Exploration of digitalized presentation of information for Operator 4.0: Five industrial cases

In the digital transformation of manufacturing companies towards Industry 4.0, shop-floor operators of the future, Operator 4.0, will require digitalized presentation of information as cognitive support for their work. This paper explores five industrial cases where Information Support Technology have been conceptualized and developed. These cases have exemplified how digitalized presentation of information can be approached with considerations of operators with varying cognitive work situations and production characteristics. Furthermore, these new technical capabilities have increased the level of cognitive automation to support operators’ individual abilities to perform their work in an increasingly more complex production environment. In conclusion, Information Support Technology in the service of Operator 4.0 is intimately linked with digitalization strategies for transformation towards Industry 4.0

How computerizaton changes the UK Labour Market: The Facts viewed from a new Perspective

The digitisation of the world as a result of the introduction of computers, chips, and ICT, has undoubtedly been the most important technological development of the past few decades. The fact that more and more workers use computers has led to the conclusion that computer skills are becoming a key to social success. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion of the effects of computerization on work. Our main conclusions are that the fear of a digital split in society appears unjustified. Although computers initially find their way primarily to the higher educated, practically all workers eventually end up working with computers. Absence of computer skills probably plays no role during this process of computerization. This does not mean, however, that there is no need for policies to optimise the economic potential of computers and ICT in general. Firstly, a properly developed infrastructure may be of importance for a rapid diffusion of the possibilities offered by ICT. This applies not only to the physical networks, but also to the availability of software and information. In addition, it may be expected that the educational requirements for workers will increase across the board and there will be changes in the knowledge and skills that people need to have. These are not primarily computer skills, but concern a much wider shift in the importance of various skills. Adjusting adequately to these changes requires reliable data. What is being measured and how the measurements are taken, will need to change considerably.education, training and the labour market;

How computerization changes the UK labour market: The facts viewed from a new perspective

The digitization of the world as a result of the introduction of computers, chips, and ICT, hasundoubtedly been the most important technological development of the past few decades. Thefact that more and more workers use computers has led to the conclusion that computer skillsare becoming a key to social success. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the discussion ofthe effects of computerization on work. Our main conclusions are that the fear of a digital splitin society appears unjustified. Although computers initially find their way primarily to thehigher educated, practically all workers eventually end up working with computers. Absence ofcomputer skills probably plays no role during this process of computerization. This does notmean, however, that there is no need for policies to optimise the economic potential ofcomputers and ICT in general. Firstly, a properly developed infrastructure may be ofimportance for a rapid diffusion of the possibilities offered by ICT. This applies not only to thephysical networks, but also to the availability of software and information. In addition, it maybe expected that the educational requirements for workers will increase across the board andthere will be changes in the knowledge and skills that people need to have. These are notprimarily computer skills, but concern a much wider shift in the importance of various skills.Adjusting adequately to these changes, requires reliable data. What is being measured and howthe measurements are taken, will need to change considerably.labour economics ;

Virtual laboratories for education in science, technology, and engineering: A review

Within education, concepts such as distance learning, and open universities, are now becoming more widely used for teaching and learning. However, due to the nature of the subject domain, the teaching of Science, Technology, and Engineering are still relatively behind when using new technological approaches (particularly for online distance learning). The reason for this discrepancy lies in the fact that these fields often require laboratory exercises to provide effective skill acquisition and hands-on experience. Often it is difficult to make these laboratories accessible for online access. Either the real lab needs to be enabled for remote access or it needs to be replicated as a fully software-based virtual lab. We argue for the latter concept since it offers some advantages over remotely controlled real labs, which will be elaborated further in this paper. We are now seeing new emerging technologies that can overcome some of the potential difficulties in this area. These include: computer graphics, augmented reality, computational dynamics, and virtual worlds. This paper summarizes the state of the art in virtual laboratories and virtual worlds in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. The main research activity in these fields is discussed but special emphasis is put on the field of robotics due to the maturity of this area within the virtual-education community. This is not a coincidence; starting from its widely multidisciplinary character, robotics is a perfect example where all the other fields of engineering and physics can contribute. Thus, the use of virtual labs for other scientific and non-robotic engineering uses can be seen to share many of the same learning processes. This can include supporting the introduction of new concepts as part of learning about science and technology, and introducing more general engineering knowledge, through to supporting more constructive (and collaborative) education and training activities in a more complex engineering topic such as robotics. The objective of this paper is to outline this problem space in more detail and to create a valuable source of information that can help to define the starting position for future research

Confounding Complexity of Machine Action: A Hobbesian Account of Machine Responsibility

In this article, the core concepts in Thomas Hobbes’s framework of representation and responsibility are applied to the question of machine responsibility and the responsibility gap and the retribution gap. The method is philosophical analysis and involves the application of theories from political theory to the ethics of technology. A veil of complexity creates the illusion that machine actions belong to a mysterious and unpredictable domain, and some argue that this unpredictability absolves designers of responsibility. Such a move would create a moral hazard related to both (a) strategically increasing unpredictability and (b) taking more risk if responsible humans do not have to bear the costs of the risks they create. Hobbes’s theory allows for the clear and arguably fair attribution of action while allowing for necessary development and innovation. Innovation will be allowed as long as it is compatible with social order and provided the beneficial effects outweigh concerns about increased risk. Questions of responsibility are here considered to be political questions.publishedVersio

On-site factories to support lean principles and industrialized construction

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the use of on-site factories that combine the strengths of both prefabrication techniques and a traditional work environment to support lean principles and promote industrialized construction for on-site operations. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the principles of lean construction and design for manufacturing and assembly (DfMA), discrete-event simulation is used to evaluate different arrangements and configurations of an on-site factory for the prefabrication of structural insulated panels (SIPs). Findings: The proposed on-site factory provided a feasible way to promote lean and industrialized construction principles. Also, these types of factories are particularly relevant for projects in remote areas that do not have sufficient infrastructure. Further, it is also a good solution for strengthening the local economy by using local labor and suppliers, hence assisting in the creation of a socially responsible framework. Originality/value: This study presents the design of an on-site factory for the prefabrication of SIPs. This type of on-site assembly supports not only lean principles but also promotes social responsibility by capitalizing on local labor. This approach could be particularly interesting for construction companies in developing countries or working in a project with limited infrastructure

Human Aspect on Chain of Custody (CoC) System Performance

The tropical forests cover 24% of tropical land area. They are the most productive terrestrial ecosystems on earth with high priorities for biodiversity conservation. These forests store a substantial amount of carbon in biomass and soil, and they also regulate the transfer of carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2). Indonesia is having the third tropical forest area in the world after Brazil and Congo. Over 50 years forest has been felled both legally as well as illegally. High rate of forest degradation resulted from unsustainable forest management, rampant illegal logging, forest area encroachment, conversion and natural disaster. All urges rapid improvement of management system of Indonesia’s forest resources (Holmes, 2002). Forest certification is one tool that can support the achievement of sustainable forest management goal. Under current operation of join certification protocol between the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Indonesian Ecolabelling Institute (LEI) in Indonesia, forest management units must be able to show the required performance indicated in LEI criteria and indicator as well as FSC principles and criteria to attain certification of their products. The gap between current practices and performance required by forest certifications schemes is still enormous. The performance of forest certification system from LEI is determined very much by the human that is involved in the process of planning and operation. The name of certification system is chain of custody (CoC) certification. CoC operation involves activities such as tracing raw material from the forest to the factory, through shipping and manufacturing, to the final end product. In all of the above processes, the roles of human are critical, although the specific roles played from one process to another are different. In this paper we present an identification of human aspect and other factors that predominantly affect CoC system performance