Abstract
Ergonomics is well recognized as the study of the design of workplaces, equipment, machines, tools, products, the environment, and systems which takes into consideration a human being's physical, physiological, biomechanical, and psychological capabilities. Within warehouse logistics the need for ergonomic improvements is considerable, given the high level of manual labor and range of movement. Wearable technologies have the potential to improve the means through which an ergonomic study is accomplished. This paper discusses smart textiles and the ways in which they can help with ergonomic modelling by providing a faster and cheaper alternative to video capturing and subsequent computer rendering as well as how they can help in reducing the Hawthorne effect during data collection.
Highlights
Upon reading the description of ergonomics given by the International Ergonomics Association (2017) it is clearly understood that ergonomics deals with the design of products and processes in order to improve a ‘human well-being’ as well as the ‘overall system performance.' As Dul (2003) mentions ergonomics seeks to improve the human-machine interaction by assessing both the social as well as the economic impact of product and process design, striving to find a solution that maximizes the positive impact for both
Warehouse logistics is a field that offers vast opportunities for ergonomic process design and analysis as much of the labour done in this area is manual and with a high impact on the body, given the range of movements and positions a worker would be subjected to during the course of a regular work day
According to Chapanis (1995) the field of ergonomics can be split into two major areas: the conduction of basic ergonomic research that improves the body of ergonomic knowledge, and the assistance in product development and design
Summary
Upon reading the description of ergonomics given by the International Ergonomics Association (2017) it is clearly understood that ergonomics deals with the design of products and processes in order to improve a ‘human well-being’ as well as the ‘overall system performance.' As Dul (2003) mentions ergonomics seeks to improve the human-machine interaction by assessing both the social as well as the economic impact of product and process design, striving to find a solution that maximizes the positive impact for both. Monitoring sensors are often uncomfortable and movement restraining, causing the analyzed person to change their movements in order to be able to accommodate the new machinery This leads to wrong assumptions and measurements and reduces the added benefit that an ergonomics assessment can bring. Motamedzade et al (2003) discuss how it is a branch of ergonomics that emphasizes employees’ self potential for conducting ergonomic improvements at work, specifying that end-users should be actively involved in planning and implementing ergonomics solutions The challenge in this case is to create an environment that is auspicious both to scientific enquiry as well as worker input. Of the patient. Sanchez et al (2016) claims that the creation of effective and unobtrusive wearable devices is one of the basic applications of pervasive computing, and that this creation can be used to improve the quality of ergonomic research by providing both the means of seamless user analysis as well as the solution to specific ergonomic issues that arise in warehouse logistics
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
