Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLInnovation lab: Hybrid services in logistics
People and technology in the social networked industry:
With increasing automation through Industry 4.0, hybrid services are coming more into focus. The Hybrid Services in Logistics Innovation Lab investigated how people and technology can work together efficiently. The aim was to develop innovative service models that take into account technological as well as social and organizational aspects.
Project objective: New forms of interaction in logistics
The project dealt with the holistic consideration of new Industry 4.0 technologies and their effects on qualification, acceptance and communication and hierarchy structures. A particular focus was on the development of a social networked industry that is not only characterized by autonomous systems, but also actively involves people.
Approach & implementation
The innovation lab combined technological development with social science research. Field research and tests were carried out in two state-of-the-art halls to develop hybrid services in five core areas:
- Trade
- Production logistics
- Transportation
- Maintenance
- Virtual Training
The research included, among other things:
- Development of new interaction models between humans and technology
- Testing augmented reality applications for assistance in logistics processes
- Analysis of the effects of networking and automation on work organization
- Integration of IoT technologies for improved human-machine communication
Network & cooperations
The innovation lab was part of a comprehensive network of research and industry that supported the development and implementation of new service concepts. Cooperation partners included:
- Fraunhofer IML and Fraunhofer IEM
- Dortmund University of Technology
- EffizienzCluster LogistikRuhr
- Digital Hub Logistics
- Future Work Lab
Through close cooperation with industry partners, practical solutions were developed that can be integrated into future logistics processes.
Results & outlook
Through its research work, the Innovation Lab has shown that hybrid services make a decisive contribution to the digitalization of logistics. The concepts and technologies developed can be used in various industries and enable more efficient collaboration between man and machine.
Relevance for the future
The findings from the innovation lab form an important basis for future developments in the networked economy. They help to shape digital transformation in a sustainable way, not only from a technological perspective, but also from a social and organizational one.