After being an ergonomist for almost 15 years, I can honestly say I have never been more excited about the future of this field. When I first began working at Humantech and would do wall-to-wall assessments every week, I didn’t think I would last.

The pen and paper-based methods we used were often a little too simple to uncover all the risks that our professional experience taught us were present. I also had terrible handwriting and would often come back to the office after a data collection and not understand my own notes. Now, 15 years later, cutting-edge technologies make things more efficient. I wish I was still going onsite to do data collections because the process is so much better now. Here are three ways that technology has vastly improved the field of ergonomics.

Learning

Training has evolved over time, along with access to technology, and we have a better understanding of how adults learn best. While traditional training focused on telling, research is showing, and actions are proving, that we need to shift from instructor-led to self-paced and action-oriented workshops.

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