From Ergonomics to Embodiment: Redesigning Welding Workstations for Posthuman Learning Environments

Abstract

In the age of automation, human-machine interaction reshapes how learning and labor intersect. This study examines welding training workstations as posthuman interfaces—spaces where bodies, tools, and cognition converge. Five common welding postures were evaluated using ergonomic tools (OWAS, RULA, REBA, Moore & Garg Strain Index), revealing high strain in ground-level and front-facing welds. These findings highlight the need to reimagine bodily positioning in educational environments. Three redesigned workstation models were assessed through spatial and embodied experience lenses. The Hexagonal Welding Cell System emerged as the most effective, reducing training time by 40%, increasing productivity by 50%, and lowering defect rates by 33.3%. It also doubled student throughput and improved space efficiency by 630%. This research argues that integrating ergonomics into vocational education is not solely a technical fix, but a shift toward designing posthuman learning ecosystems—ones where the interplay of flesh, metal, and spatial configuration redefines educational practice.