Engineering firm Costain has announcement that they will be using Augmented Reality to assess radioactive pipelines. EDF Energy has chosen the company to participate in an innovation project, which involves building a miniature infrared pipe camera which uses AR to check for damage.

The technology was developed as part of a challenge from EDF and Innovate UK, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It was designed to detect cracks in pipelines that are over 40 years old; images of the pipes are overlaid using AR to give an indication of the extent of damage.

The EDF account manager at Costain, Loretta Brown, is quoted to have said that merging technology with innovation in the energy industry will increase efficiency and reduce costs. It is thought that millions will be saved. The nuclear business development director at Costain, Tony Davies, is also quoted to have said that the technology will have a long-term impact on EDF.

A summary of this announcement can be read on Energy Voice.

Earlier this week, an article on IoT Agenda focuses on how Augmented Reality technology is being utilized in areas of the enterprise such as maintenance, field service, and marketing.
Significant points mentioned in the article include:

• AR technology provides essential information to workers that improves productivity, delivers optimal maintenance, and streamlines customer interactions
• The increase of AR is mostly due to the rise of smartphones, smart sensors, and improved 3D graphics
• According to Digi-Capital, ARVR revenues is expected to reach $120 billion by 2020, $90 billion of which will come from AR applications
• A PWC report has claimed that AR is on the increase due to field workers requiring hands-free devices that provide information such as instructions, charts, schematics, lists, etc., which enables them to diagnose problems and repair equipment remotely
• Currently, the main use of AR applications is in marketing
• Jay Wright, the president and general manager at Vuforia, is quoted to have said that AR is a valuable selling tool for both industrial and consumer products
• However, AR applications are also very useful for training and maintenance in the enterprise
• AR can provide real-time data, instructions, and blueprints on the plant floor; this enables workers to address downtime issues
• AR devices also allow remote communication between engineers and plant floor workers
• AR improves efficiency and makes a safer environment for warehouse workers
• The technology can direct workers to the correct location, and facilitate packing and shipping
• Lisa Woodley, vice president of experience design at NTT Data, has said that AR can also potentially be used for quality and inspection

A recent article on SearchCIO discusses how Augmented and Virtual Reality devices are transforming the workplace and production.
Important points in the article include:

• Black and Veatch have begun using Microsoft HoloLens to view data on the infrastructure being analysed, and have identified various potential uses for the technology
• ARVR technology is expected to drive productivity and improve quality to bring significant ROIs to companies
• In the manufacturing industry, AR tech provides workers with information and instructions that is layered onto the physical workspace, so they device is hands-free
• Engineering and construction companies also use AR in a similar way; it also enables remote expertise as professionals can remotely guide employees
• International Data Corp. have predicted that ARVR worldwide revenues will increase by at least $156.8 billion from 2016 to 2020
• AR is currently more applicable than VR
• Forrester Research has also predicted that AR tech will become commonplace in the next five years
• Accenture Digital have designed and built an AR application that allows consumers to choose different colours for a car using a tablet and view it in the physical space before them
• Ford Motor Co. has been working with ARVR tech since 1999, which it uses to solve ergonomic issues and review engineering and design specs
• Companies can work with different tech organisations for software and hardware relevant to ARVR applications
• IT departments still need to develop content to feed into ARVR systems and create integration
• Black and Veatch found that using mobile version of applications is better in an AR environment because the content is designed for smaller screens
• As ARVR enterprise tools are merging with other new tech such as artificial intelligence, more specialist skills will be required

Security concerns prove to be at the top of the list of barriers to AR adoption, according to research from global business technology and cybersecurity association ISACA. infosecurity-magazine.com reported such findings in an article earlier this week, writing that only 21% of the 6600 business and technology professionals surveyed believe that the benefits of Augmented Reality outweigh the potential risks. Rob Clyde, board director of ISACA and executive advisor at BullGuard Software, says these numbers are expected to change in the very near future, “as businesses begin to view AR as a valuable technology that can deliver positive business outcomes, such as improving training, education, marketing and customer experience”.

Although the survey findings display concerns for the risks associated with AR technology, more of which can be found in the original article, ISACA provides recommendations to help organizations overcome potential security-related barriers of AR. Businesses can update their policies to accommodate AR, along with reviewing their governance framework. Incorporating the use of AR as part of the business into organizational policies and procedures is absolutely crucial to stay secure, including bring your own device. Security is required in every part of the process to ensure confidence in the data being used, the article states.

For detailed information on Augmented Reality in the Enterprise, including overcoming barriers to adoption, see our Webinar.

A blog on forbes.com has stated that the future of work will dramatically change due to new technologies, one of which is Augmented Reality. Writer Maribel Lopez explains how in her research where she asks companies which technologies they are evaluating, and what new workplace experiences they are exploring, last year, most companies considered AR as a consumer gaming technology. Today, according to Lopez, companies are investigating AR as a way to make data more accessible and easier to understand; Augmented Reality in the workplace has the potential to deliver collaboration improvements and make hands-free data access easier.

A multitude of organizations and roles may trial and implement AR into the workplace, the article says, from knowledge workers viewing digital dashboards to a factory manager having equipment health displayed via a digital overlay.

Leaders are experiencing the benefits of Augmented Reality in the workplace and to improve product designs. Two enterprise examples quoted in the article are:

• Elevator manufacturer ThysenKrupp is using Microsoft’s HoloLens so that technicians can visualize the elevator repair before arriving on site. When the technician reaches the site, they can use AR to view repair guides and digital overlays of manuals while fixing the elevator.
• Augmented Reality is used by Bechtel via tablets to advance construction by replacing paper documents. It also lets engineers visualize walls and other items onsite.

There have been many reports this week that Apple is combining their iPhone’s camera app with Augmented Reality technology. (For example, on Business Insider).

Apple wants the addition of AR into the iPhone’s camera software to enable consumers to point their phones at a real-world object and have the iPhone recognize it. Another potential feature to be implemented with the use of AR within the camera app could be recognition and manipulation of people’s faces; in the most recent version of its iOS software, Apple incorporated facial recognition technology into the photos app.

Employees from Metaio and Flyby Media, AR technology companies acquired by Apple over recent years, are working in Apple’s camera group. When the Augmented Reality features are built into the iPhone camera app, the technology will be released by Apple as an SDK for app developers; the same way the Touch ID fingerprint sensor was released.

According to sources, Apple is working on a pair of smart glasses in order to pair them to an iPhone, and have employed John Border, previously Chief Engineer at Osterhout Design Group. The Business Insider article claims that Border is potentially moving Apple’s smart glasses project out of the exploration labs and into a more advanced stage.

An article appeared on TechTarget addressing the ‘experimental’ nature of Augmented Reality in the Enterprise. The article’s line of thought follows the extent to which Augmented Reality is being adopted in the enterprise, as businesses must work out its best uses, cost versus ROI and user acceptance.

Both Christine Perey, AREA Board member and former Executive Director, and The AREA’s current Executive Director Mark Sage, are quoted in this article.

Issues mentioned in the article include confusion around the difference between AR & VR, which is addressed and the fact that mobile apps are only 1 way to deliver Augmented Reality (others being wearables, smartglasses, head mounted displays and other hands free devices).

The state of the AR Market is touched upon including the industry early adopters. Popular uses are summarised, such as inspections, design reviews and in highly complex environments. The article offers a high level overview for industry decision makers looking for a greater understanding of how Augmented Reality can help in their enterprise.

The AREA also offers a huge range of resources for enterprise users and membership. Do take a look around our website for more information or get in touch!

A post on Farm Industry News blog showed industry excitement about the possibility of using Augmented Reality on the farm. Whilst the article concedes that it may be some time before the technology is mainstream in farming, there are plenty of uses that the post encourages readers to consider:

• Interacting with projection of farm building models, e.g. segmenting sections and “going inside”
• Visioning potential for farm equipment manufacturers
• Could reduce costly errors even at the design stage
• Live yield maps and access to real-time weather data whilst on the farm
• Potential for wearable or windshield technology to be used

A press release dated November 9 2016 is available. Scope AR is an AREA member providing advanced AR training solutions. Scope AR has announced a licence with Caterpillar Inc to provide an Augmented Reality based live support video calling platform built specifically for the unique remote assistance needs of industries using heavy machinery. A first-of-its kind partnership, Scope AR and Caterpillar are delivering the unprecedented ability for the Caterpillar dealer network to leverage the benefits of augmented reality (AR) for live support in repairing, troubleshooting a problem or conducting maintenance on equipment.

Scope AR’s platform will be available to more than 160 Cat dealers, Cat machinery users and others under the Cat brand worldwide.

The full press release can be read here.

A conference, AR in China, was recently held in Gui’An. A summary article (link here) noted important points from the conference, including:

• Augmented Reality works best in apps when consumers are unaware that AR is involved.
• B2B will be a significant driver of Augmented and Mixed Reality, as companies will invest in such technology to reduce errors, save costs, and improve efficiency.
• Brands should focus their value proposition be making relevant apps.
• One of the most important components of headsets is the quality of the lenses.
• The aim of the Virtual Reality Summit was to bring together support for business development, content creation, hardware and software innovation, manufacturing, financing, and infrastructure.
• In February, Alibaba (China’s e-commerce leader) led the $800 million Series C round for the Mixed Reality startup Magic Leap, based in Florida.
• The AR, VR, and MR field is connecting companies and creators across the globe.