The impact of using wearable devices on the operator during manual material handling tasks

Abstract

There has been a recent advent in the use of wearable devices in the workplace as these technologies offer an opportunity to track product movement through the warehousing and material handling process. This study examines the use of a wand scanner and two wearable devices (ring scanner and smart glasses) on forty healthy participants to study comfort, discomfort and performance while executing shipment putting tasks. The impact of wearables was investigated using the Comfort Rating Scales and Body Discomfort Scale. Participants identified the ring and wand scanner as the most comfortable device. Participants became more uncomfortable using the smart glasses over time during the completion of the task. While using the glasses, the participants experienced discomfort in the eye, neck, and shoulder. This research shows that there is a need for additional improvement with smart glasses before incorporating this technology into the workplace. Companies contemplating incorporating smart glasses to improve productivity can use the results of this study to identify important features needed to optimize this device. Likewise, companies interested in shifting away from handheld scanning technologies to wearable solutions can consider ring scanners and similarly donned devices as performance enhancing solutions. Relevance to industryThis study investigates productivity, comfort, and discomfort of standard material handling tasks through the comparison of multiple scanning devices including a commonly used wand scanner and two wearable solutions (smart glasses and a ring scanner). Ring scanner of most productive with smart glasses being both the least productive and comfortable.