Cyber-physical systems pose new risks
March 11, 2019
There are two sides to the same coin. Although modern technical systems can improve, facilitate and/or make work healthier, they can also result in new burdens that are not initially recognized as such. The Institut für angewandte Arbeitswissenschaft (Institute for Applied Ergonomics – ifaa) has compiled a four-page fact sheet on this topic. It provides information about the new technologies, explains relevant terms, and gives examples showing the health advantages and disadvantages of different CPS. The psychological risks include, for example, the loss of significance of previous empirical knowledge or unfulfillable demands on concentration. On the other hand, assistance systems can reduce mental stress or help with the early planning of health measures.
Research has been conducted on CPS and its effects on everyday work for quite some time. The Technical University of Deggendorf has even started offering a three-semester master’s program in “mechatronic and cyber-physical systems” since the winter semester 2018/19.