Wearable technology and worker-integrated quality systems

Joanna Rosak-Szyrocka and Radoslaw Wolniak

Chapter 5 in Quality 4.0 and Artificial Intelligence, 2026, pp 85-101 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter focuses on the use of wearable and inclusive technology in the context of industrial evolution towards Quality 4.0 and Safety 4.0. It analyses how contemporary devices, namely smart glasses, gloves, helmets, shoes and exoskeletons embed workers within cyber-physical production environments, converting them to active cognitive and sensory nodes of quality and safety. It also includes technologies for accessibility for employees with disabilities, such as AR systems, cobots and AI-based multimodal interfaces that also contribute to inclusion and insurance of participation in industrial contexts. Finally, in the empirical section, the chapter presents four industrial cases (Toyota contrasted with Siemens, ABB or Ford), which have been selected and carried out to show Quality 4.0 tools applied in ergonomics, worker training, safety at work and social integration. The results indicate that wearables are a critical driver of digital transformation, intertwining AI, IoT and data analytics to enhance worker well-being, operational quality and sustainable organisational performance.

Keywords: Wearable technology; Digital workplaces; Human-cyber-physical systems; Inclusive technologies; Workers with disabilities; Safety 4.0; Smart helmets; Smart glasses; Intelligent gloves; Exoskeleton (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035397068
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