That makes working with HoloLens that much more immersive when you’re looking at the holograms it’s creating. And those can be anything from a massive movie screen to a model of a new building. Or a set of instructions showing you how to bake a batch of cookies or repair an aircraft engine. And with a pair of cameras, the headset can also be a phone-a-friend, allowing anyone to see through the eyes of whoever’s wearing the headset. Think about that. Your friends can also use an app to circle things they see, which show up as holographic notations when you’re wearing the headset.

“The goal is these things will transform humans,” HoloLens leader Alex Kipman said in an interview at Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, headquarters. “They’ll empower people and organizations to do things they plainly were not able to do before.”

Case studies and use cases are explored. Microsoft isn’t crazy for thinking big about the potential of these headsets. The tech industry’s brightest minds are already investing billions of dollars to develop mixed reality (or, as some call it, augmented reality). They’re all betting it’ll change the way we use computers in the next few years. The market for AR gear is expected to explode, from under $6 billion last year to almost $200 billion by 2025, according to data compiled by Statista.

“We don’t have to just imagine it, this future is here,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said at an event announcing the device Sunday at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. “Together, these advances are shaping the next phase of innovation.”

A high-profile startup Magic Leap started shipping a $2,295 headset last August after working on it for seven years and raising $2.3 billion in investment from backers including AT&T, Google and Warner Bros. Facebook, which sells a $399 fully immersive virtual reality headset called the Oculus Rift, is working on a HoloLens competitor as well. Even Apple is secretly building one, which sources told CNET may arrive in 2020.

Microsoft is opening preorders for the HoloLens 2 on Feb. 24 for $3,500. The company plans to ship the device later this year.

HoloLens (the name is inspired by holograms) sounded straight out of sci-fi when it was first demoed. “We’re not talking about putting you into virtual worlds,” Kipman said when he introduced the device in 2015. “We’re dreaming beyond virtual worlds, beyond screens, beyond pixels.”

AREA members that have this week announced their involvement with Microsoft HoloLens 2 include Crunchfish, Fieldbit and Vuzix.

Titled Through the looking glass – The rise of augmented reality and its role in the future of manufacturing, the paper reveals how and why AR is being seen as one of the emerging technologies that businesses across industry can utilise to gain a competitive edge.

The report sets out to investigate the rapidly changing AR landscape; understand the technical and business challenges facing both AR providers and industry adopters; follow the contours of the market and policy environment; and identify the risks and benefits in early adoption for UK industry and advanced manufacturing in particular.

The full report can be accessed here.

The technology helps to cut major costs such as additional manpower. Several organizations including research and development labs are investing immensely in the technology to develop solutions for enterprise and consumer segments. Mobile augmented reality market has witnessed high adoption over the years across applications including gaming, media and marketing.

Augmented Reality Market is estimated to surpass USD 50 billion by 2024. Rising applications of the technology in retail and e-commerce are expected to drive the augmented reality market growth. According to Retail Perceptions, about 61 percent of the shoppers prefer to shop at the outlets that offer AR experiences and about 40 percent are willing to pay more if they could experience the product using the technology. Retailers are increasingly investing in implementing the technology in their stores to attract customers and enhance their experience, thus fueling the augmented reality market growth.

Rapid adoption of the technology in aerospace & defense is expected to drive the augmented reality market growth. Companies are investing in leveraging the technology to improve manufacturing processes, reduce costs, and save time. For instance, Boeing is using Google Glass to construct aircraft wire harnesses. The technology helps technicians in building hugely chaotic and complex wire webs to connect electrical systems in the aircraft.

The article questions whether the expense of implementation of AR is prohibitive which is why it’s less common for small and medium sized enterprises. The high capital that is required to procure devices to implement the technology reduces its adoption.

The hardware segment of the augmented reality market is expected to grow rapidly over the forecast time span. Common applications, such as gaming and retail, use AR applications on tablets and smartphones, not requiring a dedicated hardware device such as HMDs or smart glasses.

However, enterprise uses of the technology such as designing, manufacturing, and quality check in aerospace & defense, industrial, automotive, and medical are increasingly investing in hardware such as HMDs and smart glasses.

Smart glasses are expected to grow at a fast rate owing to increasing applications in retail, gaming & entertainment, aerospace & defense, and industrial applications, propelling the augmented reality market growth. Companies are developing differentiated devices, such as voice-enabled smart glasses, to gain a competitive advantage. For instance, Vuzix is developing smart glasses with Amazon Alexa voice assistant. Amazon has developed a licensing program to allow third parties to implement Alexa in their products. This is expected to propel the augmented reality market growth.

Germany augmented reality market is expected to grow at a fast pace over the forecast time span owing to increasing applications of the technology in the automobile industry. In the race to develop driverless cars, manufacturers, such as Audi and BMW, are implementing the technology in automobiles to increase the level of self-driving capabilities. The manufacturers are also implementing the technology in manufacturing processes to improve the operational effectiveness.

Organized by Harvin AR, the PROCESS EXPO AR Showcase will feature demonstrations by participating PROCESS EXPO exhibitors that will highlight features holographically of equipment and/or guide interested attendees through augmented reality training simulations.

“This is definitely going to be one of the highlights of this year’s show,” said Jarrod McCarroll, Chairman of the Food Processing Suppliers Association and President of Weber, Inc.

“Whether it be empowering maintenance personnel on the plant floor or engineers envisioning processing floor adaptations from the actual plant floor, this technology has the potential to revolutionize how suppliers work with food processors. Thanks to these demonstrations at PROCESS EXPO, attendees will get first-hand experience on this technology that they may soon be seeing in their plants in the future.”

“The Augmented Reality Showcase is one of the many innovative show floor activities that attendees will find at this year’s PROCESS EXPO,” said David Seckman, President & CEO of the Food Processing Suppliers Association.

“Between the Showcase, our live production lines and demonstrations, our certification courses, PROCESS EXPO University, and many more networking opportunities, we have filled the week with meaningful activities that address issues within the food processing industry and create new opportunities to identify manufacturing solutions.

Of course, this is in addition to exhibits of over 500 companies providing manufacturing solutions in processing and packaging across all segments of the food and beverage industry which is the true draw for food industry professionals across the globe.”

The Augmented Reality Showcase will be open to all attendees of PROCESS EXPO 2019. For more information on attending the show please visit www.myprocessexpo.com.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA) is a global trade association serving suppliers in the food and beverage industries. The Association’s programs and services support member’s success by providing assistance in marketing their products and services, overall improvement in key business practices and many opportunities to network among industry colleagues.  Programs and services to achieve these objectives include PROCESS EXPO (industry leading trade show), electronic media marketing, education, market intelligence, research, and advocation of critical industry issues such as food safety, sanitary design of equipment, and global trade.

On top of this, there is a vast variety of versions for each vehicle model and type. Quite frequently, the first challenge for the service technicians is to locate the component in question in first place. Bosch supports service technicians by means of innovative Augmented Reality applications thus enabling them to perform service and repair tasks at an increasingly sophisticated working environment both efficiently and with high quality.

The advantage: Important and individual vehicle information is provided quickly and at the right place. Combining Augmented Reality applications with the ActiveSchematics technology, vehicle-specific wiring and block diagrams can now be visualized case specific and in real time. For service technicians, this results in faster repairs and prevention of mistakes during the specific tasks.

Average time savings of 15 percent per step taken

Bosch performed a field study in order to analyze the benefits of using Augmented Reality applications in everyday workshop life. Augmented Reality allows time savings of 15 percent in average per step taken – even on common vehicles and in case of less sophisticated repair tasks such as e.g. removing specific components. Once the service technician points his tablet computer or smart glasses onto an area on the vehicle’s engine compartment featuring AR information, useful information is added to the real image. In this manner, even the location of components hidden behind panels can be displayed visually.

Two powerful tools: Augmented Reality and ActiveSchematics

Once the service technician identified the vehicle, its equipment and its technical peculiarities by means of the VIN number, he will only receive the information required for the specific vehicle as he continues with the following steps. For this purpose, Bosch combines two of its solutions: ActiveSchematics and its Augmented Reality Platform (CAP).

Once the error pattern has been read out of the fault memory, ActiveSchematics creates the relevant wiring diagrams for the specific error pattern. Doing so, it only takes those components into consideration that are actually installed at the vehicle. This allows displaying a case specific overview while the Augmented Reality application shows the information right at the place where it is needed by the service technician.

For straightforward content generation, Bosch imports the data directly from engineering. This reduces the creation efforts and allows immediate and flexible implementation and release of technical advancements.

Efficient workflow cuts expenses

It eases both the fault isolation and the identification of the components affected. In addition, it saves time as service technicians don’t have to go through various manuals to find the problem resolution, but can start repairing right away. Therefore, focusing on information relevant for the specific vehicle and error pattern, the combined use of Augmented Reality applications and ActiveSchematics also help avoiding unnecessary repair steps, mistakes and thus save costs.

Automation Fair featured about 150 Rockwell Automation and partner exhibits, 95 technical sessions, 22 labs, and nine industry-focused forums. Attendance was estimated at over 8,000 customers, up 21 percent over last year, a record for an Automation Fair not held in Chicago.

Automation Perspectives: Expanding the Human Possibility and PTC Partnership.

Rockwell Automation’s Chairman and CEO, Blake Moret, opened Automation Fair for the global press and analyst community at the Automation Perspectives media/analyst event. Mr. Moret discussed the company’s strategy for expanding the human possibility by combining the imagination of people with the power of machines, which he believes makes anything possible. He also discussed trends and technologies that are bringing The Connected Enterprise to life.

Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO of PTC, then joined Mr. Moret to announce that Rockwell Automation and PTC have jointly launched FactoryTalk InnovationSuite powered by PTC, the first collaborative offering to integrate technologies from both companies following the strategic partnership announcement in June 2018.  They discussed that the driving force for the partnership was to provide the ability to connect and bring intelligence to people, processes, and products.

Mr. Heppelmann then explained how companies are transforming their physical operations with digital technology, the benefits of an integrated information platform, and how combining accelerated IIoT application deployment, advanced analytics, and augmented reality (AR) puts the user in charge of innovation and eliminates individual system barriers.

ConnectedProduction, Cybersecurity, and Veterans

Automation Perspectives continued with Allan Rentcome, Director, Global Solutions Technology for Rockwell Automation, discussing the company’s “ConnectedProduction” solution for digital transformation from the wellhead to transportation to terminals. This solution was designed to help oil & gas industry participants overcome operational challenges.  These include connectivity to multiple or disparate systems, data cleansing, and converting data into meaningful, actionable information. He stressed that with 2019 shaping up to be a volatile year in which oil prices could go in either direction, users must take steps now to ensure that all manufacturing solutions are connected, monitored, managed and controlled, and operations optimized.

Next, Nadav Zafrir, President of Claroty, a key Rockwell Automation cybersecurity partner, discussed hidden risks for manufacturers and how when these involve cybersecurity, “you can’t defend against what you can’t see.”  Mr. Zafrir emphasized that companies must be proactive to get and stay ahead of the curve and “it takes a village” to fight cyber-attacks.  As IT and OT continue to converge, IT and OT groups must work together to help ensure cybersecurity. Manufacturers must understand the current threat landscape, emerging risks, and what steps need to be taken to protect multiple generations of automation and enterprise systems throughout all levels of a manufacturing organization.

Joe Allie, Director of Global Competency at Rockwell Automation moderated the final session. This highlighted the company’s support of the Academy of Advanced Manufacturing, which trains veterans for manufacturing careers.  Nearly 100 veterans graduated from the academy in its first year, with a goal to graduate 1,000 veterans by 2020.

The article goes on to discuss:

• PSUG: Big Impact from Digital-driven Smart Production
• FactoryTalk InnovationSuite Powered by PTC

The full article can be viewed here on ARC.

Those predictions in 2018 were the following:

1. Lower prices for AR hardware
2. Insights from data will be vital
3. AI and machine learning make AR better
4. Hardware becomes more powerful
5. Form factors will evolve

Part 2 – predictions for 2019

Full original article with 2019 predictions can be read here.  Part two of the two part series covers 5 new predictions on Augmented Reality in the coming year. Atheer also checks in with what analysts in the technology community are predicting as well.

1. There will be more change on the hardware front
2. Mobile first but not mobile only
3. Enterprise AR customers will go public
4. Data from AR projects will become even more important
5. AR in government

The concluding part of the article includes research from Garter, ABI Research and The IDC.

From an AREA viewpoint, we are hugely interested in prediction 3, enterprise AR customers will go public. Here are Atheer’s thoughts on the topic:

“This one is interesting. Over the last year, we have seen how many traditional industrial enterprise customers have wanted to stay in “stealth mode” about their work in piloting and experimenting with augmented reality solutions. The result has been that you see relatively few stories about named companies using AR to change the way they work.

The reasons these companies typically didn’t want to go public about their AR work was simple: they wanted to make sure that it worked and get internal buy-in before declaring to the world that they were committed to AR. In many cases, they also wanted to ensure that they didn’t give a heads-up to their competitors about the pioneering work they were doing.

We predict that in 2019, that will be flipped on its head. Companies will go from being shy about talking publicly about their AR work to wanting to shout it from the rooftops as their customers and investors become more and more aware of how AR has the potential to make a big difference in their business.

They will do so because those same customers and investors will demand it. Customers will want to know why they can’t benefit from the use of AR to meet their needs and investors will want to know why the company they are investing in doesn’t seem to have the same kind of commitment as the company’s competitors. And executives in the “C-suite” will also begin asking their teams “what are we doing in AR and when will it be ready to use”.

Consider this real-world example: Virtual training can eliminate risk in nuclear power plant operation. You would much rather have frontline employees make mistakes in a virtual training environment versus that of the real world where a mistake can be both costly and dangerous.

When businesses look to adopt immersive technology for internal training processes and procedures, they should first consider whether the training task will be easily replicated in a virtual environment. The virtual world should not only be easily replicated but should also offer ease of use for adoption with current VR headset controllers and button configurations. Hand gestures and motion control can be an issue if complex actions need to be taken in the corresponding real-world scenario.

The U.S. Army wanted to introduce a risk-free way to train troops on various elements of combat in the field and found that virtual and augmented reality offered a way to do so without causing any harm to soldiers. Microsoft announced a $480 million initiative to begin training U.S. military troops with augmented reality training scenarios to mimic complex and dangerous real-world situations.

Walmart is set to provide more than 100,000 HoloLens headsets in order to develop a unique integrated visual augmentation system, or IVAS. This is a monumental step forward for training programs with augmented reality as it pushes widespread adoption and will allow a huge audience in the U.S. Army to try out the hardware.

Another massive training initiative that was launched for virtual reality was undertaken by Walmart that is set to change the way employees train for their specific roles within a company. This is groundbreaking for employee training as it will showcase a unique way to roll out front-line employees using virtual reality and prepare them for high-stress scenarios like Black Friday.

Partnering with Oculus and Strivr, Walmart purchased 17,000 Oculus Go headsets to roll out a nationwide employee training program that is as unique as it is impressive. This is ushering in a new era of employee training that will allow the user to enter a virtual environment and learn various internal Walmart processes in an immersive and experiential way.

The training applications being used by Walmart have widespread appeal and I can easily see this being adopted by other retail giants who are looking at technology to be a meaningful tool for onboarding new employees in an immersive way.

Another unique use case comes from General Electric Healthcare, as it implemented virtual reality for technology management professionals. VR for HTM is being used to help train the next generation of health care professionals as there is an incumbent need for training the millennial generation that is set to replace the current status quo. Every year, GE trains over 8,000 professionals and saw a huge need for not only training but safety and procedure. VR offered a unique way to integrate cutting-edge technology into its training programs in order to make them more fulfilling and immersive.

Other health care facilities can learn from GE in how they are using technology for training important roles in various technical procedures. This further eliminates risk for the end user learning complex surgical procedures and improves learning efficiency as well as overall performance when in the field. An example of this would be wound care management, where doctors and nurses can learn proper procedures for effective application of bandages and dressings.

Business leaders can learn from how these Fortune 500s are adopting the technology in meaningful ways as they look to improve their own internal processes. Virtual and augmented reality offer unique ways to eliminate risk, increase organizational value, increase access while improving productivity and reduce overall cost. All these benefits can be realized if immersive technology is adopted properly and used in a meaningful way.

Some best practices to keep in mind when looking to implement VR/AR into business training programs include:

• Learn from your employee feedback:Make sure to have multiple iterations of your training programs in place and get feedback from front-line employees in order to optimize training elements so that you can maximize effectiveness.
• Stay up to date on the latest hardware:With immersive technology advancing at a blistering rate, it is important for internal IT teams to understand the technology and stay up to date on the latest hardware changes in order to get the most out of it.
• Look to implement multi-platform support:Having functionality for VR/AR is great, but you should be looking to have full cross-platform support for both mobile and the web as well. This will give you more accessibility and ease of access to promote training programs more effectively.

Overall, virtual and augmented reality training scenarios are only just starting to be realized in the commercial sense. With adoption from key businesses around the world, we can expect to see more enterprise adoption in 2019. Immersive technology offers a unique way to recreate any environment in real time that gives employers a new way to avoid costly and potentially dangerous training scenarios by moving them to a completely digital offering.

The Challenges of Augmented Reality

However, developing and managing AR applications is not simple. Typically it requires companies to hire developers with specific programming expertise, which generates significant additional costs. New cloud technologies can provide a solution to this problem by lowering the barriers to entry to AR development.

The technology required to operate well-connected AR platforms also requires a combination of machines, data intelligence and product level. It is therefore critical to continuously iterate development, simulation, validation, management analyzing assets and feedback insights.

There are a growing number of examples of exciting AR applications in the context of Industry 4.0:

Internet of Things Data Visualization

With AR applications for IoT data visualization, employees can simply hold a mobile camera over a specific node on a machine to reveal real-time data on its operations, such as temperature, electricity flow and power levels—thus increasing work efficiency and making diagnosis of problems easier.

AR Manuals

Vehicle manufacturers are already providing car owners with AR manuals for minor repairs and maintenance. Instead of thick paper manuals, users can access visualized graphic information about their vehicle using a smartphone or tablet. The devices use AR to instantly detect car parts and label them in real time and then provide video instructions for repairs or explanations of how to use the various buttons on a car’s dashboard.

AR Remote Support

AR-based video calls using smart glasses and mobile devices are emerging as a means of improving communication between employees in various industries. The application can superimposeinstructions onto a worker’s field of vision, using real-time AR drawing, messaging, shared multimedia content and features that allow for instructions to be given remotely. This increases communication efficiency and reduces overall operation times, while improving the safety of procedures in hazardous environments where it is important to have two hands free.

Can Cloud Technology Lower the Barrier to Entry?

As the market grows, more technology will emerge and enhance current manufacturing practices. But developing and operating such technologies is not an easy task. Currently, there is a high barrier to entry for creating AR applications, as they must be designed by people with a comprehensive knowledge of software development. The top AR software development kits (SDK) belong to tech organizations that already possess a deep understanding of 3D application development.

Cloud technology can provide companies with a solution to this problem, in the form of an easy-to-use online platform that integrates various AR applications for industry.

The biggest advantage of the cloud-based solution is that enterprises can leverage AR technology expertise via software without introducing new infrastructure. That means there is no need to pay for expensive new hardware or AR development tools and no need to hire a team of developers.

Just as some companies have given ordinary people the tools to create websites without prior coding expertise, cloud platforms will eliminate the entry barriers for AR application development and expand the target user base to include general designers or marketers without knowledge of programming languages.

Once the software is installed, cloud platforms will enable users to easily manage and modify a company’s AR applications online, using drag-and-drop interfaces and a comprehensive media content library. Such technology has the potential to completely convert the developer-oriented AR SDK ecosystem into a SaaS AR platform, providing a holistic AR experience with subscription-based software on the cloud.

Staying Ahead of the Game

As Industry 4.0 technologies accelerate production lines and enhance company-consumer interactions, keeping up to speed with new developments in AR will be pivotal to remaining competitive in the manufacturing industry.

Using cloud platforms, companies can simultaneously increase production efficiency while reducing overhead associated with developing the latest technologies. The cloud thus represents a powerful tool for staying ahead of the game and remaining at the forefront of innovation. We are without a doubt in the process of a major industrial transformation. Now is the time for companies to put in place the necessary structures to take advantage of it.

The AREA has resources on barriers to entry in enterprise AR.

AREA Security Committee Webinar – Overcoming Barriers to AR Project Implementation: A Security Perspective

AWE Europe 2018: Latest AREA Research & How its Reducing Barriers to AR Adoption 

The word “sensor” has become inseparable from the internet of things (IoT), where sensors detect environmental conditions and communicate these signals bidirectionally as data, whether it’s an industrial machine reporting its operating condition or your home thermostat being turned on remotely. This data is a key driver of the IoT’s global economic impact, which McKinsey estimates could reach up to $11.1 trillion per year by 2025.

Before the IoT, the two key functions of a sensor — to detect environmental change and to communicate that data — were largely carried out by humans. Today, as augmented reality (AR) technology gains adoption, humans will soon be equipped with sensors through various AR devices, such as phones and headsets. This augmentation provides uncharted opportunities for organizations to use these data insights to drive operational effectiveness and differentiate their products and services for consumers.

The AR market today is similar to where the IoT market was in 2010, generating considerable buzz and proving early value from new capabilities for users. AR’s capacity to visualize, instruct, and interact can transform the way we work with data.

Based on the lessons learned in the early days of the IoT, enterprises should be asking the question: What’s the best way to plan for AR device data and see its value, so we can build better products and processes from user insights?

The following areas are addressed:

• Smart, Connected Reality Means More User Data
• Assessing the Business Opportunities From New AR Data
• The DIKW Model (data, information, knowledge, wisdom)
• Early Use Cases for AR Insights

The article concludes with Connecting the Strategic Dots

What about the impact to a broader data strategy? Taking a step back to this level, the implications are potentially significant. The value of many data initiatives hinges on the ability to connect the dots. While IoT, digital engagement, voice of the customer, and other initiatives continue to create significant opportunities to optimize products and processes, many enterprises are running these projects in siloes because of technological or organizational constraints.

As AR emerges as a new source of context-rich data, companies that connect the dots between multiple sources from smart, connected products to CRM data, digital engagement, and other sources of insight will create the greatest opportunities.

Enterprises that want to capitalize on these opportunities should create cross-functional leads or tiger teams dedicated to the desired outcome — improving the customer experience — rather than by the traditional functional or technology-oriented alignments.

In this new data-driven world, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and AR just might be the missing piece you need to complete your vision.