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    Item type:Publication,
    Electronic Word of Mouth and Sustainability: A Bibliometric Approach
    (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026) ; ; ;
    Guadalupe-Lanas, Jorge
    Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is a type of human-computer interaction that comprises simple, two-way communication, disseminating information about companies, brands, and products through digital spaces. Given the significant interest in eWOM, various extant studies have sought to structure this field of study through a bibliometric approach. As the literature on eWOM has continued to grow, bibliometric studies on eWOM have begun to be specialized. Following this line of work, the present bibliometric study seeks to unravel eWOM’s structure as it applies to sustainability, a topic of great current importance. Using the Scopus database, 1,968 documents were identified. Descriptive and productivity analyses characterize the field of eWOM and sustainability as a rapidly growing and multidisciplinary field, in which China and the United States stand out in the literature. Science mapping analyses have identified four clusters of terms associated with research lines: 1) human behavior in eWOM, 2) social aspects of eWOM and sustainability, 3) eWOM’s impact on sustainability and tourism, and 4) eWOM’s technological aspects and measurement. The overlay visualization of term analysis reveals an evolution in research interest, progressing from technological aspects, through economic and behavioral aspects, to the current emphasis on sustainability and tourism. Finally, this study discusses these results’ implications for theory and practice. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Analysis of YOLOv26 Variants (Nano to Extra-Large) for Real-Time Weapon Detection in Video Surveillance
    (IEEE, 2026-07) ;
    Del-Valle-Soto, Carolina
    ;
    Real-time weapon detection in video surveillance systems is a critical requirement for proactive security applications, particularly under the computational and latency constraints imposed by edge artificial intelligence deployments. While the YOLO family of object detectors has undergone continuous architectural evolution, the recently introduced YOLOv26 represents a significant redesign aimed at improving efficiency, stability, and deployment suitability across a wide range of hardware platforms. This work presents a comprehensive and homogeneous experimental evaluation of the full YOLOv26 model family, ranging from nano (YOLOv26n) to extra-large (YOLOv26x) variants, for real-time weapon detection in surveillance imagery. All models are trained and evaluated under identical conditions using a dataset that explicitly includes visually similar non-weapon objects as hard negatives, enabling a realistic assessment of false positives and false negatives in safety critical scenarios. The analysis encompasses training and validation dynamics, precision, recall evolution, mean Average Precision (mAP) at multiple IoU thresholds, class-wise confusion matrices, and inference latency. Results show that performance improves consistently from smaller to medium sized models, with YOLOv26m achieving the most balanced trade off between detection accuracy, robustness, and computational cost. Larger variants provide marginal accuracy gains at significantly higher complexity, revealing diminishing returns for edge oriented deployments. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the YOLOv26 architecture offers a scalable and mature detection framework, where model selection can be guided by explicit operational criteria rather than raw accuracy alone. This study establishes a strong baseline for future work on real world edge deployment, multi camera surveillance systems, and hardware aware optimization of next generation YOLO detectors. © 2026 IEEE.
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    Immersive AR–ROS 2 Teleoperation Architecture for a Physical Quadruped Robot
    (MDPI AG, 2026-07-15)
    Criollo, Erick
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    Oñate, William
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    Caiza, Gustavo
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    Andaluz, Víctor
    ;
    Immersive teleoperation of quadruped robots requires the operator to interpret a remote environment, make decisions, and maintain control over a dynamic platform through mediated visual feedback and networked command transmission. This study presents and validates a reproducible augmented reality (AR)–ROS 2 architecture designed to analyze the relationship between system-level technical conditions and operator experience during immersive teleoperation of a physical quadruped robot. The system integrates Meta Quest 3, Unity, UDP communication, ROS 2 middleware, and Xiaomi CyberDog within a modular workflow that jointly supports immersive control, live RGB/depth perception, physical robot execution, and user-centered HRI evaluation. The architecture decouples command transmission and visual feedback into two UDP-based channels: the control channel maps virtual joysticks and discrete HUD buttons to ROS 2 locomotion and action commands, while the perception channel transmits compressed RGB and depth frames for display in the AR interface. Under nominal conditions, the control channel achieved a mean end-to-end latency of 9.37 ms, a P95 of 18.45 ms, an effective update frequency close to 18 Hz, and 100% packet reception. Compared with ROS-TCP-Endpoint, the proposed UDP bridge showed similar latency but higher flow integrity, avoiding duplicate, parsing, and dropped-command events. The visual channel achieved mean end-to-end latencies of 21.09 ms for RGB and 26.99 ms for depth, with frame reception rates of 91.78% and 91.10%, respectively, under a shared 18.67 Mbps mobile network. A complementary network degradation analysis showed that the control channel remained operational under bandwidth reduction, packet loss, added latency, combined degradation, and physical separation of the robot. The user evaluation with 25 participants yielded a corrected Raw NASA-TLX score of (Formula presented.), a positive perceived performance score of (Formula presented.), and a System Usability Scale score of (Formula presented.), indicating low perceived workload and high usability. These results show that low end-to-end latency, high flow integrity, and stable visual feedback were accompanied by low perceived workload and high usability, indicating that the technical temporal response, stability, and robustness of the communication channels are consistent with an effective and low-demand operator experience during AR-based teleoperation of a physical quadruped robot.
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    ROS2-Based Low-Cost Mobile Robot for Educational Assistance with Reactive Navigation and Semantic-Cached Language Processing
    (MDPI AG, 2026-07-08)
    Aucapiña, Sebastián Alexis
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    Benalcázar, Nataly Cecilia
    ;
    ;
    Isa-Jara, Ramiro
    Educational environments, particularly those with limited resources, require affordable mobile robots capable of combining human–robot interaction, autonomous assistance, and academic support without continuous dependence on cloud services. This work presents a low-cost ROS2-based mobile robot implemented on a Raspberry Pi 4B to provide educational assistance in Spanish within controlled classroom environments. The system integrates voice interaction, text-to-speech synthesis, YOLOv8n-based object perception, a specialized door detection model, ultrasonic and inertial sensing, differential-drive control, and a hybrid natural language processing architecture based on semantic caching, local inference, and optional cloud connectivity. Two task-dependent operating modes, education and navigation, selectively activate ROS2 nodes to reduce computational load and energy consumption. Experimental tests conducted in a university classroom evaluated speech recognition, vision models, natural language processing alternatives, sensor behavior, and battery life. The speech recognition module achieved 98% accuracy under both quiet and noisy conditions. YOLOv8n achieved an F1-score of 0.975 for common classroom objects, while the specialized door detector achieved 100% recall with 58.7% precision. The semantic cache correctly resolved recurrent academic queries in the exact-match evaluation, with an average latency of 3.8 s, reducing the need for external language models in known-question scenarios. The robot operated for 96 min in education mode and 75.6 min in navigation mode. These results demonstrate that Spanish voice interaction, reactive navigation, academic question answering, and resource-aware operation can be integrated into a single low-cost edge robotic platform for educational environments. © 2026 by the authors.
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    Low-Cost Interfaces and Technological Accessibility: A Human–Computer Interaction Approach for the Inclusion of Individuals with Motor Disabilities
    Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder of prenatal or perinatal origin that affects motor control, posture, and frequently speech, thereby limiting autonomy and social participation among individuals who experience it. During the transition to adulthood, these limitations tend to intensify, highlighting the need for assistive technologies (AT) that effectively address real-world contexts of use. However, the high cost and limited adaptability of many existing solutions restrict their adoption, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This study is situated within the field of Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and aims to evaluate low-cost input devices based on principles of accessibility, ergonomics, and usability, to improve the work performance of individuals with motor disabilities. A qualitative methodology was employed, based on the think-aloud technique, applied to a case study involving an adult with cerebral palsy who interacted with three devices: a conventional trackpad, a MAKEY MAKEY-based interface, and a wireless keyboard with an integrated touchpad. The results indicate that, although the trackpad allows for a degree of progressive adaptation, it presents limitations in tasks requiring bimanual coordination. The MAKEY MAKEY interface provides greater discrete control but demands high levels of coordination and generates fatigue due to its physical configuration. In contrast, the wireless keyboard with an integrated touchpad emerges as the most efficient and ergonomic alternative, as it distributes functions between both hands and reduces physical effort. It is concluded that the adaptation of mass-market consumer technologies, under a user-centered design approach, can offer accessible, functional, and sustainable solutions for the digital inclusion of individuals with motor disabilities. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Smart Learning for Dyscalculia: Cognitive Support with a Pedagogical Approach
    This study explores the impact of the cognitive rehabilitation of dyscalculia, assessing its effectiveness in improving mathematical competencies and its potential as a complementary tool in educational and therapeutic settings. Preliminary results suggest a significant improvement in numerical performance, highlighting the importance of technology in inclusive education. Smart Learning for Dyscalculia represents an innovative pedagogical approach that combines adaptive technologies with inclusive educational strategies to support learners who experience persistent difficulties in mathematical cognition. Dyscalculia often affects numerical processing, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills, leading to increased anxiety and reduced confidence in formal learning contexts. To address these challenges, Smart Learning environments integrate intelligent tutoring systems, interactive applications, and serious games designed to provide personalized guidance, real-time feedback, and dynamic scaffolding. From a pedagogical perspective, this approach emphasizes student-centered learning by recognizing individual rhythms, strengthening working memory, and promoting motivation through gamification and challenge-based tasks. Immediate feedback and progressive difficulty levels foster critical thinking, while reducing frustration and promoting a sense of achievement. The role of the teacher remains essential, as educators act as facilitators who interpret data from smart systems, adapt strategies, and provide socio-emotional support to ensure equitable learning outcomes. This cognitive support framework not only leverages technology to mitigate mathematical learning barriers, but also advances inclusive education by aligning innovation with pedagogical intentionality. Ultimately, Smart Learning for Dyscalculia contributes to the development of essential mathematical competencies, ensuring that students with diverse needs can participate fully and effectively in academic and everyday contexts. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Interdisciplinary Perspectives on FinTech and Blockchain in Cryptocurrency Platforms: A Systematic Literature Review on Accessibility, Usability, and Digital Inclusion
    (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026) ;
    Luis-Chinchilla, Jose
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    Calle-Jimenez, Tania
    According to recent studies, the application of agile methodologies in the development of cryptocurrency platforms can increase efficiency in improving accessibility and usability in digital financial systems by up to 35%. This study conducts a systematic literature review on the integration of FinTech and blockchain technologies, with a particular focus on accessibility and usability in digital platforms. Based on the PRISMA 2020 framework, indexed publications from the Scopus database published between 2021 and 2025 were analyzed. The results reveal a sustained growth in scientific output, especially during the period 2023–2025, with a notable concentration of publications from countries such as Malaysia, Spain, and Ukraine. The main contributing fields include business, computer science, and economics, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of the topic. Furthermore, the findings highlight the role of FinTech and blockchain in modernizing financial services, improving transactional efficiency, and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to environmental sustainability and digital inclusion. Finally, the study recommends expanding future research to include multiple databases and additional keywords in order to generalize the findings and deepen the understanding of the impact of these emerging technologies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Towards Accessible and Sustainable Universities: Web Accessibility and Human–Computer Interaction in Latin America
    (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026)
    Acosta-Vargas, Patricia
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    Acosta-Vargas, Gloria
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    Salvador-Acosta, Belén
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    Salvador-Ullauri, Luis
    ;
    This study examines web accessibility in Latin American higher education institutions from a Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) perspective, highlighting its relevance to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities). A quantitative and descriptive research design was applied to 50 universities included in the 2025 Webometrics Ranking, using automated HCI-based evaluation tools (WAVE and Google Lighthouse) to assess compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. The evaluation identified 1,238 accessibility errors and 1,393 contrast-related issues, with most violations concentrated in the Perceivable (67.23%) and Operable (28.36%) principles. Countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, and Colombia exhibited the highest levels of noncompliance, while others showed comparatively lower error densities. These results indicate that accessibility barriers in university websites are primarily systemic, stemming from deficiencies in visual perception, navigation, and semantic structure rather than isolated implementation flaws. The findings reinforce the view that web accessibility should not be treated solely as a technical compliance task, but rather as a human-centered, sustainability-oriented dimension of interaction design. Integrating accessibility within HCI frameworks can enhance digital inclusion, reduce educational inequalities, and promote the development of resilient, inclusive, and sustainable digital ecosystems in higher education across Latin America. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
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    Fiber–matrix interaction governs compressive strength in agave-bagasse-reinforced adobe: a factorial experiment with two-way ANOVA and competing mechanism analysis
    (Frontiers Media SA, 2026-07-31)
    De-Obaldia-Escalante, Marcela
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    Del-Valle-Soto, Carolina
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    Acevedo-Parra, H. R.
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    Montoya-Márquez, Orlando
    ;
    Natural-fiber reinforcement is widely cited as a pathway to improve the mechanical performance of adobe, but reported effects on compressive strength are inconsistent across studies: some find improvement, others find degradation, and the choice of experimental conditions rarely disentangles the role of the fiber from that of the matrix. This study quantifies the coupling through a balanced factorial experiment. Forty-nine adobe specimens of (Formula presented) cm were manufactured with three granular compositions (sand-dominated, jal-dominated, and balanced, where jal is a regional non-plastic silt of Jalisco, Mexico) and four mass fractions of agave-bagasse fiber (0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 2%), and were tested under Mexican standard NMX-C-036-ONNCCE by an accredited external laboratory. Three complementary analytical tools are applied to the resulting dataset: (i) a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), (ii) a reinforcement efficiency index (Formula presented) with bootstrap confidence intervals, and (iii) a competing mechanism phenomenological descriptor (Formula presented) that separates a saturating reinforcement term from a linear disruption term. The two-way ANOVA reveals a highly significant mixture–fiber interaction ((Formula presented), (Formula presented), and partial (Formula presented)), which is stronger than either main effect and statistically demonstrates that the sign of the fiber effect is not an intrinsic property of the fiber but rather a property of the fiber–matrix pair. For sand-containing mixtures, the reinforcement efficiency index is (Formula presented) [M1, 95% bootstrap CI (0.96, 1.32)] and (Formula presented) [M3, (0.92, 1.59)] at the optimum (Formula presented); a non-parametric bootstrap over 5, 000 resamples places the optimum at (Formula presented) with posterior probability (Formula presented) (M1) and (Formula presented) (M3). For the jal-dominated mixture, fiber inclusion is net destructive [(Formula presented), (0.68, 0.95) at (Formula presented)], with Welch (Formula presented)-tests rejecting equivalence with the control at (Formula presented) (0.5%) and (Formula presented) (2%) and Cohen’s effect sizes (Formula presented). The best-performing conditions yield mean compressive strengths of 3.22 MPa, which exceeds the 2.0 MPa minimum required by NMX-C-441-ONNCCE-2011 for non-structural masonry by 60%. An immersion test shows that unstabilized specimens disintegrate within 2–3 min, bounding applications to non-exposed or externally protected uses and defining the primary direction for future work.
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    Low-Cost IoT System with Containerized AI and Telegram Bot for Real-Time Air Quality Risk Communication and Preventive Behavior Change
    (Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026) ;
    Álvarez-Tello, Jorge
    ;
    Rugel-Sanchez, Keyla
    ;
    Vargas-Bustamante, Miguel
    Air pollution constitutes one of the main environmental risk factors for public health, particularly in urban environments with limited real time monitoring infrastructure. Although low-cost IoT architectures have emerged as scalable alternatives to extend the spatial coverage of measurements, many implementations lack statistically validated risk classification models capable of translating the environmental data into information to service the public. This study presents the development and statistically validates in real time a risk index for air quality, implemented though a low-cost IoT architecture which integrates supervised artificial intelligence (AI) models deployed at the edge. The system was implemented for eight weeks the Universidad de Guayaquil campus, taking records of PM2.5, PM10 concentrations, temperature and humidity using calibrated sensors. The classification model based on Classification and Regression Trees reached a global accuracy greater which surpassed 90%, with 91.7% concordance to data retrieved from official stations for moderate conditions of PM2.5. K-fold method was used during the validation process and direct comparison with certified infrastructure. Additionally, user evaluation (n = 85) showed 82% adoption of preventive behavior after the implementation of proactive communication with a conversational bot. The results show that the integration of the presented low-cost IoT with validated risk models and user focused communication can generate reliable environmental intelligence and supports preventive decision-making in urban contexts with infrastructure constraints.