AR Glasses for the Workplace

AR glasses, also known as augmented reality headsets, are wearable transparent devices that generate AR content within the scene of a user’s viewpoint. They use a technology stack that includes a projector, combiner, and video processor.

These solutions have found their application in several industries, including civil aviation and automotive. They offer an interactive user experience and can help people perform tasks like monitoring their heart rate, tracking their workout progress, and more.

Training

AR glasses offer a number of advantages for training, particularly in the workplace. They can help employees become familiar with new products and equipment, save time in training, reduce training costs and enhance safety awareness.

In addition, augmented reality can also be used for onboarding to make sure new hires are comfortable in their new environment. This can be a great way to get employees used to the layout of a facility, how things work and who does what.

This can be especially useful in industries where new workers need to operate a large and sophisticated machine, without the risk of damaging it or themselves. By scanning the machine and opening it up in a virtual world, employees can get a better idea of how everything works and which buttons to push without accidentally hitting them.

Another use for AR is in health and medical training, allowing trainees to practice various treatments on real patients in a safe environment before they’re introduced to actual patients. These apps can be installed on a mobile phone or tablet and overlay patient cases over any surface, including walls.

They can be a powerful addition to medical training, providing students with immersive simulations that complement their theoretical knowledge of the body’s systems and processes. These immersive experiences can be enhanced with case-based scenarios and gamification to help students practice their skills.

With AR, companies can also create bespoke training programs for their employees. This can be a very effective tool in helping workers understand how a product is made and what quality standards should be met, so they know how to spot any problems before they occur.

For example, a company may use AR to teach its employees how to identify hazards in a production area by simply pointing their smartphone camera at it. This would be a great way to ensure safety compliance with OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines.

A few organizations, like NASA, are actively experimenting with AR to train astronauts in outer space. The VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland uses their augmented reality system to let International Space Station workers “see” helpful data that simplifies manual repair and diagnostic procedures.

Remote Assistance

Using remote assistance technology, frontline workers can connect with off-site experts to help resolve problems. This is an efficient and cost-effective solution that allows experts to travel less, serve multiple locations a day, and minimize human error while increasing productivity.

AR remote assistance offers an interactive and collaborative communication platform that enables end-users to interact with an expert from any location through live video streaming. The augmented reality technology superimposes computer-generated images on a user’s view of the physical world to deliver an intuitive and effective support experience.

A variety of AR glasses and smartphone devices are available in the market today, ranging from affordable first-step turnkey solutions to high-performance, scalable AR systems that can be used for long periods of time and in difficult environments. These products are available for both small and large enterprises, and can be customized to suit specific business needs.

These glasses allow users to collaborate in video calls, send and receive content from their field of vision, and control their devices in a range of ways. They also support a number of other functions, ar glasses such as sharing work instructions and files with an augmented reality display.

The smart glasses offer a wide field of view, and provide users with haptic feedback and head motion tracking. They are also UV-protected and feature noise-canceling effects.

In addition, the augmented reality glasses can be worn with most traditional glasses and come with an app store that includes content-works. They are also available in various sizes and colors, with customizable lenses to suit the user’s needs.

VSight Remote is an AR remote assistance system that combines smart glasses and software to enable technicians to communicate with wearers visually. This is done through real-time tools like annotation (highlighting and drawing in the wearer’s field of vision) and file sharing (instantly sending the wearer a set of visual instructions or a short video).

The technology helps to ensure more efficient issue resolution, reduce truck rolls and improve customer satisfaction. It also promotes safety, enabling utility companies to resolve troubleshooting and maintenance inquiries, hazard reporting and billing inquiries for a more seamless service and enhanced customer experience.

Inspection

Inspections are an essential part of modern manufacturing to prevent equipment failures, process deviations and quality defects. Performed properly, they directly support top line and bottom line, minimizing waste and scrap, and driving continuous improvement.

However, conventional methods are often inefficient and time-consuming, especially when it comes to performing inspections on large facilities or even entire vehicles. Instead of using clipboards or multipage paper lists, specialists can now simply carry smart glasses and follow visual instructions – hands-free.

The smart glasses display concise text descriptions and a digital twin of the checkpoints that must be observed at any given moment, accompanied by images, videos and/or 3D models. This makes the inspections more efficient and ensures that no checkpoint is overlooked.

TU”V SU”D has tested the smart glasses in several power plant locations around the world and carries out about one hundred inspections of nuclear plants and supply chains. The glasses enable remote collaboration between employees – whether in Germany or China, despite travel restrictions, for example.

In contrast to standard inspection processes, the augmented reality app Inspect AR offers hands-free support that eliminates the ar glasses need for paper lists or manuals. In addition, the system can work offline or in areas with poor or blocked Internet connections, so inspectors can still perform their tasks without any interruptions.

This enables companies to save on costs incurred by traveling experts, such as accommodation or travel expenses. Furthermore, it enables flexible personnel planning and increases efficiency.

It is possible to create different user groups that can access the system according to their location. The app can also be customized to individual employees’ preferences and is easy to use, thanks to a user interface that is simple to understand.

With its hands-free, intuitive user interface and a wide range of features, Inspect AR demonstrates the potential of augmented reality for maintenance and inspection. It is cross-platform capable and ready for use immediately – with no infrastructure or installation needed. It is ideal for a variety of applications such as veterinary medicine, food safety and aircraft maintenance, where employees have to be guided by hand-free support.

Maintenance

Maintenance can be an overwhelming task – it requires complex knowledge and lots of documentation. That’s why many companies have started digitizing their maintenance processes. Those digitized processes are more likely to be executed on time and on budget, and with less effort.

Smart glasses offer an efficient tool for maintenance operations, allowing technicians to follow step-by-step instructions without missing any important steps. In addition, sensor data can be integrated in real-time and inspection reports and documentation created automatically during the process.

This is a significant advantage because it means that junior technicians can work with all the information they need on hand, thereby reducing repair times and increasing their capacity for handling tasks. In addition, the glasses also allow workers to record videos that can be sent to a remote maintenance hub at any time, reducing their need for written documentation.

As a result, the process of preparing and conducting maintenance becomes more organized, which increases safety, reduces costs, and helps ensure compliance. For example, in a pulp and paper mill, maintenance personnel can use smart glasses to view the machine from a remote location when it’s in service, ensuring that they’re performing all necessary repairs correctly and safely.

In another case, experts can remotely guide a technician who’s working on an aircraft to apply maintenance procedures in a more effective way. This is possible thanks to augmented reality, which enables the expert to project instructions and diagrams directly onto the technician’s field of vision.

The software developed by Actemium – the VINCI Energies brand dedicated to industrial performance – is designed to support remote maintenance professionals with an optimised platform and real-time augmented reality. The solution allows ground technicians to follow a live video session with experts, who can then show them instructions, graphics, diagrams, or mini-programs.

In a pilot project at SKODA AUTO FabLab, the company’s Central Technical Service department is testing the use of augmented reality technologies. During the video call, technicians can use HoloLens glasses to view a hologram of the production line and consult with colleagues who are not on site. Additionally, technicians can share technical files and documents through a synchronised cloud platform.