Learn more: This is where you can find all the contributions by our experts about the Innovationlab in »Point of View«, »Companies« and »From research«.
More acceptance for new technologies with »Workplace Innovation«
By Steven Dondt et. al. | TNO – The Dutch logistics sector is regarded as being extremely productive and innovative, yet it faces major challenges. For some years now, massive investments have been made in technology programs. As an approach to the successful introduction of new technologies, the so-called »Workplace Innovation« is recommended. »
Transfer projects bring people and technology together
By Silke Bruns | Freelance editor – People and technology work as a team in the social networked industry. In three transfer projects at the Innovationlab, companies have now been able to sound out what this looks like in practice. These have shown that employees’ acceptance of digital assistants is high – and the efficiency gain for the company is also high. »
Change in value creation: In search of business model 4.0
By Ellen Sünkeler | Fraunhofer IML – Companies can only tap the full potential of digitization if they provide innovative digital products and services with new, valuable business models. »
The more flexible the processes, the more flexible the organisation
By Andreas Nettsträter | Fraunhofer IML – Digital solutions for the purpose of work organization help to design this new form of cooperation between humans and technology in the social networked industry to be as uncomplicated and natural as possible for the staff. The focus is on developing an »intelligent shelf« that communicates with people and recognizes their stress level. »
Transfer projects make companies more digital
By Silke Bruns | Freelance editor – »Making Innovative Leaps in Tandem« is the idea behind the transfer projects at
the Innovation Laboratory in which science and business lay the foundations for the implementation of new technologies together – here are two examples.
Packing and picking: Augmented reality in the warehouse
By Veronika Kretschmer and Benedikt Mättig | Fraunhofer IML – First studies into cognitive ergonomics in the Innovation Laboratory Hybrid Services in Logistics show that data glasses are a good alternative to classic processes.
Digital Design: humans are always part of the planning process
By Anike Murrenhoff, Christoph Pott, Moritz Wernecke and Philipp-Akira Bürger | Fraunhofer IML – A new concept for the digital design of intralogistics systems is being developed in the Innovation Laboratory. Involving the employees is an important factor for achieving success. »
Social aspects must not be forgotten
By Matthias Werny | Union for Mining, Chemicals and Energy Industries (IG BCE) – Digitalised and networked production will have more and more impact on our daily lives. Jobs and working conditions will change. The question is how politics, science, business and society will handle this change: will they only react to what is coming, will they take it passively and just bear the consequences? »
Contours of the key principles of digital work
By Peter Ittermann and Martin Eisenmann | TU Dortmund – Adaptive, integrated and participative: this is how human-oriented logistics work must develop in the context of progressive digitization. A total of six key criteria can serve as a basis for well-designed digital work. »
How hybrid services solve problems and generate business
By Andreas Nettsträter | Fraunhofer IML – Whether it is fault prevention during stock-taking, more efficient receiptless deliveries or anticipatory maintenance: small and medium-sized companies from all over Germany are currently sounding out the potential for hybrid services in new transfer projects at the Innovationlab – under special consideration of human-technology interaction. »
Logistics on the couch? Cognitive ergonomics shaping human-technology interaction
By Dr. Veronika Kretschmer | Fraunhofer IML – The employee-friendly design of Industry 4.0 systems is becoming more and more important for the success of digitisation (not only) in logistics. Currently, making improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of human-technology systems is particularly in focus for so-called cognitive ergonomics. »
Research live: From the lab to the »working worlds of the future«
By Carina Tüllmann | Fraunhofer IML – The Innovationlab is taking part in many activities during the Year of Science 2018 as there are various connecting points. The researchers place great emphasis on bringing »the working worlds of the future« for logis-tics and production, which have been developed »in the lab«, to the people and on entering into dialogue with them. »
Training trend gamification: Intralogistics with fun factor
By Benjamin Korth, André Terharen and Moritz Wernecke | Fraunhofer IML – Virtual Reality (VR)-based simulations can help people to orient themselves better at their workplaces or to familiarize themselves with new tasks. Simulations draw on a specific digital way to impart knowledge: the playful learning methods inherent in »serious games«. »
»Like it«: How humans and technology share information
By Arkadius Schier and Timo Erler | Fraunhofer IML – One approach of the vision behind Social Networked Industry is to use social networks as organisational platforms for humans and technology. If communication between humans and machines is going to work through such networks, it is important to have a common understanding of information. »
From smartglasses to drones: Where Logistics 4.0 becomes possible
By Arkadius Schier | Fraunhofer IML – IThe research and application centres form two testing grounds which, due to their full-scale digitization (»100% digitised factory but not empty of people«) can, for the first time, comprehensively explore, evaluate and further develop innovations for hybrid services and man-machine-interaction in practise-oriented industrial applications. »
In the Social Networked Industry Man and Machine become a Team
By Michael ten Hompel | Fraunhofer IML – Whenever people have been speaking about the factory of the future in recent years, one picture ruled the discussion: the »factory empty of people«. The Social Networked Industry presents an alternative plan. »
Improve Processes and Ergonomics with »MotionMining«
By Sascha Feldhorst | Fraunhofer IML – Within the context of the MotionMiners start-up initiative at Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML, research demonstrates how machines can support people meaningfully. Automated activity recognition will improve both processes and ergonomics in intralogistics – a benefit for companies and employees alike. »
People or Technology? This question is not relevant!
By Peter Ittermann and Johannes Dregger | TU Dortmund University– A significant condition for the implementation of the Industry 4.0 project in terms of comprehensive system design is a socio-technical system approach. The design-oriented approach assumes that the implementation of new technologies induces organisational and personnel changes and generally requires that the entire system of performance in production and service is considered. »
Prospects for Work 4.0: How will we work in future?
By Hartmut Hirsch-Kreinsen | TU Dortmund University – It is without question that the increasing spread of digital technologies throughout the working world will cause sustainable consequences for industrial working processes. But does digitisation cause more unemployment or does it “upgrade” work? Two scenarios. »
Transfer Projects: A Tandem Innovative Leap
By Andreas Nettsträter | Fraunhofer IML – Transferring knowledge and technology to companies is a significant pillar of the Innovationlab. So-called transfer projects aim specifically at small and medium-sized companies – and they soon pay off in many ways. »
