Wearable Sensors in Industrial Ergonomics: Enhancing Safety and Productivity in Industry 4.0

The fourth industrial revolution has transformed industrial ergonomics through the adoption of wearable technologies to enhance workplace safety and well-being. This study conducts a comprehensive scoping review, structured according to PRISMA guidelines, examining how wearable devices are revolutionizing ergonomic practices within Industry 4.0. After analyzing 1319 articles from major databases including SpringerLink, MDPI, Scopus, and IEEEXplore, 36 relevant studies were selected for detailed analysis. The review specifically focuses on how wearable technologies improve worker comfort and safety, promoting more productive work environments. The findings reveal that wearable devices have significantly impacted ergonomic conditions in industrial settings, with artificial intelligence integration showing the highest presence in analyzed applications. Over the past years, wearable technology implementations have demonstrated a 38% improvement in optimizing ergonomic conditions compared to traditional approaches.