No. 1 – The world’s best-known brands will use enterprise AR to create and deliver their products and service their customers. Delivered via wearables like smart glasses, AR promises new levels of efficiency, service and quality that appears not only on the plant floor, but also throughout the entire supply chain. We are seeing large manufacturers moving beyond the pilot phase and adopting AR as part of a broader digital transformation strategy. In fact, PWC expects that 1 in 3 manufacturers will adopt AR/VR this year.

No. 2 – Service and logistics will driver broader AR adoption. Largely due to the intrinsic repeatability of their AR applications, field service and logistics are helping to move the market forward. This means that manufacturers should explore AR use cases involving their warehousing, material handling and equipment maintenance operations, where even a 10 percent efficiency gain can impact the bottom line or the ability to move production at a higher rate. For instance, workers can use AR on smart glasses to receive remote expert guidance during unplanned downtimes, or to attain step-by-step instructions during the picking process.

No. 3 – AR toolkits will simplify content creation. With the maturation of AR software development toolsets, there is a lower entry barrier for the knowledge required to build AR applications. Current toolkits offer drag-and-drop interfaces and templates, requiring little to no programming prowess. Between AR experiences being driven from Manufacturing Execution Systems and low/no-code authoring tools providing ways for designers and technicians to participate in the adoption and fine tuning of augmented reality, the time and complexity of adoption drops dramatically. With typically “non-technical” people creating new AR experiences, AR adoption will accelerate in the manufacturing realm and beyond.

No. 4 – Voice will be the primary AR interaction paradigm. The paradigm of Voice In, Image Out will be common in the age of AR. Gesture and touch AR interfaces aren’t exactly ideal for applications involving hands-on work, especially on the manufacturing plant floor. To keep workers free and nimble to perform their jobs, voice is emerging as the preferred method of AR interaction. We already see voice-powered smart assistants, like Amazon Alexa, gaining traction in consumer realm, so using voice in the enterprise is a natural trajectory, as many workers are already familiar with carrying out tasks using the technology.

No. 5 – Consumer AR investments will drive increased device options and experiences. There are many more exciting AR developments to come as adoption drives more investment into the tools and technology behind the AR industry. Behemoths like Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple and Facebook are unveiling new AR toolkits and decimation tools that will lead to an explosion of AR, VR and MR content. For manufacturers, the availability and accessibility of this content will raise the bar (and expectation) for how we engage with workers through rich, real-time information that enables them to complete their tasks faster and with greater quality. The sky will be the limit.

Looking back at these five trends, it is important to note the underlying theme: AR in manufacturing is all about the future of work. Despite today’s emphasis on automation and robotics, people will continue to play a pivotal role in hands-on work. AR will bridge the gap between man and machine, equipping workforces with right information, at the right time, and in an actionable manner. Trends such as new toolkits, new use cases, new interaction paradigms and new content will continue to accelerate AR adoption – empowering workers and laying the foundation for digital transformation across entire organizations.

The issues being solved by technology related to visibility of suppliers further down the supply chain than tier one and tier two suppliers.  Some supply chains in food manufacture will have up to 20 tiers of suppliers.

In 2014 Good Glass worn by food business operators on site to screen practices and procedures to auditors remotely.

AR smart glasses could also be used for training purposes within the food industry.  There was a deficit of qualified auditors to meet demand which was a major challenges for food and drink firms, however, Eye Succeed (a provider member of the AREA) was developing technology to meet these needs.

Purpose-built to help gas utilities develop new technicians efficiently and effectively, the Index AR application is the second offering available to industry in its emerging SuperApp™ library.

The gas technician AR and eBook application replaces paper-based materials with a rich and highly visual, complete training platform. It features an interactive multimedia eBook paired with an AR learning experience that is loaded on each apprentice’s work tablet for use in both training and in the field.

In addition to rich text, video and photos, the application includes 3D models, AR overlays, animations, and step-by-step navigations that teach company-approved procedures and best practices that are further enhanced with tribal knowledge from the company’s most experienced gas technicians. Important safety and equipment warnings are also built into the application, presented to the worker at just the right step of a given process or equipment visualization.

MidAmerican Energy Company is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy, wholly-owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.A; BRK.B). Serving some 751,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Nebraska, MidAmerican Energy Company will use the SuperApp to train its Gas Tech Apprentices beginning this year.

The full press release can be read here.

With new augmented reality apps, technology and designs, hospitals have more opportunities to offer patients better and more powerful care in the operating room and beyond.  But while augmented reality systems allow users to see and interact with their surroundings, visual enhancement isn’t the only benefit they can provide.

There then follows a roundup of articles from publications such as The Wall Street Journal, MIT Technology Review, and TechCrunch which are all focused on AR in healthcare giving examples of enterprise usage.

That was a key theme at the Spring 2018 Index AR Retreat for Utilities, an intimate gathering of industry executives and thought leaders who shared success stories about the important role AR is currently playing in their organizations and discussed ways to promote even broader industry adoption.

Featuring hands-on product demonstrations and forums for in-depth dialog, the event was the first of two such retreats now hosted annually by Index AR Solutions, a leading provider of AR applications for enterprise.

Several discussions explored how electrical utilities are facing strong downward pressure on revenues from non-traditional energy generators like solar and wind, along with rising demand for energy efficiency and conservation. Utilities are keen on finding innovative ways to boost operational efficiency to offset any decreases in revenue.

In addition, utilities – like many other industries – are faced with shifting demographics and a large percentage of their workforce approaching retirement. Recruiting, hiring, training, employee retention and knowledge transfer are more important than ever to establishing a quality workforce.

Index AR apps are delivered from a mobile tablet – enabling tribal knowledge and best practices to be shared with younger generations of workers through the modern learning tools they are accustomed to using.

Kevin DeGraw, Vice President of Corporate Operations Oversight at Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), a large U.S. electric and natural gas utility, participated in a discussion during the Index AR retreat about solutions that can help address the pressing human resource challenges utilities face today.

“Index AR, and technologies such as AR/VR, give utilities the opportunity to engage the workforce in a way that they are not otherwise prepared to do, and can help utilities maintain or improve our costs so that we can keep rates affordable for our customers,” said DeGraw.

Together with teaming partner Newport News Shipbuilding (an AREA member), Index AR has developed and deployed more than 90 AR applications to solve enterprise challenges. A number of Index AR applications were demonstrated at the event, including the recently launched LineAssist SuperApp™, which uses AR to improve the safety, capability and productivity of electrical utility linemen in the field.

Index AR Retreats are specifically designed to promote dialog with client and partner attendees – enabling them to share implementation experiences and best practices in a spirit of collaboration. The Index AR Spring Retreat places special focus on utilities, while the Fall Retreat showcases multiple industries.

“Utilities are facing unprecedented top line and bottom line pressure in their core business,” said Scott Sommers, a former energy banker with more than 20 years working with large utilities, now serving as Vice President of Client and Corporate Development at Index AR Solutions. “Our Spring retreat really underscored how Index AR apps are a tangible investment that utilities can make to counter these significant challenges.”

Newport News Shipbuilding’s member profile can be viewed here.

“Augmented reality (AR) hasn’t truly permeated the mainstream consciousness yet, but the technology is swiftly being adopted by global industries. It’ll soon be unsurprising to find a pair of AR glasses strapped to a helmet sitting on the heads of service workers, and RealWear, a company at the forefront on developing these headsets, thinks it’s on the edge of something big.

RealWear has worked to ensure its headsets are both well-designed and easy to use. Think Google Glass, but bulkier and attached to a hardhat or cap. It’s immensely useful technology that can help workers access digital data without using their hands, stream video back to another team member, or receive guidance during training periods.

The latest version of its AR headset is called the RealWear HMT-1Z1, recently unveiled at Augmented World Expo (AWE) in California. It’s billed as the first “intrinsically safe” headset — which in layman’s terms means it’s explosion-proof.  The article goes on to explain how it fits in tight spaces, features voice activation and goes on to discuss the future of Augmented Reality.

The full article appears here.

As PTC’s first Vuforia managed services provider and a member of PTC Vuforia’s Preferred Developer Program (PDP), ITC Infotech will drive adoption of PTC’s world-class Augmented Reality (AR) Vuforia technology platform by delivering high-fidelity Vuforia solutions to unlock value across global enterprises.

Augmented Reality is emerging as one of the most sought after technologies among enterprises today. Michael E. Porter, Harvard University, and James E. Heppelmann, PTC’s CEO envisaged the growing significance of AR in an article in The Harvard Business Review, November-December 2017 edition entitled “AR will become the new interface between humans and machines.” According to authors of the article, “Pioneering organizations are already implementing it in product development, manufacturing, logistics, marketing, service, and training—and are seeing major gains in quality and productivity”.

AR bridges the digital and physical worlds to create value across an enterprise. The value AR applications deliver rises exponentially when coupled with IoT data and analytics, rendering truly transformative experiences and driving enterprises to completely re-imagine how they design, produce, sell, operate and service their products.

Barry F. Cohen, Ph.D., Chief Strategy Officer and Executive VP, PTC, adds, “The potential for AR technology is significant across all industries, with market growth rates in high double-digits. As our trusted partner for over 17 years, we are pleased to see ITC become our first Vuforia services partner and join the Vuforia Preferred Developer Program. We are confident that ITC will deliver AR solutions that enable customers to unlock value across their businesses, leveraging their industry expertise and proficiency in the PTC product suite.”

According to International Data Corporation’ (IDC) Worldwide Semiannual Augmented and Virtual Reality Spending Guide, worldwide spending on augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) is expected to reach $17.8 billion in 2018, with an estimated five year annually compounded growth rate (CAGR) of 98.8% during 2017-2021. PTC is well-positioned to lead this growth with its world-class Vuforia technology that enables enterprises to develop and adopt AR solutions to drive superior customer experiences and transform business performance.

Commenting on the collaboration, Sushma Rajagopalan, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, ITC Infotech, said, “AR will revolutionize the way we connect and interact with products and systems. We have the first mover advantage in bringing PTC’s world-class AR Vuforia technology to market. As an extension of our on-going investments in developing AR solutions, ITC Infotech is delighted to partner with PTC in leading the way for faster adoption of Augmented Reality solutions in the industry. We are accelerating AR solutions development focus to create value at scale.”

As a PTC Preferred Development Partner for Vuforia, ITC Infotech will work closely with PTC’s global developer community to create AR solutions across such industries such as manufacturing, automotive, industrial, retail, consumer goods, healthcare and hospitality. ITC Infotech and PTC plan to develop joint go-to-market strategies to accelerate enterprise adoption of AR technologies leveraging PTC’s ThingWorx Co-Innovation labs and digital solutions Innoruption Labs.

Article source. 

The solution utilizes the Microsoft HoloLens, a mixed-reality, holographic headset that incorporates both virtual reality and augmented reality by seamlessly blending high-definition holograms with the real world.

The Augmented Reality solution developed by Viscira allows the user to view and physically interact with a 3D image of a healthy, functioning heart. Viewers can then see the impact of certain diseases on the appearance and performance of the organ. Additionally, the training instructor can review the same imagery simultaneously with the participants, allowing him or her to provide additional real-time, voice-over commentary and education.

By using this type of interactive solution, learners enter an immersive environment where they are able to view and interact with dynamic, functioning organs, as opposed to reviewing and memorizing how the organs look in static, textbook form. This Augmented Reality training solution was first used by the company during a live training program in March 2018. The solution was very positively received by the client, senior management, and the field sales force, and was instrumental in driving mastery of the relevant biology, cardiology disease state, and existing treatment approaches.

Toshiba, which just launched its DynaEdge AR smart glasses in March, approached Atheer about making AiR Enterprise available on the new product. “We believe that this relationship will provide a huge boost for enterprise customers who have been waiting for exactly this kind of Windows 10-based enterprise AR solution from a world-class hardware manufacturer,” says Soulaiman Itani, co-founder and CEO of Atheer.

Meanwhile, Flex has licensed Atheer’s technology for its new Flex AR platform, which was shown at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show. The platform is set to launch this summer and will ship with a 30-day trial of AiR Enterprise.

According to Amar Dhaliwal, Atheer’s senior vice president for sales and marketing, all of this collaborative activity is to ensure that the company’s AR software is largely supported on all devices on the market.

“What we have found is that there is no one piece of AR hardware that is going to be ideal for every use case, even in a moderately complex enterprise organization,” says Dhaliwal. “If there are going to be lots of glasses out there and companies are using more than one type of smart glasses in their business, it’s important for us to be able to have the same single piece of software running across all of these different platforms.”

He adds that there are many options available now because the market is young, but Atheer expects that in a couple years’ time it will be able to zero in on the companies that will become dominant providers.

Dhaliwal says the focus on AR platform ubiquity is part of what sets Atheer apart from competitors and, in an increasingly crowded market, a focus on the interaction approach is also important. “We don’t believe there is one interaction model that is perfect,” says Dhaliwal, pointing to examples such as shop-floor noise interfering with voice commands or tools in hand interfering with gesture suggestion and device touchpads.

These real-world concerns are something that is not always easily tested in a Silicon Valley tech environment, but Atheer recently had the chance to put AiR Enterprise through the paces at this year’s Aerospace Maintenance Competition (AMC) at MRO Americas. American Airlines, which co-sponsored an AR event at the competition with Atheer, approached the AR provider about putting together an event at the competition. Dhaliwal says Atheer jumped at the chance to get its software in front of end users—especially workers with a very low tolerance for any technology that gets in the way of their job.

Read the full article here and see Atheer’s member profile page from the AREA here.