Enabling the Adoption of Wearable Computers in Enterprises - Results of Analyzing Influencing Factors and Challenges in the Industrial Sector

Wearable computers like smart glasses or smartwatches enable the use of information systems in application scenarios in which information technology has rarely been used until now. The reason for this is, that users are able to interact with the devices hands-free, e.g. by using voice commands. A hands-free use is in particular relevant for enterprises in the industrial sector, as industrial workers often need to perform tasks manually, e.g. in manufacturing or maintenance. However, the technology is currently not used widely in enterprises. Thus, the aim of our research is to identify influencing factors and related challenges of using wearable computers in order to analyze how its adoption can be increased. Based on an empirical interview study within the industrial sector, we identified 11 influencing factors and 25 related challenges which affect the adoption of wearable computers

DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COLLABORATIVE SMARTWATCH APPLICATION SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN INDUSTRIAL WORKFLOWS

Due to new technological developments and the availability of affordable wearable devices like smartwatches, which recently hit the consumer market, employees in the corporate context can benefit from ubiquitous access to information. Especially in industrial production, there are complex and high involving workflows, which require the collaboration of multiple persons spread over different divisions. In such scenarios, fast and reliable communication is difficult and often disturbs work. Since smartwatches can be worn permanently on the body and the em-ployee has non-disruptive access to information without the use of hands, such devices offer big potential for seamless support and guidance within a service system. In this paper, we identify a representative problem composed of a quality assurance process with practical relevance and design and implement an information system based on smartwatches in a design science ap-proach. Since we infer meta-requirements for our system from the results of qualitative studies, the needs of employees are strongly considered and the developed software can be applied in a broad class of related problems. Finally, we evaluate the created meta-artifact in the identified scenario in order to obtain insights and knowledge about building information systems based on smartwatches for collaborative workflow support

Foldwatch:using origami-inspired paper prototypes to explore the extension of output space in smartwatches

Smartwatches are highly portable, ubiquitous devices, allowing rich interaction at a small scale. However, the display size can hinder user engagement, limit information display, and presentation style. Most research focuses on exploring ways in which the interaction area of smartwatches can be extended, although this mainly entails simple fold-out displays or additional screens. Conversely, added weight and size can hinder the wearable experience. In response, we took inspiration from origami and explored the design space for new types of lightweight, highly foldable smartwatch, by developing complex paper-prototypes which demonstrate novel ways of extending screen space. We collected data on potential input and output interaction with complex folded smartwatch displays during workshops with expert and non-expert users, discovering application ideas and additional input/output functionality. These insights were used to produce and evaluate a concept video for the FoldWatch prototype

Is Touch-Based Text Input Practical for a Smartwatch?

The use of smartwatches is increasing exponentially as a consumer interest. Currently, smartwatches offer the ability to read text messages, notifications, and email once they are synchronized with a smartphone. Text input, however, is limited to voice or predefined response phrases and no input keyboard is typically provided. A general consensus is that the interface of a smartwatch may be too small to implement a QWERTY keyboard. This study examined user performance and acceptance with two commercially available QWERTY keyboards, Swype and Fleksy, on a smartwatch. Contrary to the suspicion about the small screen of a smartwatch for text input, results indicate users can type accurately at speeds averaging 20-30 words per minute after brief practice, which is comparable to the typing speed of novice smartphone users

Design Principles of Mobile Information Systems in the Digital Transformation of the Workplace - Utilization of Smartwatch-based Information Systems in the Corporate Context

During the last decades, smartwatches emerged as an innovative and promising technology and hit the consumer market due to the accessibility of affordable devices and predominant acceptance caused by the considerable similarity to common wristwatches. With the unique characteristics of permanent availability, unobtrusiveness, and hands-free operation, they can provide additional value in the corporate context. Thus, this thesis analyzes use cases for smartwatches in companies, elaborates on the design of smartwatch-based information systems, and covers the usability of smartwatch applications during the development of smartwatch-based information systems. It is composed of three research complexes. The first research complex focuses on the digital assistance of (mobile) employees who have to execute manual work and have been excluded so far from the benefits of the digitalization since they cannot operate hand-held devices. The objective is to design smartwatch-based information systems to support workflows in the corporate context, facilitate the daily work of numerous employees, and make processes more efficient for companies. During a design science research approach, smartwatch-based software artifacts are designed and evaluated in use cases of production, support, security service, as well as logistics, and a nascent design theory is proposed to complement theory according to mobile information system research. The evaluation shows that, on the one hand, smartwatches have enormous potential to assist employees with a fast and ubiquitous exchange of information, instant notifications, collaboration, and workflow guidance while they can be operated incidentally during manual work. On the other hand, the design of smartwatch-based information systems is a crucial factor for successful long-term deployment in companies, and especially limitations according to the small form-factor, general conditions, acceptance of the employees, and legal regulations have to be addressed appropriately. The second research complex addresses smartwatch-based information systems at the office workplace. This broadens and complements the view on the utilization of smartwatches in the corporate context in addition to the mobile context described in the first research complex. Though smartwatches are devices constructed for mobile use, the utilization in low mobile or stationary scenarios also has benefits due they exhibit the characteristic of a wearable computer and are directly connected to the employee’s body. Various sensors can perceive employee-, environment- and therefore context-related information and demand the employees’ attention with proactive notifications that are accompanied by a vibration. Thus, a smartwatch-based and gamified information system for health promotion at the office workplace is designed and evaluated. Research complex three provides a closer look at the topic of usability concerning applications running on smartwatches since it is a crucial factor during the development cycle. As a supporting element for the studies within the first and second research complex, a framework for the usability analysis of smartwatch applications is developed. For research, this thesis contributes a systemization of the state-of-the-art of smartwatch utilization in the corporate context, enabling and inhibiting influence factors of the smartwatch adoption in companies, and design principles as well as a nascent design theory for smartwatch-based information systems to support mobile employees executing manual work. For practice, this thesis contributes possible use cases for smartwatches in companies, assistance in decision-making for the introduction of smartwatch-based information systems in the corporate context with the Smartwatch Applicability Framework, situated implementations of a smartwatch-based information system for typical use cases, design recommendations for smartwatch-based information systems, an implementation of a smartwatch-based information system for the support of mobile employees executing manual work, and a usability-framework for smartwatches to automatically access usability of existing applications providing suggestions for usability improvement