Man–Machine-Interaction in the Field of Logistics: Example “Internet of Things”

Abstract

The introduction of ICT-systems (ICT: Information- and communication technologies) has led to fundamental changes in numerous fields of the world of work in recent years. Above all the networking with the aid of ICT-applications (e.g. safety systems in cars, airplanes etc.) has created many possibilities to monitor complex systems and processes and to control them more and more without human interference. Weyer (Autonomie und Kontrolle. Arbeiten in hybriden Systemen am Beispiel der Luftfahrt. Technikfolgenabschätzung—Theorie und Praxis Nr. Dortmund, 2007, p. 35) comments this development as follows: „Ein besonderes Merkmal der jüngsten Entwicklung ist zudem das scheinbar unaufhörliche Vordringen autonomer technischer Systeme, die immer mehr zu Mitspielern in derartigen Netzwerken geworden sind“ (Translation: A special characteristic of this recent development is the apparently continuous permeation of autonomous technical systems which have increasingly become players in such networks). The emergence of “hybrid constellations, permeated by human actors and (semi)autonomous machines” (cf. ibid.) is one of the consequences of this development. As it will be shown later, the autonomy of ICT-systems has been stepwise increasing while the role of the human actors is taking a back seat. The triggers are new high-tech-developments in the field of RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) (Want et al. IEEE Pervasive Computing, 2006, 5:25–33) and the “Internet of Things” [The term is attributed to Kevin Ashton who used the expression “Internet of Things” for the first time in 1999 (Ashton, RFID Journal. http://www.rfidjournal.com/article/view/4986, 2009). The “Internet of Things” describes the combination of the real world with the virtual world of information technology by means of automatic identification technologies, realtime locating systems, sensors and actuators (Uckelmann et al. Architecting the Internet of Things. Springer, Berlin, 2011, p. 2). As for the field of logistics, the Institut für Materialfluss und Logistik – IML – Institute for Material Flow and Logistics defines the “Internet of Things” as the autonomous, self-controlled transport of logistic objects from the sender to the consignee (cf. ten Hompel in Internet der dinge: status, perspektiven, aspekte der aktuellen RFID-Entwicklung. Vortrag, 2005)]. A new level of technical development has thus been reached by this autonomous control of corporate processes. It exerts a crucial influence on the social and economic forms of organization and on the organization of work. Contrary to machines which carry out tasks and processes determined and controlled by human beings, the networked systems in the “Internet of Things” are able to make their own decisions. The implementation of the “Internet of Things” therefore marks a new level of the division of work in the field of man–machine-interaction.