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.

“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.

If you’re interested in wearable technology for the enterprise, then AREA member BrainXChange’s round up blog post which assesses the most significant developments and use cases in wearable technology for 2017, is a must-read.

Enterprises which were reported on in 2017 for utilising wearable tech mentioned in the blog include:

• Manufacturing: AGCO, GE Aviation, Boeing, and Airbus
• Automotive: Ford, BMW, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, Volkswagen, Porsche, and Peugeot Citroën
• Aviation: Cincinnati International Airport, San Diego International Airport, Helsinki Airport, and Changi Airport
• Medical: Stryker
• For training: UPS, Farmers Insurance, Walmart, Fidelity Investments, and KFC

Software released or updated in 2017 mentioned in the blog includes:

• AREA member, Upskill acquired Pristine; released next generation Skylight platform
• AREA member, Atheer: acquired SpaceView (MR app maker); released updates to AiR platform

Hardware released or updated in 2017 mentioned in the blog includes:

• Google: Google Glass Enterprise Edition, Daydream VR headset, ARCore (a new SDK), and Poly
• Vuzix: PTC’s Vuforia platform and Blackberry’s UEM software now support Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses; a tethered, custom version of the M300 is now available; the Vuzix Blade AR glasses now have a developer kit pre-order program; and VUZIX Basics was also announced.
• DAQRI’s enterprise AR smart glasses were launched; Trimble’s Mixed Reality app suite was integrated with the DAQRI Smart Helmet
• Microsoft: Mixed Reality Partner Programme; expanded MR headset sales to Europe; acquired AltspaceVR; Windows 10 powers Acer, HP, Samsung, Dell, and Lenovo VR headsets.

BrainXChange’s AREA profile page can be read here.

AREA member Nvidia featured multiple times in an article on the AFR.com Financial Review website.  CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is currently on in Las Vegas.  Here’s a look at what analysts say investors will be looking for at the CES related to Nvidia and others:

• Automotive – stocks most likely to respond to CES-related events should be Ambarella and Nvidia, Morgan Stanley analysts led by Joseph Moore and Craig Hettenbach said.
• Nvidia is “at the centre” of many of the key innovations in consumer electronics.
• While Nvidia will probably remain at the top of investors’ minds when thinking about AI, Intel will probably feature recent advances in the field at the event;
• Look for updates from Nvidia regarding progress of Drive PX Pegasus platform, clarity on how the company plans to cut operating temperature and power consumption, and new partnerships and potential end-customers, KeyBanc analysts said.
• Updates on Intel’s long-term approach to the the AR/VR ecosystem are of interest given the company’s recent move to wind down its headset reference design, MKM’s Roy said.
• Nvidia is also expected to highlight its emerging AR/VR technologies.
• Companies will probably showcase mobile-based augmented-reality applications, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Jitendra Waral and Sean Handrahan said.
• AR hardware prototypes are bound to be shown by larger companies and start-ups, but the hardware may still be years away as a supply chain and standards are still missing; until then, mobile AR will be at the forefront and CES may preview some of the ways that companies leverage AR to differentiate their products;

A balanced and detailed report on use of augmented reality in surgery can be found on ZNet today.

The article draws on the work on Heart Surgeon Dr Maksymilian Opolski of the Waraw Insittue of Cardiology, who first tested glasses for a heart operation in 2015 when he navigated inside the patient’s heart sing pictures projected onto the heads-up display (HUD).

The article describes the operation that was carried out and how Opolski used Google Glass’ augmented reality glasses to guide the catheter through the veins to the heart.

He has now led a 15-patient pilot of the technology that could pave the way for the use of such wearables more widely in future wwhich he referred to as being a “natural consequence” of the procedure in 2015.

The article states that “the difference in preparing for augmented reality and traditional surgery is only a matter of a few minutes of training, thanks to the “simple and intuitive” nature of the app, says Opolski. Cardiologists could navigate through the images of the patient’s heart using voice commands — not just making the software easy to use, but also ideal for maintaining the sterile conditions of the operating theatre

After 15 operations with the Google Glass and accompanying app, Opolski and his team’s research has shown the technology is “not only feasible and safe, but also does not interfere with the routine activities performed in the catheterization laboratory by operators”. The chances of having an ‘adverse event’ — such as a heart attack — was found to be the same for with-Glass operations and without Glass.

While the study was too small to provide a definitive answer to whether the Glass-assisted operations were better for patients than those conducted without the tech, there are hints that AR can bring some benefits. Operations where surgeons wore Glass tended to use less contrast to visualise the course of the vessels, which can be beneficial to patients that react to the dye. It also helped surgeons better choose which types of guidewire to use during the operation.

Positively, the surgeons who used the Glass during the PCI operations reported high levels of satisfaction with the technology, and indicated they would be amenable to using the kit in their regular surgical work, meaning that it may not be too long before we see more use of AR headsets in the operating theatre.

The full article can be read here.

A 6-minute read piece that appeared on Medium.com this week by Ajay Sharma is a great run through how augmented reality is transforming the aviation industry. Not only that, but the sources of all this fantastic information are: The AREA, Upskill (an AREA member), and Airbus.

For the visual amongst you, there’s a superb infographic that represents all the productivity and efficiency benefits to the aviation industry that AR is making possible.  What’s more, these are based on real life case studies, not pie in the sky dreaming.  Plenty of examples are discussed in this highly readable piece.

A run down on some of the key benefits of AR in the aviation industry are:

• Error reduction
• Improvement in quality and speed when assembling mock aircraft
• Higher quality maintenance work
• Step by step visual guidance
• Faster repairs
• Improved comms between airfield workers and central offices
• Better, more effective training

Readers will have no doubt noticed that there are many industry reports on a variety of augmented reality markets, making it difficult to know which ones are relevant.

The key findings from the latest industry reports on augmented reality and smart glasses.

Global Market Insights AR Market to hit $50 billion by 2024

Details of the report can be found here.

This is according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, Inc. The shipments are expected to witness more than 75% growth from 2017 to 2024.  Predominantly owing to the rising popularity of smart-glasses.

Global AR Smart Glasses Market Intelligence Report 2017

Details of the report can be found here.

Manufacturers mentioned in the report include: Sony, Google, Microsoft, Epson, Toshiba, Qualcomm, Recon, Vuzix, APX amongst others.

AR Smart Glasses Market analysis report offers the analytical read of the business by learning various factors like market growth, consumption volume, market trends and business price structures throughout the forecast amount from 2017 to 2022.

AR and VR in Healthcare Market Analysis

The global Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR) in healthcare market size was valued at USD 568.7 million in 2016 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29.1% during the forecast period. The growing integration of technology & digitalization in healthcare, increasing healthcare expenditure & focus on delivery of efficient health services, and its significance in training healthcare professionals are some of the key factors driving the increasing adoption of AR and VR technologies.

An article on OffshoreTechnology.com discusses how wearables are making safety simpler and asks whether offshore oil and gas industry will get on board with the trend for wearable devices?

Offshore oil and gas platforms are affected by a number of hazards, from gas leaks to extreme weather, and operators have been working for decades to ensure every safety precaution is taken. Now the internet of things (IoT) is offering a new option in the form of wearable safety technologies.

“The direction many companies are following points towards a digitalisation of the workplace, in order to reduce human errors, increase safety and simplify work processes,” explains MIT Design Lab senior design lead Sara Colombo. “Definitely there is much space for the adoption of IoT and connected solutions, and companies need to fully embrace this revolution and to train workers to make them ready to adopt these solutions even further.”

IoT wearables have already begun to play an important role in the digitalisation push across a number of industries. But the unique challenges involved in working offshore mean adoption has been slow in the oil and gas sector.  Can lessons learned in other industries be applied here?

Smart glasses

Making the case for offshore wearables: BP has already begun using IoT wearables in some areas of its operations, such as onshore gas sites. The company’s smart glasses use augmented reality to overlay data and instructions over the worker’s field of vision. They are also able to present sensor information on the lens and communicate this information with a central communication hub.

In 2016, BP’s Digital Innovation Organisation technology principal Blaine Tookey spoke at the Wearables Technology Show about the potential for IoT wearables in the offshore oil and gas sector.

“This is the revolution we’re looking for: the new paradigm that wearables will bring to people working in oil and gas,” said Tookey. “This technology will drive automatic situational awareness, so our field workers will have the right knowledge at the point of work. Enabling a ‘man down’ to be automatically recognised by colleagues and the control room and location sensing will be really valuable.”

Tookey highlighted a range of products he would like to see developed further for the offshore oil and gas industry. These included smart sensors, displays and communication devices that could all be integrated into wearables.

With the current success of the smart glasses in other areas of BP, it is likely that they will make an appearance in the offshore industry where up-to-date information could be invaluable. However, the glasses would need to be modified to work in the wet and windy offshore environment.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is increasingly becoming an integral part of companies—their strategies, their day-to-day activities and their futures. In fact, when 500 executives were recently surveyed by Forbes Insights, more than 90% said IoT would be important to the future of their companies.

Nowhere will IoT be more disruptive than in the industrial sector. Forbes spoke with Rich Rogers, SVP, product and engineering, industrial IoT portfolio at Hitachi Vantara, to learn more about the future of how IoT will affect this broad and influential sector of the global economy – and, for readers interested in augmented reality, Rich Rogers discusses how the IIoT will work with other technologies.

Questions covered include:

• Why is IoT so important for businesses in the industrial sector?
• Where in the industrial sector will IoT likely have the greatest influence?
• How will industrial IoT impact product development?
• How will IoT work with other emerging technologies?
• What’s the “killer application” for industrial IoT?
• How should industrial companies prepare for IoT?

A couple of quotes that may resonate include the following;

“Marc Andreessen nailed it when he famously said that software is eating the world, and right now, every single company needs to become a software company.”

“While the future of IoT is bright, it seems there is still much work to be done. Given the size of the industry now, and projections going forward, IoT has the potential to create a lot of value for organizations that embrace it.”

• Dodge Data & Analytics’ newest SmartMarketReport, Safety Management in the Construction Industry, shows that technology, including BIM, drones and wearables, is having a positive effect onsite in regards to improving safety.
• Produced in partnership with the Center for Construction Research and Training and United Rentals, the report also shows that investment in safety initiatives has positively impacted project budgets, schedules, quality and ability to contract new work.
• In addition, the study addresses leading indicators of a positive safety culture and climate on the jobsite.
• One indicator, safety and health training for supervisors and workers, is up from 2015, whereas recognizing the importance of good communication, another indicator, is down.

Previous indications that augmented reality is being used in construction can be found in previous articles:

1. AR building a better future in construction here 
2. AR’s role in designing and constructing commercial buildings here