigenous community education in New Zealand before returning to Canada in 2020 to join Simon Fraser University’s social innovation hub, RADIUS. [S2]
Telling Indigenous women’s stories through documentary film led many students from the second cohort to community leadership roles. One who used her Lens film to examine her late mother’s devastating experience in the Indian Residential school system, became a counsellor with the Stó:lō Aboriginal Support and Critical Incident Response Team (ASCIRT), dealing with the effects of suicide on the Indigenous community. Another, whose Lens project explored matrilineal learning and women’s self-governance in Stó:lō territory, later became Director of the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society (FVACFSS). [S1, S2] For one feminist filmmaker, known for her work with young Indigenous women at risk, the Lens programme marked a change of direction from psychology to the arts:
I chose film production after taking an introductory program called Lens of
Empowerment at UFV. I was… aiming to work with Indigenous youth in the school
system. I ended up making my first short documentary and I fell in love with the art
form. [S1, S2]
Long-standing feminist research from Loughborough forged the Lens of Empowerment network; network partners at UFV used it to create the Lens teaching programme. The programme’s success in telling Indigenous women’s stories through film and photography has empowered individuals, benefited communities and influenced national education policy in Canada.
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
Evidence: Alumni and Alumni destinations
S1: Lens of Empowerment student films, 2014-15: Tel i’tsel Kwe’lo (I Am From Here): http://sag-ufv.ca/exhibits/show/lens-of-empowerment-2015/about [PDF]
S2: Cohort destinations, testimonials, interviews, correspondence: [PDF]
FVACFSS https://www.fvacfss.ca/board-of-directors/; Stó:lō ASCIRT https://wisepractices.ca/practices/stolo-ascirt/; RADIUS: https://radiussfu.com/
Vimeo profile Theresa Warbus: https://vimeo.com/user38027605; IMDb information on Indigenous filmmakers: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8102589/;
Interview with member of student cohort, ASA Student Spotlight (2017)
‘Women’s citizenship and identity in Stó:lō Territory: a collective essay from the University of the Fraser Valley’s Lens Project’ in Arnold M and Meskimmon M (eds), Home/Land: Women, Citizenship, Photographies, Liverpool: Liverpool University Press, 2016
Email correspondence between Meskimmon, Arnold, members of cohort/teaching team
Evidence: Indigenizing the Academy
S3: National statements and events: [PDF]
S’iwes Toti:It Q’ep (Teaching and Learning Together), Conference Report https://blogs.ufv.ca/indigenizingtheacademy/2013/09/27/ita-final-report-and-brochure/ (June 2013) [PDF]; The Truth and Reconciliation Committee of Canada: Calls to Action http://trc.ca/assets/pdf/Calls_to_Action_English2.pdf (December 2015) [PDF]
Universities Canada, ‘The Future of the Liberal Arts: a global conversation’ https://www.univcan.ca/media-room/publications/future-liberal-arts-global-conversation/ (March 2016) [PDF]; Reclaiming Power and Place: The Final Report of the Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/ (June 2019) [PDF]
S4: UFV cited in national reports on Indigenizing the Academy: [PDF]
Robbie Liscomb, ‘Turning the wheels of change: Indigenizing the Academy’, University of Victoria News 04.10.12; Dessa Bayrock, ‘Stó:lō stories help for a transformative experience: Lens of Empowerment project returns to University of the Fraser Valley in Chilliwack’ Abbotsford News, 23.07.14; Anne Russell, ‘UFV Lens of Empowerment project returns with focus on women’s experience in Stó:lō territory’ UFV Today 09.07.14; Moira MacDonald, ‘Indigenizing the Academy’, University Affairs, 2016; Michael Bopp, et.al., ‘Reconciliation within the Academy: Why is Indigenization So Difficult?’, Teaching Commons, Lakehead University, 2016; Kelvin Gawley, “Indigenizing” The University of the Fraser Valley’, Abbotsford News, 13.11.16; Dan Smith, ‘Reconciliation and the Academy: Experience at a Small Institution in Northern Manitoba’, Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, no. 183, 2017, pp.61-81; ‘Indigenous reconciliation: The land is the basis for everything’, video feature on UFV’s Indigenous documentary film work, Universities Canada, 29.08.18: https://www.univcan.ca/media-room/videos/indigenous-reconciliation-the-land-is-the-basis-for-everything/; Laura Beaulne-Stuebing, ‘Collaboration and community key to universities’ reconciliation efforts, say conference speakers’, University Affairs, 23.10.19
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Technological
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Organisations and manufacturers need to better understand the impact of thermal stress on the safety and comfort of their employees and consumers, from life-critical situations to user experience and product desirability. Research at Loughborough University on human perceptual, psychological, and physiological responses to temperature stress led to four key impacts: 1) Prevented heat-related deaths in the UK Army; 2) Improved economic competitiveness of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, used for design of more thermally comfortable cars, clothing and buildings; 3) Improved applicability and extended global reach (outside Europe and USA) of the most used indoor-climate design and evaluation standard (ASHRAE 55), and 4) Global sports brands ([text removed for publication]) adopted evidence-based clothing design, leading to innovative products and improved brand competitiveness.
2. Underpinning research
Research at Loughborough’s Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre (EERC) by Professor Havenith and Drs Filingeri, Hodder, and Lloyd has considered a range of perceptual, psychological, and physiological responses to temperature stress. Part of the research focussed on athletes/workers/soldiers exposed to extreme heat. Knowledge on this topic was built up through MOD and EU funded projects (G6RD-CT-2002-00846; FP7-229042; Horizon 2020 R&I-668786; EU-COST action 730) looking at the safety of soldiers and workers avoiding heat illness in hot workplaces. Starting from our simulation models for work/exercises in the heat [R1], we added research on the impact of protective clothing and the development and measurement of body temperature in extreme conditions [R2]. Our latest simulation model allowed the conditions of military exercises where deaths occurred to be analysed and the underlying causes identified.
Clothing insulation data of garments different from the standard western dress (e.g., African, East Asian, Arabic and South Asian) were measured and published [R5] enabling the expansion of the database on clothing insulation data to be used as input into the ASHRAE (American Society for Heating Refrigeration & Air-conditioning Engineers) and ISO building climate design and evaluation standards. This was funded through two specific competitive research calls by ASHRAE (£350k).
A third research area focussed on understanding more general temperature regulation processes, how these are differentiated between different body areas (body mapping), how they vary between different populations (male/female, lean/obese, healthy/MS patients etc.), how they interact with clothing and how they relate to thermal comfort or discomfort [R3, R4, R6, R7]. Building on our research creating maps of sweat distribution across the body (e.g., Figure 1), showing important differences in sweating responses between men and women relevant to clothing design [R3], our body mapping work continued. We determined differences in sweat production and skin temperature development across the body between unfit and fit individuals, differences in pre-pubertal children (under-developed sweat system) and in the elderly (changed distribution and reduced sweat sensitivity) and important changes as a consequence of heat acclimatisation (improved sweat distribution leading to optimised heat loss). Apart from improving our general understanding of thermoregulation, these data are all crucial to optimising clothing fabric selection and clothing design for these specific population groups.
Figure 1: Example of body mapping research (R3): sweat map of male (left) and female (right) athletes during exercise. Darker colours showing higher sweat rates. Data used to inform selection of clothing fabrics for different body sections related to moisture absorption and wicking capacity.
Our novel work on mechanisms and distribution across the body of cold and warmth sensitivity and of wetness perception [R4] also demonstrated significant variation across the body, relevant to the optimal design of garments including placement of ventilation openings, distribution of thermal insulation and choice of contact textile. We went on to focus on the sensory interaction with textiles and with footwear [R6], answering the issue of how big improvements in the product specifications must be before the wearer can notice a significant difference in product performance. Finally, we continued a detailed investigation of sweat gland function. This all provided building blocks for human thermal simulation models and for evidence-based design of improved clothing and footwear .
3. References to the research
R1: Havenith G, Fiala D (2016) Thermal Indices and Thermophysiological Modeling for Heat Stress. Comprehensive Physiology, 6: 255-302. https://doi.org/10.1002/cphy.c140051
R2: Richmond V L, Davey S, Griggs K, Havenith G (2015) Prediction of core body temperature from multiple variables. Annals of occupational hygiene, 59(9), 1168-1178. https://doi.org/10.1093/annhyg/mev054
R3: Smith CJ, Havenith G (2012) Body mapping of sweating patterns in athletes: a sex comparison. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 44(12), 2350-2361. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0b013e318267b0c4
R4: Filingeri D, Fournet D, Hodder S, Havenith G (2014) Body mapping of cutaneous wetness perception across the human torso during thermo-neutral and warm environmental exposures. Journal of Applied Physiology, 117(8), 887-897. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00535.2014
R5: Havenith G, Kuklane K, Fan J, Hodder S, Ouzzahra Y, Lundgren K, Au Y, Loveday D (2015) A database of static clothing thermal insulation and vapor permeability values of non-Western ensembles for use in ASHRAE standard 55, ISO 7730, and ISO 9920. ASHRAE Trans, 121(1), pp.197-215. http://www.techstreet.com/ashrae/products/1894263
R6: West AM, Oberst F, Tarrier J, Heyde C, Schlarb H, Brüggemann GP, Hodder S, Havenith G, (2020) A thermal foot manikin as a tool for footwear evaluation and development. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part P: Journal of Sports Engineering & Technology, online: September 2020. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1754337120952229
R7: Raccuglia, M., Lloyd, A., Filingeri, D., Faulkner, S. H., Hodder, S., & Havenith, G. (2016). Post-warm-up muscle temperature maintenance: blood flow contribution and external heating optimisation. European journal of applied physiology, 116(2), 395-404. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3294-6
The research was funded by competitively-awarded grants from industry (R3, R4, R6, R7), the American Society for Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) (R5) and the EU (R1, R2) (>£3 million) and published in leading, peer reviewed journals.
4. Details of the impact
The Loughborough Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre’s (EERC) research on human interaction with the thermal environment generated a broad range of insights related to thermal working conditions and risks, thermal physiological function, athlete performance and worker/athlete-clothing interactions leading to the following impacts:
Impact 1: Prevented heat-related deaths in the UK Army.
Our investigations underpinned new UK MoD/Army regulations to prevent heat-related deaths among British soldiers. On average, eight UK soldiers die annually during training exercises. Some die from excessive body temperature and many suffer from the lasting effects of heat illness. In 2013, soldiers Edward Maher, James Dunsby and Craig Roberts died in an SAS selection exercise and in 2016 Joshua Hoole died in an Army Fitness Test. Many more suffered from heat illness with lasting effects. Using our research [R1, R2] and expertise in the physiology and assessment of heat exposure, we provided expert witness evidence to the Crown Prosecution Services (2014), The Military Court (2018), Military Police (2019), HM Senior Coroner for North London (2018) and HM Senior Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull Districts (2015, 2019).
Our analysis of the 2013 soldiers’ deaths due to heat illness, contributed to a 'Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths' in 2015 by the Coroner for Birmingham and Solihull, which drew on the failures we identified in the protection procedures of soldiers during the exercise. With the 2016 death of Joshua Hoole, our investigation refuted an Army report claiming no heat stress limits were breached. Our research showed that formal safety limits for the exercise were exceeded, which went unrecognised due to procedural mistakes in the use of the assessment equipment. HM Coroner, based on our report, immediately submitted a further 'Regulation 28 report to prevent future deaths' [S1] to prevent the risk of re-occurrence. The then Secretary of State for Defence (Gavin Williamson) [S2] actioned several measures, citing our report, including warning/instruction labels to be put on all heat stress monitors in use nationally and internationally by the Army to ensure earlier mistakes would not be repeated.
Impact 2: Improved economic competitiveness of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, used for design of more thermally comfortable vehicles, clothing and buildings.
In the design of building and vehicle climate systems, traditionally, the focus has been on simulation of the physical heat exchange processes of the vehicle/building with the environment using extensive (CFD) computer models. The translation to driver/worker comfort in the past was over-simplified. Our research [R3, R4, R6] was used by [text removed for publication], a leading global company in specialist thermal modelling, to develop a virtual Human Thermal Model (HTM) extension to existing CFD (vehicle/building) models to evaluate the impact of the environment in vehicles, buildings and spacecraft on human comfort and thermal perception. Our detailed sweat, temperature and sensitivity distribution maps for different populations, for the first time, allowed this virtual human to be set to respond as male, female, fit, unfit, obese, lean, old, young, Asian, European, etc. as required for individual customers.
For [text removed for publication], their Chief Technology Officer wrote about EERC impact: “for the continued development of our model, we have relied on your publications on sweat distribution” [R1]; “Of particular interest to our automotive customers is your research on thermal perception differences between East Asian populations and Westerners”. He confirmed that EERC research “has been invaluable in broadening our understanding of basic thermo-physiological mechanisms, heat and moisture transfer in clothing, and comfort perception”. [text removed for publication] integrated our ongoing research into the models leading to a better product and economic benefit for the company [S3]. The model generates “sales of over $1 million annually” and has relied substantially on research by EERC: “Your contributions are significant given the widespread international use of our human thermoregulation model, by academia, government and industry, including automotive OEMs, architectural firms, defence organizations and clothing/PPE designers, who need to simulate humans for various applications, including comfort, effectiveness, and safety”. The model’s use “has improved the health and wellbeing of people”.
Impact 3: Improved applicability and extended global reach (outside Europe and USA) of the most used indoor-climate design and evaluation standard (ASHRAE 55).
Our research [S4] addressed a need identified by the American Society for Heating Refrigeration & Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE, 57,000 members worldwide) to make its indoor climate comfort standard (ASHRAE 55) usable more widely across the globe. This was achieved by providing engineers with input data specific for non-western (beyond the US and Europe) countries, where clothing and dressing behaviour differs from the standard western office attire, for which the standard originally was designed. EERC produced extensive tables with insulation and vapour resistance values of African, East Asian, Arabic and South Asian clothing, published as an ASHRAE report (TRP1504) and journal paper of which a selection was embedded in the latest (2019) instructions for the use of Standard 55. The new guidance delivered the tools to apply the standard in other continents (beyond the US and Europe) with very different clothing behaviour. This substantially expanded the application range and reach of the standard, transforming it into a truly global standard and enabling thermal engineers to use it worldwide.
Impact 4: Global sports brands adopted evidence-based clothing design leading to innovative products and improved brand competitiveness.
Sporting clothes brands need to “ innovate continually to improve athlete performance, material function and wearer comfort, to remain competitive as a brand” [S6]. Our industry-funded research [R3, R4, R6, R7] created economic impact by enabling three global companies [text removed for publication], [text removed for publication] and [text removed for publication] , all with extensive clothing R&D departments, to develop better, innovative products with features that are attractive to consumers, along with better communication of the functionality of these features [S5-S7]. Key impacts that are stated by these manufacturers are that, by using our research, they:
1: developed better performing, innovative products.
2: increased user comfort and performance.
3: improved the communication of product features to the consumer.
4: improved internal testing procedures during product development.
a) For [text removed for publication], the Senior Manager for Sport Science at ‘[text removed for publication] confirmed that the expertise provided by our research enabled the company to “ match the right functionality of a new technology to the actual athlete needs” and as such, “the thermophysiological expertise provided by EERC is crucial for adidas” [S6]. He further reported that “ Body maps of athlete’s sweat production zones [R3] have made a tremendous contribution to [text removed for publication] understanding of human performance and enabled adidas to design better performing apparel sold globally”.
[text removed for publication] were also able to use our research to develop clothing specifically for children: “ recent body heat mapping research in pre- and post-pubertal children has shown strongly deviating heat maps from adults, culminating in innovative sports garments developed specifically for this age group.”
In relation to EERC’s research on thermoregulation and comfort in footwear, he stated: “The results on thermal sensitivity and wetness perception in athletic footwear *[R6] gave our engineering team an indication about how much change in a construction is required to have a perceivable impact on the athlete before and during exercise”, which “ had immediate impact on our internal testing procedures”.
b) For [text removed for publication] , the Principal Researcher, Applied Apparel Research, expressed the impact of EERC research for the company’s design process as: “The knowledge generated by your team…has helped us generate 3D digital avatars of the athlete body that … drive product design seamlessly”. Regarding new products , he confirmed that our results “are helping us in the design of innovative products mapped around the body’s skin sensitivity [R4], in order to maximize athletes’ comfort and performance” [R7]. Regarding improved communication of benefits to the user/buyer he stated that EERC research *“helped us communicate the benefits of our innovative products to athletes and consumers” [S7]**.
c) For [text removed for publication] , the R&D project manager confirmed the use of our research in [text removed for publication] product development: “In the last 7 years, the body mapping knowledge provided by the EERC research [R3, R4] was successfully integrated in our heated garments line (hiking and ski jackets, running vests), actively ventilated skiing jackets and variable (inflatable) insulation jackets”.
Regarding consumer communication improvements, he stated: “Research on pre-pubescent children helped the creation of the first sensorial models adapted to exercising children in the cold, allowing [text removed for publication] to give evidence-based customer/parent recommendations on indicative comfort temperatures for clothing as a function of their thermal resistances (from 2019 onwards)”. He described the impact for [text removed for publication] as “ very large as this concerns most of our children product ranges (jackets and pants) for the winter season, with for example hiking, skiing and horse-riding products” [S5].
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
S1: REGULATION 28 REPORT TO PREVENT FUTURE DEATHS - Coroner's report to secretary of State for DefenceReport of Senior Coroner for Birmingham & Solihull to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Ministry of Defence, referring to the report provided by Professor Havenith, in advance of the inquest into the death of Joshua Hoole. "CORONER’S CONCERNS: During the course of the investigation, an expert report has revealed matters giving rise to concern. In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken. In the circumstances it is my statutory duty to report to you." The issue refers to an incorrect use of the heat stress assessment instrument, which was identified in the Loughborough University report.
S2: Letter from secretary of state THE RT HON GAVIN WILLIAMSON CBE MPThis letter cites the expert witness report by Prof Havenith for the Birmingham Coroner and indicates actions taken by the MOD in response to one of the shortcomings listed in the report.
S3: Letter from [text removed for publication] about impact (confidential)
S4: Copy of guidance for use of ASHRAE standard 55, published in ASHRAE handbook, chapter 9, see table 8.8 and related text.
S5: Letter from [text removed for publication] about impact (confidential).
S6: Letter from [text removed for publication] about impact (confidential)
S7: Letter from [text removed for publication] about impact (confidential)
- Submitting institution
- Loughborough University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Summary impact type
- Political
- Is this case study continued from a case study submitted in 2014?
- No
1. Summary of the impact
Over 4000 pedestrians and cyclists are killed or seriously injured every year in Europe due to collisions with Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs). Loughborough University research identified features in the design of HGVs, which limit what a driver can directly see close to the cab, and digitally modelled a large sample of HGVs leading to the following impacts: 1) The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulations were changed to remove an HGV driver blind spot; 2) A New Direct Vision Standard was adopted for all HGVs in London; and 3) EU and UNECE policy was shaped to include direct vision requirements in the European General Safety Regulation.
2. Underpinning research
Over 4000 cyclists and pedestrians, referred to as Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs), are killed through collisions with HGVs every year in Europe [S4]. Our analysis of accident data highlighted that HGVs are disproportionately involved in accidents with VRUs and that the proportion of killed or seriously injured (KSI) is much higher for HGVs when compared to other vehicle types [R4].
Our research investigated this issue and provided solutions. This research was conducted within six projects funded by Transport for London (TfL) and the UK Department for Transport (DfT). The research was conducted by Loughborough’s Dr Steve Summerskill, Dr Russell Marshall, Sharon Cook, Dr Abby Paterson, Dr James Lenard, and Mr Anthony Eland.
The DfT suspected that there was a potential for blind spots to be a contributing factor in accidents and commissioned the research team to investigate the issue (Project P1, 2010-2011, DfT). This involved the development of new software tools to allow the 3D visualisation of what a driver can see using direct vision through windows, and indirect vision through mirrors. This novel approach led to the identification of a blind spot that had not previously been recognised (see Figure 1 below) [R1, R2, R3, R4].
Figure 1. Cyclists in the blind spot of an HGV which required a change to UNECE Regulation 46. (Project P1).*
Figure 2. Visualising the volume of space visible to a driver through windows and mirrors, and the distance at which VRU simulations can be hidden from the driver’s view in vehicle blind spots. (Project P2)*
Figure 3. Showing that the DVS is based upon the ability of a truck cab to allow a certain proportion of an ‘assessment volume’ around the cab to be visible to a driver (Project P3).*
Due to the large number of collisions between cyclists/pedestrians and HGVs in London, TfL commissioned the research team to analyse accident data and use the techniques established in Project P1 to test a large sample of HGV designs that was representative of the UK HGV fleet (19 cab designs). This analysis involved modelling the volume of space that is visible to a driver through the combination of direct vision through windows and indirect vision through mirrors (see Figure 2). This highlighted that the design of certain HGV cab features had an unnecessarily negative impact on the ability of the driver to view VRUs directly in close proximity to the vehicle cab. Key vehicle design features which affect direct vision were identified [R6]. At this point in time there was no regulation of what an HGV driver should be able to see directly through the windows of a vehicle cab. Therefore, as part of the project summary, the research team recommended the definition of a direct vision standard (DVS) which would involve a method to measure direct vision and define minimum safety requirements.
The recommendation for a DVS was supported by TfL and the DfT and the research team developed the world’s first standard for HGV direct vision (Projects P2-P5, 2014 – present, [R6], TfL, DfT). The new DVS includes the definition of a minimum volume of space that a driver should be able to see in close proximity to the cab (see Figure 3). This minimum safety limit for direct vision has been defined in a manner which, if met, means that there are no inherent blind spots between indirect vision and direct vision.
Interest in the DVS method was shown in Europe (see Section 4), and the research team supported the development of the UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) version of the DVS. This research project, funded by TfL and the DfT, (Project P6) involved two main activities: (1) to refine the London DVS to make it suitable for use in all UNECE member states, and (2) to design and test a physical method that can be used to measure the performance of a real-world vehicle, which can complement the digital version of the test that was developed for London.
3. References to the research
R1: SUMMERSKILL, S. (2011). Presentation to the UNECE GRSG to highlight the causes of a specific HGV blind spot and how UNECE Regulation 46 should be changed to solve this. https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2011/wp29grsg/GRSG-100-26e.pdf
R2: COOK, S., SUMMERSKILL, S., MARSHALL. R., RICHARDSON, J.H., LAWTON, C., GRANT, R., BAYER, S.H., LENARD, J. AND CLEMO, K., 2011. The development of improvements to drivers' direct and indirect vision from vehicles - phase 2. Report for Department for Transport DfT TTS Project Ref: S0906 / V8. Loughborough: Loughborough University and MIRA Ltd. https://hdl.handle.net/2134/8873
R3: MARSHALL, R., SUMMERSKILL, S. and COOK, S., 2013. Development of a volumetric projection technique for the digital evaluation of field of view. Ergonomics, 56 (9), pp.1437-1450. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2013.815805
R4: SUMMERSKILL, S., MARSHALL, R., COOK, S., LENARD, J. AND RICHARDSON, J., 2015. The use of volumetric projections in Digital Human Modelling software for the identification of large goods vehicle blind spots. Applied Ergonomics, 53, pt. A, pp.267-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2015.10.013
R5: SUMMERSKILL, S. Marshall, R; Paterson, A; Reed, S (2015): Understanding direct and indirect driver vision in heavy goods vehicles. Report. https://hdl.handle.net/2134/21028
R6: SUMMERSKILL, S., MARHSALL, R., PATERSON, A., ELAND, A. AND LENARD, J., 2019. The definition, production and validation of the direct vision standard (DVS) for HGVS. Final Report for TfL review. Version 1.1. London: Transport for London. Report https://hdl.handle.net/2134/36622
The references above include reports to the DfT and TfL (R2, R5, R6), which have been reviewed for accuracy by a stakeholder group including representatives from eight vehicle manufacturers. Items R3 and R4 are published papers in high quality peer reviewed journals. The total research funding from TfL and DfT was over £800,000. All funding was gained through a competitive tender process.
4. Details of the impact
The impact that has been generated by the research team was enabled by the development of relationships with the DfT, TfL, the European Union, the UNECE and eight vehicle manufacturers. It is through this network that the team has modified existing and created new vehicle design regulations through the application of our innovative analysis techniques. The impact achieved was a culmination of multiple pathways over a 10-year period. This research effort has led to the following impacts.
Impact 1: The UNECE regulations were changed to remove an HGV driver blind spot.
All HGVs sold in Europe from the 15th of July 2015 must meet UNECE Regulation 46 revisions defined by P1, which increases the coverage of standardised mirrors to fill in the blind spot identified in the project [R3, R4]. The pathway to this impact involved research performed in 2010/11 [R2], the presentation of the results and suggested change to regulation to the UNECE in 2011 [R1], the acceptance of the suggested change to regulation in 2012 by the UNECE [S9] and the final change to the regulation which came into force for all new vehicles in 2015. The vehicle standards defined by the UNECE are applicable in 56 nations, including the EU, Japan, and Australia. This change to the regulation removed the blind spot that is in a location around the vehicle which is the ‘area of greatest risk’ for VRUs in close proximity to the HGV cab in an urban environment [R5].
Impact 2: A New Direct Vision Standard was adopted for all HGVs in London.
All HGVs which enter London must meet the minimum safety requirements of the TfL Direct Vision Standard, which has been defined by the research team in projects P2-P5 [S1, S2, S3], [R6]. This involved the manufacturers applying the Direct Vision Standard method by following our protocol for every vehicle design. The results were then presented to TfL by the manufacturers, which in turn allowed a permit to be produced for each vehicle. If the performance that is stated in the permit was below the minimum requirement defined by the research team, the vehicle operator was required to fit 6 extra safety features to the vehicle. This compromise was implemented by TfL due to over half of the vehicle designs which were assessed being unable to meet the DVS minimum requirement. Therefore, over half of the existing designs allowed blinds spots between indirect vision through mirrors and direct vision through windows, highlighting the significant scale of the problem.
Impact 3: New EU and UNECE policy was shaped to include direct vision requirements in vehicle safety regulations that are applied to all HGVs sold in Europe.
The research on understanding blind spot size and location, and the subsequent design of the direct vision standard for London has had an impact beyond the UK. An increasing number of accidents between HGVs and VRUs has been recognised by other European cities including Berlin, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Driven by the research performed by the Loughborough research team, Transport for London, safety and sustainability related NGOs, and European city representatives have lobbied the European Parliament to improve the design of all HGVs used in urban environments in Europe. The research team have supported these lobbying efforts by presenting the research in a number of European cities with audiences of MEPs and other stakeholders.
In 2019 the lobbying efforts came to fruition when the EU parliament voted to include direct vision requirements in the European General Safety Regulation using the following statement:
“Vehicles of categories M2, M3, N2 and N3 shall be designed and constructed to enhance the direct visibility of vulnerable road users from the driver’s seat, by reducing to the greatest possible extent the blind spots in front of and to the side of the driver, while taking into account the specificities of different categories of vehicles.” [S8]
It was determined that the most effective way to implement this change was through UNECE regulations which would apply to all EU nations. In 2018, the research team was invited to join the UNECE VRU Proxi working group which directly feeds recommendations for change in vehicle standardisation to the UNECE in Geneva [S6]. The London DVS became the model to follow by the UNECE VRU Proxi group. The research team, funded by the DfT and TfL, subsequently worked with the UNECE VRU Proxi group over a two-year period to refine the London DVS methodology into a standard for all vehicles sold in the EU. The records of the UNECE VRU Proxi group [S7] clearly showed that our research and methods influenced the approach adopted by the UNECE. This was confirmed by the Chair of UNECE VRU Proxi group when discussing our methodology for the measurement of direct vision from HGVs:
“It is fully clear that the methodology for the assessment of direct vision is fit for purpose and that it will be the foundation of the method that will, within the foreseeable future, be adopted by the UNECE World Forum for the global harmonization of vehicle regulations, as the new regulatory standard to be implemented by the UNECE Contracting Parties, which will include all European nations.” [S5]
The changes to vehicle design that are required by the new UNECE regulation will impose a development burden upon vehicle manufacturers around the world, with redesign of the vehicle cabs and underlying structures being required in many cases. Therefore, the proposed regulation change for the UNECE direct vision standard will come into force in 2026, allowing this development time. The impact claimed here is therefore the use of our research to support the lobbying efforts leading to the EU parliament vote requiring improved direct vision for HGVs in Europe, and the adoption of our methodology for measuring direct vision by the UNECE VRU Proxi group. An EU impact assessment [S4] performed in 2015 has indicated that adopting the DVS method will save 553 lives per year in Europe.
5. Sources to corroborate the impact
S1: Letter from Transport for London.
S2: Press Release from the London Mayor https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/new-measures-to-rid-london-of-dangerous-lorries
S3: Press Release from the London Mayor https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-launches-world-leading-lorry-safety-scheme
S4: EU impact assessment https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/47beb77e-b33e-44c8-b5ed-505acd6e76c0/
S5: Letter from the chair of the UNECE VRU Proxi working group.
S6: UNECE WIKI of meeting records from the UNECE VRU Proxy Working Group. See meeting 6, first presentation from LDS https://wiki.unece.org/display/trans/VRU-Proxi+6th+session
S7: UNECE WIKI of meeting records from the UNECE VRU Proxy Working Group. Meeting 15, presentation of testing results for the physical method. https://wiki.unece.org/download/attachments/109347936/VRU-Proxi-15-02%20Rev1%20%28LDS%29%20LDS%20Presentation%20-%20%20UNECE%20VRU%20PROXI%2014th%20meeting_DraftV2.pptx?api=v2
S8: Record of EU parliament and council decision upon the requirement for direct vision from HGVs: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32019R2144&rid=4 See article 9 section 5.
S9: UNECE GRSG (2012). Evidence of the amendment suggested in R1 being accepted by the UNECE GRSG. https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/trans/doc/2012/wp29grsg/GRSG\-102\-29r1e.pdf