AREA-Directed Research: RFP Submission

Customer Problem

A lack of awareness and strong command of adjacent technology domains, such as 3D environment mapping, is hampering the deployment and adoption of AR. AR technology providers and their customers are missing opportunities to reduce costs and increase ROI from digital twin and other 3D mapping systems.

The enterprise AR ecosystem stakeholders lack the detailed knowledge of 3D mapping technologies to:

• • • Choose when/how/with which partners to add 3D mapping to their tool chains
    • Integrate and leverage 3D mapping in their authoring platforms
    • Integrate feature detection from 3D maps into AR experiences
    • Quickly and accurately capture 3D environments
    • Leverage existing standards for rapid/future-proof AR solutions based on 3D mapping

There could also be much more innovation in commercial 3D environment capture systems (separate from the AR authoring) when the providers of those technologies understand the requirements of AR developers and implementers.

The newest AREA-directed research project will provide its members with knowledge about the current status of 3D mapping for enterprise, and actionable information which members can use when developing future tools or deploying AR at scale. This project will, in part, examine aspects of the following topics in the Enterprise AR Research Agenda:

• • • Using 3D and World Mapping Standards to Streamline AR Experience Production
    • Opportunities for AR Cloud Technologies in Enterprise
    • Informing AR Users about Hazards in Proximity

Project Goals 

The AREA seeks to provide its members knowledge and deep understanding of the current state of the art of continuous or periodic 3D mapping of enterprise and industrial environments for AR. The study of 3D mapping solutions and services will reveal the data formats and associated standards used, if any. The research team will compare interfaces, models and standards used by in industrial domains with inputs and outputs of 3D environment mapping systems

The project will also provide actionable information which members can use to more effectively identify solution providers and partners, and to leverage prior investments made by their own organizations or by their customers and partners, in digital twins and 3D spatial maps. Finally, a gap analysis and set of recommendations for future work in enterprises and standards organizations will be valuable to AREA members.

Key Questions the Project Will Answer 

This project will answer questions including but not limited to the following:

• • • What potential efficiencies can an enterprise gain by including 3D mapping into their overall AR experience development and deployment processes?
    • What vendor provided solutions that leverage 3D mapping are available and what features do they provide?
    • What vendor provided solutions to map 3D environments and manage that data are available and how do their features compare?
    • What are the most common outputs of environment capture systems used in enterprises and are they suitable or designed for AR uses?
    • Where are 2D and 3D (spatial) mapping standards applicable to the use of environment mapping, indoor tracking and authoring AR content against them?
    • What are the gaps in existing products and standards and where can future standards focus for highest impacts on reducing costs and improving AR experience authoring?

Deliverables 

This AREA research project will produce three types of deliverables:

1 Reports

• • • One or more member-exclusive reports describing the current state of the art, a gap analysis and set of recommendations for future work in enterprises and standards organizations
    • An executive summary which is suitable for public release by the AREA to educate the broader AR ecosystem on the research findings.

2 Tables in spreadsheets compiling and permitting use of research findings about:

• • • software and/or standards in use across multiple domains where enterprises can gain efficiencies from leveraging spatially-anchored 3D maps
    • specifications pertaining to products and technologies used by 3D environment mapping systems in the enterprise today

3 A member-exclusive webinar about the research findings and recommendations/guidelines.

Desired Outcomes 

This project will identify techniques, tools and services to improve use of spatial maps in enterprise AR deployments.

For IT groups and enterprise AR project managers in AREA member organizations, it will support:

• • • Analyses of potential benefits/efficiencies of adding 3D environment maps to deployments
    • Deployments through practical guidelines for integrating 3D environment maps into existing/future AR experience authoring platforms
    • Reducing reliance on customized authoring processes and accelerate/streamline the production of AR experiences

With the research this project will compile, providers of enterprise wearable AR displays and enterprise AR software/platform companies will be able to:

• • • Bring added value to customers through AR experiences connected to work context
    • Develop software that satisfies requirements/features around 3D environment mapping
    • Participate in the development of extensions of standards, or new standards, and/or
    • Adopt standards identified in this study to lower the risk and costs facing customers seeking to introduce AR at scale

Proposal Components

Proposal will include:

• • • Description of the research methodology to be used
    • Project milestones and timeline
    • Project risks and mitigation measures
    • Potential or confirmed partners in the research
    • Background and qualifications of the organization to perform research and any proposed partners
    • Examples of other completed projects/reports
    • Names and contact information for up to three references

Selection Criteria 

All proposals will be evaluated by the AREA research committee chair and research manager on the following criteria:

• • • Demonstrated knowledge about the current status of 3D mapping for enterprise
    • Clear qualifications of the proposing research organization and any partners in the domains of 3D mapping ecosystem, strategic analysis of risks and opportunities, and
    • Feedback of references.

Timeline and Deadlines 

Please use the form below to submit your proposal on or before 12 PM Eastern Daylight Time November 5^th 2021.

The AREA will provide detailed replies to submitters on or before November 12^th 2021.

Unless otherwise negotiated in advance, the research project is expected to take approximately 90 days. Research will be completed and finished deliverables provided to the AREA by February 15^th 2022.

Budget for this Project 

The AREA Research Committee budget for this project is $15,000.

Questions

For answers to any questions concerning this project and the AREA Research Committee, please send an email to the Research Committee.