Everywhere Ergonomics
Ubiquitous computing will require design that reflects the
strengths and weaknesses of humanity
We are already surrounded by technology. In just the last decade, computers have
crept from our desktops and into our pockets. But this is only the beginning. The
consensus among technologists is that the coming years will see an explosion
in “ubiquitous” computing, as digital devices are increasingly embedded in our
clothes, in buildings, and perhaps even in our bodies.
It is hard to predict precisely what impact this might have on the way we work. We
can speculate that it will further erode the distinction between “home” and “work”,
as practically every surface becomes a medium through which to interact with
colleagues—or friends and family members.
According to Professor Alan Hedge, director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics
Laboratory at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, as technology becomes embedded in
our environment, it will become increasingly important that its design reflects the
capabilities and weaknesses of humanity. As he explains in this interview with The
Economist Intelligence Unit, this trend is termed “everywhere ergonomics”.
This interview is a part of investigation into the future of work by The Economist
intelligence Unit, sponsored by Ricoh Europe. For more, visit http://bit.ly/eiufuturework
Professor Alan Hedge
Cornell University
The EIU: What do you believe will be the biggest trend shaping the way people work in
the next 10-15 years?
Professor Hedge: The number one trend is “everywhere ergonomics”.
With the widespread use of mobile technologies, work is now being done in a wide variety of
locations—not just the office or the factory or the hospital. Traditional boundaries between work
and home are blending together.
As we look 10-15 years ahead, we don’t really know what technology will be like. But we can
anticipate that rather than being mobile and separate, technology will be embedded in our
clothing and our environment; we will be interacting with smart surfaces wherever we go.
And while technology will change, the human body won’t. Our bodies and brains work much the
same as those of our ancestors. If we base future designs on human capabilities and limitations,
we can develop effective technologies that can augment our abilities in the future.
What role does ergonomics play in this trend?
Ergonomics is the science of work. Ergonomic design looks at optimising the interaction between
people and technology, so everywhere that this interaction can happen is a place where ergonomic
design can improve the performance of the system in terms of efficiency, accuracy, comfort,
health and well-being. I call this trend “everywhere ergonomics”.
It has been predicted that 70% of the people on the planet will have access to a smartphone by
2017 and that these devices will account for over 90% of Internet use. Currently, smartphones
S P O N S O R E D B Y:
are used by around 18% of Africans. By 2017 this is expected to be over 30%. The smartphone has
benefited enormously from ergonomic design improvements. It also has major significance for
how and where work is done, and for the health and well-being of its users. A greater awareness
of ergonomics will benefit technology users, and the trend to everywhere ergonomics will create
environments in which these technologies can be used successfully.
Can you give some examples of technologies that will augment our human abilities?
We are at the very beginning of a revolution in “active” objects and products that have sensors
built into them. They can monitor and react to our physiology, emotions and behaviour. We have
smart chairs that measure how long we’ve been sitting and whether we are sitting with the correct
posture. We have smart work surfaces that know whether we are present and can adjust their
height throughout the day to encourage us to change between sitting and standing postures. And
we now have cars that monitor whether our eyelids are wide open or beginning to close and alert
us before we become too drowsy.
If we base future
designs on human
capabilities and
limitations, we can
develop effective
technologies that can
augment our abilities
in the future.
Professor Alan Hedge
Cornell University
Who will benefit from these technologies?
As we get more and more technology embedded into the environment and as these technologies
communicate with each other, we will see an impact on everyone worldwide. Hopefully, this will be a
beneficial impact.
One area where this will be especially important is in healthcare. Increasingly, we will have technologies
with remote diagnostic capabilities that will be able to talk to other technologies that can either alert
treatment services or provide us with the appropriate medications to deal with diseases. We will also
see the decline of some antiquated technologies, such as physically driving a car in favour of the use of
smarter vehicles that communicate with each other to avoid accidents.
How can companies benefit from ergonomic thinking today?
Companies often rely on improvements in technology, yet neglect to improve the skills of their
workforce. For example, they buy faster computers expecting to see increases in productivity, but they
seldom teach their employees how to use those computers and their software effectively or even train
them in basic skills such as typing.
They oppose the use of texting in favour of longer prose, and yet texting is a form of shorthand that
can greatly speed up communication. Instead, they rely on email systems that allow individuals to send
long messages to large numbers of individuals, and the consequence is a slowing of actual decisionmaking. But some companies have now restricted or even banned the use of email in favour of other
collaborative technologies, such as writing ideas on an electronic wall.
What might the long-term impact be?
Ergonomics can make a huge contribution to the successful development, deployment, use and
impact of the new technologies of the future. The discipline began after the end of the second
world war at the request of governments (the Admiralty in the UK and the Air Force in the US) to
improve the performance of military systems.
Governments should invest in more widespread education and training in ergonomics and
encourage companies to incorporate this discipline into their everyday workplace designs and
work practices. All too often, ergonomics is relegated to only dealing with injured workers, but the
discipline has a much greater scope.
Ergonomics should become part of the school curriculum at an early age, so that children learn
good habits when they are interacting with different technologies. This will offer them lifelong
protection against a wide variety of injuries, errors and accidents.
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