Visualization

This use case pertains to using Augmented Reality to permit employee visualization of digital assets about people, places or objects in real world context. The assets may be about the status of instruments or processes, infrastructure, or moving objects in a zone or confined space (e.g., factory), used to support acquisition of new skills or decision making. This use case can be a component of and overlaps with training, situational awareness, simulation and other use cases.

Prior to AR Adoption

Visualization is defined as having one or more of the following characteristics:

• Involves introducing digital assets including text, graphics, models, animations or video into the users field of view.
• Digital content of the visualization may be anchored to and registered with objects, places or people, but this feature is not required.
• Digital content of the visualization may be real world scale, or smaller or greater than planned or actual size.
• Users may use voice, gestures or other input methods to interact with (query or modify) the content but this feature is not required.
• Two or more users can visualize the same digital assets at the same time.

Visualization differs from simulation in that it is not limited to models or projecting a trajectory or process in time. Without Augmented Reality, visualizations use either Virtual Reality or a 3D or 2D screen. For VR, the visualization may include a fixed or customizable environmental component.

Business Challenges AR Introduction Addresses

Visualizations can be used for understanding the benefits or limitations of different scenarios, however, when the scenarios involve new or existing objects or places, a visualization (e.g., a model of a proposed product or process) may require substantial resources for only a brief time or single use.   Without AR, the alternative to physical models is using a 2D screen. Viewing digital assets about different scenarios on a screen lacks the verisimilitude of labels on physical objects or a scale model. Designers and others who are evaluating or reviewing proposed projects, or exploring proposed modifications to existing real world places or objects, may have difficulty detecting or resolving misunderstandings that occur when visualizing proposals on a screen.   A plant manager can use visualization to weigh the pros and cons of different positions for additional machinery or ventilation systems, but if shown only on a screen, navigating the visualization to verify any conflicts is more difficult than moving around in the real world space. AR-enabled visualization places the elements in context.  Complex data sets often have a temporal axis. Visualizations of change over time is highly valuable for decision making but may not be intuitive on a computer screen and VR visualization could be costly to prepare. AR-enabled visualizations are directly produced from original data.  Visualization is also valuable when performing some tasks. For example, a live 3D visualization can assist an employee to stack boxes on a palette or load a truck with maximum stability and weight distribution.  However, if the visualization is not overlaid on the real world, the user must alternate the focus of their attention from the real world to the visualization. When not looking at the visualization the user must retain the information and transpose it to the real world. With AR, the instructions and positions of the next element is clear.

Use Case with AR

When a person or team needs to visualize an object or process and its interactions with a real world environment, digital assets in 2D or 3D can be explored or steps followed correctly in an AR experience and the real world serves as the high fidelity “background” or context for the visualization.   When used for design and review processes with the ambient lighting and other physical properties of the proposed setting, visualization of a proposal or project with AR is immersive. The AR system user has the experience as close to reality as possible and there is no need to switch focus of attention to understand the digital assets in context.  The type of AR display used by the technician depends on many factors:

• Need for those using the visualization to have both hands free to manipulate objects
• Room in the vicinity where the visualizations are performed for another screen pointed directly at the work space
• Support for introducing new display devices (e.g., wearable AR, projection AR)

With AR-enabled visualizations, there is usually real time data coming from the source to the user’s experience and vice versa. Modifications proposed in the AR-enabled visualization can be traced and made in the original data file, reducing errors or misunderstandings when the visualization is no longer experienced or shared.  As in VR visualizations, the interactions and modifications of different reviewers or users can be logged by the system for future reference and/or comparisons.

Common roles of Users

• Designers
• Project reviewers
• Warehouse staff
• Cargo or shipping staff

Anyone that can benefit from seeing digital assets in the real world as a substitute for having a scale model, physical labels or documentation when performing complex data analyses, exploration, design and review.

Business Benefits:

The benefits of AR-enhanced visualization include reducing costs, by comparison to other forms of visualization, increased understanding of choices or conditions and, based on deeper understanding or interactions with the data, improved decision making. It can also be measured in terms of reduced time to complete procedures with lower (or no) errors.   In addition, there can be benefits due to lower training time and higher overall productivity of designers when they do not have to build a scale model, when reviewers of a project do not need to travel to see a project to evaluate its feasibility or even end users performing complex operations.