The influence of a bicycle commuter's appearance on drivers' overtaking proximities: an on-road test of bicyclist stereotypes, high-visibility clothing and safety aids in the United Kingdom.

This study looked at whether drivers overtaking a bicyclist changed the proximities of their passes in response to the level of experience and skill signalled by the bicyclist's appearance. Seven outfits were tested, ranging from a stereotypical sport rider's outfit, portraying high experience and skill, to a vest with 'novice cyclist' printed on the back, portraying low experience. A high-visibility bicycling jacket was also used, as were two commercially available safety vests, one featuring a prominent mention of the word 'police' and a warning that the rider was video-recording their journey, and one modelled after a police officer's jacket but with a letter changed so it read 'POLITE'.

Robustness analysis of a smart surgical drill for cochleostomy.

Background: There is a need for sensor-guided robotic devices that discriminate working conditions and media, and control interaction of tool-points with respect to tissues. At the micro-surgical scale the need is to control exact penetration through flexible tissues and to control relative motion with respect to moving or deforming tissue targets and interfaces.

Methods: This paper describes a smart surgical drill that is able to control interaction with respect to the flexing tissue to avoid penetration or to control the extent of protrusion with respect to the position of the flexible tissue interface under drilling.

Urinary incontinence: a vibration alert system for detecting pad overflow.

A sensor and electronics system is described that monitors the leakage of urine from continence pads into surrounding underwear. Urinary incontinence is involuntary loss of urine and occurs when the bladder muscles contract without warning or the sphincter muscles surrounding the urethra are too weak to prevent leakage. The system comprises a wetness sensor and electronics unit.

A noninvasive continence management system: development and evaluation of a novel toileting device for women.

Purpose: This paper describes a project to develop and clinically evaluate a novel toileting device for women called the Non-Invasive Continence Management System (NICMS). The NICMS device is designed to provide an alternative toileting facility that overcomes problems some women experience when using conventional female urinals.

Design: A single product evaluation was completed; participants used the same device with 1 or 2 interface variants.

Female urinals for women with impaired mobility.

Margaret Macaulay and colleagues describe the range of female urinals currently available, provide guidance on product selection and introduce a novel device designed to overcome some of the limitations of conventional urinals.