Some implications of software-dominated manufacturing for the Ergonomics profession

Whether or not manufacturing moves whole-heartedly to the paradigm of Cyber-Physical Systems of Systems as indicated first in the ‘Industrie 4.0’ programme in the FRG, there is little doubt that manufacturing will become... [ view full abstract ]

Whether or not manufacturing moves whole-heartedly to the paradigm of Cyber-Physical Systems of Systems as indicated first in the ‘Industrie 4.0’ programme in the FRG, there is little doubt that manufacturing will become software-dominated by 2025. This will have significant implications for ergonomists involved in manufacturing: for the nature of roles and jobs, for the design of workspaces and workplaces, and for the design of the interactions between humans and automation. The paper explores some of these implications.