What one piece of technology would most improve your working life?
Chances are it wouldn't be a glove. But car workers in Germany are now using smart gloves that not only save time but prevent accidents as well.
It is an example of how tech-enhanced humans are fighting back against the seemingly unstoppable rise of the robots.
At BMW's spare parts plant in Dingolfing, for example, which employs around 17,500 people, hand-held barcode readers have been replaced by gloves that scan objects when you put your thumb and forefinger together. The data is sent wirelessly to a central computer.
The hi-tech gloves allow workers to keep hold of items with both hands while scanning more quickly. While this may only save a few seconds each time, BMW reckons it adds up to 4,000 work minutes, or 66 hours, a day.
It's not just gloves; the article gives several examples of cool technology that help workers.
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Wednesday December 21 2016, @04:40PM
The gloves sound good. But I'd like more. What about a skullcap that can read brainwaves to figure out what key you want to press, or where you want to touch the screen? Doesn't have to be a skullcap, maybe such a thing could be built into smart glasses or a headset. Any place on the body where signaling can be done could work. Well, any place that leaves the hands free for other things.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @05:40PM
That is AWESOME, or EVEN BETTER:
A machine that can be taught exactly what you would have done had you been there and that can carry out that job without you!
Genius!
PS: The solution to automation is not to turn people into mindless robots...