The 16th AREA Research Project

Research RFPs

Video Passthrough for Enterprise AR

To submit a proposal for this research, please follow the guidance and complete the form below.

Background

As enterprise AR adoption matures, hardware decisions play a critical role in deployment success, particularly in industrial and manufacturing environments. The two primary modalities -Video Passthrough AR (via camera feed) and Optical AR (via transparent or semi-transparent optics) – each present different strengths, risks, and trade-offs. Despite strong industry opinions and safety concerns surrounding Video Passthrough AR (e.g., blackout risk during power failure, latency, reduced peripheral awareness), it is hard to find empirical research comparing these modalities in real-world enterprise scenarios. With hardware transitions underway (e.g., the end-of-life of HoloLens 2 and Magic Leap 2), AR decision-makers urgently need validated, evidence-based guidance.

Customer problem

Modern AR market trends have also begun shifting towards prioritizing the production of Video Passthrough AR hardware, and popular Optical AR platforms are reaching end-of-life without direct replacements. Enterprise AR leaders, vendors, and integrators looking to adopt modern AR hardware currently lack rigorous data comparing Video Passthrough and Optical AR in key areas such as safety, user performance, cognitive load, and suitability for high-risk or precision tasks. As a result:

• Modern trends in AR hardware has seen a rise in Popular Opitcal AR hardware platforms
• Organizations may dismiss or adopt Video Passthrough AR without fully understanding the operational trade-offs.
• Safety officers and UX teams lack clear guidelines for modality selection aligned with risk profiles.
• Vendors face difficulty in setting roadmap priorities and design benchmarks for enterprise viability.

This uncertainty leads to inconsistent adoption strategies which can harm AR adoption rates.

Project Goals

• Establish evidence-based insights into how Video Passthrough and Optical AR modalities impact task performance, user safety, cognitive load, and situational awareness in enterprise manufacturing workflows.
• Help AREA members and the broader AR ecosystem make informed, fact-based hardware decisions during a pivotal period of platform transition.
• Identify clear trade-offs, strengths, and limitations of each modality, grounded in both empirical testing (as far as possible) and practitioner feedback.
• Identify mitigation techniques to improve viability of content viewed in a Video Passthrough AR context (e.g., operate in well-lit areas, minimize requiring user to read real-world text in small print).

Deliverables

A detailed research report comparing Video Passthrough and Optical AR across representative industrial tasks (e.g., inspection, assembly, quality control).

• Interviews and case studies with enterprise AR leaders and safety professionals exploring real-world decisions regarding Video Passthrough AR use.
• A detailed comparison of modern AR platform approaches to optics.
• A modality evaluation toolkit to guide vendors, integrators, and enterprise users in matching AR hardware to specific operational and risk profiles.
• An executive summary and AREA-member-exclusive webinar summarizing findings and recommendations.

Proposal

This research will be conducted in three phases:

1. 1. Desk Research – Compilation of published performance benchmarks, technical specs, and known risks/limitations of existing headsets in each modality. Lean on existing research and consolidate it in one paper for AREA members for study and reference.
   2. Interviews & Case Studies – Conversations with enterprise AR users, safety officers, and integrators to understand real-world usage or rejection of Video Passthrough AR.
   3. Empirical Testing – Controlled task-based experiments simulating common industrial workflows, collecting performance and usability metrics for both modalities (e.g., speed, error rate, user-reported fatigue, situational awareness). (Unclear if these kinds of experiments would be feasible or out of scope)

Results will be analyzed and shared with AREA members through written reports, toolkits, and summary presentations.

Selection Criteria

This research initiative should be selected for its potential to:

• Address a clear and timely gap in AR deployment knowledge during a major hardware transition phase.
• Provide practical, actionable outcomes for AREA members in the form of validated benchmarks and decision tools.
• Deliver both short-term value (deployment clarity) and long-term impact (strategic alignment, training design, roadmap planning).
• Advance AREA’s mission of supporting enterprise AR excellence and safety through rigorous research and thought leadership.

Timeline and Deadlines

Please use the form below to submit your proposal on or before 12 PM Eastern Daylight Time June 14th 2025. The AREA will provide detailed replies to submitters on or before June 18th, 2025. Unless otherwise negotiated in advance, the research project is expected to take approximately 120 days. The research will be completed, and finished deliverables will be provided to the AREA by October 31, 2025.

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.