Following advances in augmented reality (AR) as it pertains to architects, designers and engineers means keeping your attention squarely focused on applications for visualization, prototyping and training.

However, advances in making the technology available for everyone to explore shouldn’t be ignored by engineers, designers and architects because the core use of AR—besides and including entertainment—is visualization.

The big promise of augmented reality for members of the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector is to enable digital prototypes to be substitutes in the intended real-world environment as a digital twin of what would be a physical prototype.

The full article can be read on Engineering.com.

The system, called ProjectDR, allows medical images such as CT scans and MRI data to be displayed directly on a patient’s body in a way that moves as the patient does.  “We wanted to create a system that would show clinicians a patient’s internal anatomy within the context of the body,” explained Ian Watts, a computing science graduate student and the developer of ProjectDR.

The technology includes a motion-tracking system using infrared cameras and markers on the patient’s body, as well as a projector to display the images. But the really difficult part, Watts explained, is having the image track properly on the patient’s body even as they shift and move. The solution: custom software written by Watts that gets all of the components working together.

Vast applications

“There are lots of applications for this technology, including in teaching, physiotherapy, laparoscopic surgery and even surgical planning,” said Watts, who developed the technology with fellow graduate student Michael Fiest.

ProjectDR also has the capacity to present segmented images–for example, only the lungs or only the blood vessels–depending on what a clinician is interested in seeing.

For now, Watts is working on refining ProjectDR to improve the system’s automatic calibration and to add components such as depth sensors. The next steps are testing the program’s viability in a clinical setting, explained Pierre Boulanger, professor in the Department of Computing Science.

Next steps

“Soon, we’ll deploy ProjectDR in an operating room in a surgical simulation laboratory to test the pros and cons in real-life surgical applications,” said Boulanger. “We are also doing pilot studies to test the usability of the system for teaching chiropractic and physical therapy procedures.” added Greg Kawchuk, a co-supervisor on the project from the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Once these pilot studies are complete, the research team expects the deployment of the system in real surgical pilot studies will quickly follow.

Watts is co-supervised by Boulanger, Cisco Chair in Healthcare Solutions and professor in the Faculty of Science, and by Kawchuk, professor in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

ProjectDR was presented last November at the Virtual Reality Software and Technology Symposium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Information source: Eurekalert.org

Issues with accelerated degrees and solutions provided by technology mentioned in the article include:

• Higher cost of developing and delivering the degree – The Times Higher Education 2017 report published with the Higher Education Policy Institute, offers research evidence to show that tech-centred curriculums reduced cost as well as improving learning outcomes.
• Teaching over summer period between first and second years – Augmented Reality applications can be used outside classrooms to give students access to learning facilities over the summer.
• Difficulty of fitting three years’ worth of content into a limited space of time – The ‘flipped classroom’ approach can be applied. Before class, students complete online work so that lecture time can be used more efficiently.

Augmented reality, along with other emerging technologies are mentioned in the article within examples of how new technology is already being used to enable education providers to overcome the barriers mentioned above.

The article concludes by claiming that, despite the barriers of accelerated degree courses, universities are already making use of technology to aid learning. Staffordshire University is a UK pioneer of accelerated courses, and claims that this type of degree is a “catalyst for the development of technology enhanced learning.”

An article on Business Insider addresses how companies are creating technology to aid the booming agriculture sector, which is necessary for the ever-increasing world population.

Some ag-tech companies mentioned in the article include:

• Plenty: a highly praised startup that produces vertical, indoor farms in urban areas, and has raised the largest amount of money for an ag-tech company to date (a Softback-led $200 million Series B round).
• Grownetics: a Colorado-based startup that installs greenhouse sensors to increase efficiency of plant growth and recently raised a $1 million seed round.
• Prospera: an Israeli startup that uses artificial intelligence to aid farmers’ understanding of crop data.
• Granular: uses a software system to gather data at various points on farms to aid efficiency.
• Huxley: an Amsterdam-based startup that developed a hands-free AR greenhouse system, enabling farmers to use the tech while actively working on their farm.
• Abundant Robotics: is in the process of developing “the world’s first commercial apple-picking robot”, as quoted by CEO Dan Steer.
• Blue River Technologies: has created the Lettuce Bot (which allows lettuce heads to grow more effectively by automating the process of lettuce-thinning) and See and Spray technology (which identifies plants and manages their needs by drawing on machine learning).
• Iron Ox: has developed greenhouses that deploy robots to maintain each plant in California.

The article source can be located on Business Insider. 

Important points mentioned in the article include:

• The biggest priority for the manufacturing sector is currently incorporating transformative technology to increase GDP.
• Industry 4.0 has made a gap for talent, particularly in Augmented Reality, Big Data, analytics, 3D printing, and automation.
• The percentage of Gen-Y (under 35 years old) employees in manufacturing is 57%, compared to 78% in IT.
• Discrimination against younger employees is more prevalent in the manufacturing industry, as revealed in a study by Great Place to Work Institute involving 106 manufacturing organisations in India.
• The best workplaces in manufacturing consist of 61% Gen-Y employees, compared to 55% in other industries.
• As a result of ‘Meet the Lead’, a platform for mentoring young manufacturing employees led by Mahindra Susten Pvt. Ltd, the number of young manufacturing employees expressing interest in staying with their company is 79%, compared to 69% for other workplaces in the same sector.
• As the manufacturing industry in India rapidly evolves, strengthening workplace culture is just as important as adapting to tech trends.

According to the article the top ten workplaces in the manufacturing industry in India are listed as follows:

• Apollo Tyres
• Gabriel India
• Godrej Consumer Products
• Indian Oil Corp.
• Indofil Industries
• JK Lakshmi Cement
• Mahindra and Mahindra Automotive and Farm Equipment
• Marico
• NTPC
• Spicer India

The purpose of the Centre is to promote research, product development, and technology incubation to benefit the tech industry as well as society in general. It will also provide facilities to ARVR entrepreneurs and startups, in addition to ARVR courses and skill-specific development programs for students.

Bhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Odisha. It is the largest city in Odisha and is a centre of economic importance in Eastern India

Prafulla Samal, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Minister, is quoted to have said that Bhubaneswar will pay most attention to AR and VR, and that the MSME Department and State Government will both work towards their goal of meeting the needs of 1000 startups by 2020.

The article concludes by stating that the initiative will give enthusiasm and encouragement to startups graduating from IIT Bhubaneswar.

A view of the main gates to the campus of the IIT – source is the IIT website.

Recently, an article on Business Korea reported that 10 Gbps Internet service is planned to be launched this year.  Local telecom service providers such as KT, SK Broadband and LG U+ are planning to launch commercial 10 Gbps Internet services within 2018.

This type of service is 10 times faster than the Giga Internet, which provides a speed of 1 Gbps, and thus is capable of stably supporting major Industry 4.0 services such as high-resolution images, virtual reality and augmented reality.

It is because the growth potential of the market is huge that the mobile carriers are concentrating on the commercialization of 10 Gbps Internet services from the beginning of this year. At present, the Giga Internet is the fastest Internet service available and the number of Giga Internet service users is increasing at a rapid pace.

The mobile carriers’ efforts have to do with the policy of the South Korean government as well. Late last year, the government formed a council with the private sector to accelerate the development of commercial 10 Gbps Internet services.

Being able to service newly available technologies is increasingly important across the globe as enterprises consider their investment opportunities in emerging technologies and digital transformation.

A recent article on Road ToVR reported on the partnership between Dell and Meta, manufacturer of AR headsets, which has been announced.

Dell claims that they will be capable of providing the Meta 2 Dev along with sufficient tools for making AR experiences for enterprise sectors including construction, healthcare, and manufacturing. The Meta 2 has been available since the end of 2016, but Dell will sell the Meta 2 AR Dev Kit on-site from February 15^th for $1500 in addition to offering a range of hardware bundles to frequent users.

Medical Holodeck, an AR application that enables healthcare professionals to collaborate, is also being delivered by Dell, as well as a plan for ‘AR in a box’ to “show off new Dell Meta AR innovations to potential customers.”

Items in the ‘AR in a box’ will include:

• Meta 2 AR Headset
• Headset Stand
• Set of 4 Universal Adapter Plug Kit
• 2 Exchangeable Forehead Supports
• Microfiber Bag
• Access to Unity SDK (Beta) and Meta Developer Centre

Joe Mikhail, Chief Revenue Officer at Meta, has said that Dell’s “seamless AR solution” is “considered to be the best on the market by many.”

The report on drivers of enterprise digital transformation reveals the following:

• AI, blockchain, and VR/AR are the top technologies driving enterprise digital transformation. – CompTIA, 2018.
• 43% of business professionals said blockchain is making the largest impact in enterprise digital transformation efforts. – CompTIA, 2018.

While not all at the same pace, AI, blockchain and AR / VR are taking on more prominent roles as more businesses shift or boost their digital operations. According to a survey of 700 business professionals, 43% say blockchain is currently making the biggest impact.

While several respondents knew of the trends, CompTIA suggested many businesses aren’t utilizing the technology fully or at all.

VR/AR was the most well known technology, with 74% of respondents being aware of the trend. However, only around 20% of companies have a mixed reality project underway, CompTIA found. Top uses included employee training and different forms of customer engagement.

One-quarter of companies use AI regularly, mostly in Internet of Things (IoT) devices, digital assistants, and IT infrastructures, according to a CompTIA press release.

And the most impactful technology, blockchain, is mostly being used for security measures, including confirming identities and creating trails for compliance. Slightly over half-52%-of companies said security is the top reason they’re considering using the technology.

“Though the majority of businesses are still on the sidelines, use cases for each of these solutions are beginning to emerge,” Seth Robinson, CompTIA’s Senior Director for Technology Analysis, said in the release. “When you consider that these are not standalone products that you plug in and play, but building blocks to automate, digitize or streamline operations, the impacts they are already having illustrate their potential.”

As the technologies emerge, more businesses may latch onto them for their digital transformation efforts. Businesses that don’t may be left behind.

“In our business it’s very important that we get there, get the job done, do the service and do it cheap,” said John DuBay, business development manager for Ingersoll Rand’s Trane division. “If we can get it done quickly, we’re saving everybody money. We’re making more money because they’re going to go to the provider that can deliver service better and more quickly.”

For DuBay, a keynote technology that can help deliver this type of enhanced service is augmented reality (AR). DuBay outlined his views on the impact that AR, digital connectivity and visualization technologies are having on the service business at Smart Industry 2017.

Service is being disrupted through empowerment. With AR, all providers will be able to service all equipment anytime, anywhere, DuBay contended. The combined expertise of an enterprise can be tapped into and integrated into remote devices like smartphones, tablets or something like Google Glass.

At its core, the Internet of Things (IoT) is able to expose more knowledge and data to more people—hopefully lowering costs in the process. IoT applications like AR save time and money because they can drive broader access to expert information and methods by creating a bridge between physical and digital. AR allows quicker and more precise execution of service and enhances end-user knowledge by offering up the information a technician needs at that moment they most need that information.

“Augmented reality is a catchphrase to me,” said DuBay. “To me AR means simply that when you’re there in person you got the reality of the situation and then you augment it with some expertise or knowledge. This is about making that process streamlined and digital.”

Expertise on demand

By streamlining the service process with AR, what once was a job that only an expert service technician could handle, junior employees can now tackle. As industries struggle to find skilled workers, AR is an invaluable tool in training up and creating a larger competent workforce

This is accomplished is through the combination of static and real-time data that AR is known for. Computer-generated 3D and 2D graphics are interwoven with real-time data live from network devices as an intelligent digital overlay on a real-time view of the equipment in question. “What AR does is take the existing knowledge and data one already has and put the most relevant pieces together,” DuBay said.

In the field, DuBay and his team created an AR application that allowed an end-user to take a smartphone or tablet, point the camera at the piece of equipment being serviced and if there was a problem with any of the components, that particular piece would light up on the device view. From there, users could touch the tablet, explode out the view and see the components. From there the pertinent service information would be brought up and help guide the technician with service. This not only saves time by pinpointing problems using existing data, it means that the person servicing the equipment won’t have to disassemble anything more than is necessary to find out where the point of failure is.

“AR should make them experts,” DuBay said. Another less efficient service method DuBay outlined was simply using remote viewing through something like Google Glass or a mobile device and having an off-site expert walk the on-site technician through the process. “If you walked up to service a piece of equipment you’ve never seen before you wouldn’t know what to do. AR doesn’t care. All you need is common sense.”

Best of all, when DuBay and his team at Trane sat down to create the AR application, they found that all the info they needed already existed. “Everything is manufactured per some design spec,” he said. “There’s a blueprint, there’s a drawing that shows its actual architecture. If it’s your product, you already have the design.”

That rendition is then plugged into the platform and then whatever connected real-time data you have is overlaid on top. “That part that surprised me was that we already had all the assets we needed,” DuBay said. “There is some one-time development work in an API. But it’s primarily an integration effort.”

In the future, DuBay sees the company’s AR platform becoming a service tool for which the company can charge a subscription fee. “We can have 20 times the amount of service techs,” he said. “That business model works. That should be what we’re focused on.”

AR is probably closer for your enterprise than you think. You already have what you need.