Ergonomics

Ergonomics is becoming one of the most important factors in the analysis of manual work processes. In general, this refers to the use of psychological and physiological principles in the design and construction of products, processes and systems. A key aspect is the reduction of errors and the enhancement of performance as well as safety and comfort, with a view to the interaction between man and object. There is a great concern to keep experienced employees in their processes as long as possible. To guarantee this, it is essential to banish overloads and critical movement sequences from the work processes. For example, a digital analysis can reveal critical movement sequences and, based on the knowledge gained, make small changes to the workflow that make a big difference to the employee's stress situation.
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This is a combination of different disciplines such as psychology, engineering, physiology, visual design, industrial design, user experience, etc.. Basically, this is research into the design of equipment, devices and processes that correspond to the human body and its cognitive abilities.

The three areas of physical, cognitive and organizational ergonomics can be distinguished.

The focus within these broad categories is very diverse. Specializations in physical ergonomics include visual. In the cognitive area, specializations are found in usability, human-computer interaction, and user experience engineering.

Certain specializations, such as environmental ergonomics, may extend across these disciplines. Here, we study the interaction of humans with the environment, characterized by climate, temperature, pressure, vibration, and light. The evolving field of human factors in road safety uses human factors principles to understand the actions and skills of road users - car and truck drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc. - and to use this knowledge to understand the actions and skills of road users. - and to use this knowledge to design roads and streets to minimize collisions on public roads.

Digital ergonomics maps digital models and methods for planning, realizing and continuously improving products and socio-technical work systems. In the process, personal characteristics of employees are recorded in order to optimize work systems ergonomically. For this reason, the term personal digital ergonomics is used here. Among the most important ergonomic tools for digital ergonomics are digital human models. They represent real people virtually.

Even small optimization measures can contribute to improving the stress situation of employees. Through a digital ergonomics analysis with Motion-Mining®, measures are derived on the basis of the collected data. To date, a digital ergonomics analysis can distinguish between 50 movements, including critical movements such as bending from the back, carrying, lifting, holding, and overhead activities, which can be specifically considered in terms of ergonomics. This creates a direct benefit on the employee side. For a digital ergonomics analysis, in addition to key productivity figures, key figures are also recorded which, similar to the key feature method, allow conclusions to be drawn about the strain on employees. In addition to critical movements, these include, for example, the number of handling operations and the distances traveled. In the future, sensors for light, temperature and sound are also conceivable for a digital ergonomics analysis in order to record the working conditions even more precisely.
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Measures for a digital ergonomics analysis are, for example, the correct placement of products in order picking. This can reduce the strain on employees by reducing bending and overhead work. Optimal route planning so that excessively long walking distances can be reduced is also a typical measure for a digital ergonomics analysis. When optimizing walking distances, an increase in efficiency analysis takes place at the same time. Efficiency and digital ergonomics analyses are often carried out simultaneously.