Abstract:

The research presented in this paper, entitled ‘Gamification as a Technology Enabler of AR-Enhanced Warehouse Logistics Processes’ studies the influence and the potential of gamification techniques in supporting innovative Industry 4.0-enhanced processes in the contemporary warehouse work ecosystem. In the core of Industry 4.0., lie the concepts of automation and cyber-physical systems, fueled by an arsenal of innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things, Cloud Computing, Augmented Reality and Computer Vision amongst others, providing all the necessary background support for the digital transformation of manufacturing and logistics and the smartification and digital refinement of traditional pre-Industry 4.0 processes. This paper studies the introduction of Augmented Reality (AR) for the digitization and smartification of one of the most labour intensive and repetitive warehouse logistics process, i.e. order picking. Nowadays, it is evident that AR, after an initial period of controversy and hesitation regarding the expected benefits from its introduction in the warehouse floor, has gained significant acceptance from both the academic and industrial communities. As a result, the number of applications in real industrial environments has severely increased and the forecasts regarding the technology penetration in the next five years are being significantly positive. While the business perspective of AR’s on the order picking process is mostly focused on key performance indicators, such as pick errors, pick time and travel time, the impact on the human workforce of such a radical technology development is often overlooked. In this paper, an analysis of gamification as a support technique integrated in the AR software is provided, taking into account work design and cognitive ergonomic principles and putting emphasis on factors affecting the mental burden and the well-being of the worker (picker) in general. Gamification in the workplace aims to motivate the employees and increase their involvement in an activity, while at the same time creating a sense of an every-day different experience rather than a set of repetitive and monotonous tasks. Since the design of such a system is a complex process, the most widespread design frameworks are studied and emphasis is placed on the principal game elements and their connection to mobilization mechanisms. Finally, an initial proposal of a gamification framework to support the AR-enhanced order picking process in contemporary logistics centers is provided with an emphasis on the mechanics of a fair and functional reward system.

Keywords:

Industry 4.0, Gamification, Augmented Reality, Logistics, Digital Transformation.