Wearable Computing im Betrieb gestalten: Rolle und Perspektiven der Lösungsentwickler im Prozess der Arbeitsgestaltung

Wearables (such as data glasses and smartwatches) are a particularly visible element of Industry 4.0 applications. They aim at providing situationspecific information to workers, but at the same time they can also generate data on the work process – and sometimes even on movement patterns and vital functions of the employees. Wearables technology is at an early stage of development, in which the interests and perspectives of relevant stakeholders, especially technology developers and the management, are of particular importance. This article explores the role of solution developers and their understanding of work and the work processes in which wearables are to be used. It is based on semi-structured interviews with solution developers and experts from science and companies. The analysis shows an ambivalent understanding of work: on the one hand, it is characterized by the perception of workers as potential sources of error and it focuses on the optimization of individual workplaces and their ergonomics, while broader questions of work design and work organization are ignored. On the other hand, the technology developers see and discuss the potentials and dangers of wearables technologies with regard to individualization, data protection and control in a differentiated manner.