AREA member APX Labs recently announced the closing of an investment round with partners led by New Enterprise Associates. Other parties to the investment include GE Ventures, CNF Investments, Salesforce Ventures and SineWave Ventures.

According to a post on TechCrunch on the topic of the investment, GE is planning a large-scale deployment of the Skylight platform within a year. Skylight, APX Labs’ flagship product, runs on smart glasses such as Google Glass and Vuzix to control the display, camera, sensors and user inputs. Use cases include service and repairs to remote collaboration with experts.

The post also mentions that Salesforce, another APX Labs partner, sees smart glasses as a user interface for the Internet of Things, enabling visualization of key data and information in work environments.

Brian Ballard, CEO of APX Labs, expects the company to help enterprises improve workplace efficiencies across an expanding number of use cases.

Clinicians in medical practice are exploring new display and interaction techniques to streamline patient monitoring and care. Masimo, a leader in noninvasive monitoring technologies, provides Root, a patient monitoring and connectivity platform and the Iris gateway technology guarantees connectivity to other devices and services. Through Iris, Root provides integration with multiple standalone devices, such as IV pumps, ventilators, beds and other patient monitor systems.

At the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) annual conference in October 2015, Masimo and AREA member Atheer Labs demonstrated the Root Iris technology using the Atheer AiR (Augmented interactive Reality) platform and AiR Glasses.

Demonstrations permitted attendees to experience a prototype of display and touch-free interactions powered by the Atheer AiR Glasses. The companies used the opportunity to obtain feedback on features, usability and requirements from medical practitioners.

November 5, 2015-Sheffield, UK– The University Of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) is demonstrating its leadership role in UK manufacturing by joining the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA). AMRC is the first UK research organisation to join the AREA.

AREA is the only global, member-driven organisation focusing on accelerating augmented reality (AR) adoption in enterprise. The AREA’s mission is to help organisations achieve greater operational efficiencies through the smooth introduction and widespread adoption of interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems. Its members collaborate to further this vision and mission.

By building on its current research into the impact and value AR within the manufacturing the Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG) at the AMRC is well placed to advance the AREA’s goals.

Chris Freeman, head of digital assisted assembly at IMG, said: “Joining the AREA will allow us to conduct core research projects with the AREA members, assisting them in creating tailored industrial applications and guiding industry in successfully adopting this advanced technology, all whilst evidencing measurable returns on investment.”

AR will play a pivotal role in IMG’s new home, the AMRC’s new Factory 2050. Factory 2050 is the world’s first fully-reconfigurable factory for advanced manufacturing methods and mechanisms and will allow IMG to showcase the developments and real value of AR to their network of industrial partners.

“Delivery of the right information, to the relevant end user, at the right time, is central to the AMRC’s AR strategy,” said Chris Freeman.

“At Factory 2050 we will be developing innovative ways to visualise the vast array of ‘big data’ available to manufacturing organisations,” he added. “Through the combination of wearable technology and analytics, Factory 2050 will help us demonstrate how digital information will be intelligently accessible and improve overall performance as part of a digital shop floor.”

“The world of AR is developing rapidly. By connecting with the AREA members such as Boeing, APX Labs, Bosch and DAQRI among others, we will leverage their experience and diverse talents, enabling us to be better informed and keeping the AMRC at the forefront of the technology,” said Chris.

“The maturity of AR-enabling technologies and systems is reaching the point where its use in manufacturing is very compelling.  The AR for Enterprise Alliance is very proud to welcome the AMRC as a member – our first dedicated to maturing AR for manufacturing environments,” said Christine Perey, AREA Executive Director.

“Having a member dedicated to maturing these advanced technologies is important to the achievement of our organisation’s strategic goals to drive continuous improvements and increase the impact of AR in industry.”

Members of AREA meet at the University of Sheffield’s AMRC Knowledge Transfer Centre during an AREA members meeting. (l-r) David Doral, AERTEC Solutions, Jay Kim, APX Labs, Matt Kammerait, DAQRI, Mark Lawrence, Newport News Shipbuilding, Chris Freeman, Head of Digitally Assisted Assembly at the AMRC, Bob Meads, iQagent, Christine Perey,  AREA Executive Director and PEREY Research & Consulting, Nathan Greiner, Design Mill, Sri Chandra, IEEE Standards Association, Jim Novack, Talent Swarm (kneeling), Pete Wassell, Augmate and Paul Davies, The Boeing Company

• More information about the AREA is available at http://www.theAREA.org or contact Christine Perey at [email protected]
• More information about IMG can be found here: http://www.amrc.co.uk/research/assembly-img/ or contact Chris Freeman at [email protected]

The Common Information Model (CIM) for utilities is a common vocabulary and basic ontology for managing data about electric power industry assets. It is widely used to describe electricity transmission systems, where related applications include energy management system, SCADA, planning and optimization. This video published by EPRI, an AREA sponsor member, shows how utilities employees can use Augmented Reality to increase safety and reduce errors.

Using Augmented Reality to visualize and interact with data defined by the Common Information Model, EPRI’s PM Basis Database (PMBD) and Fleet-Wide Prognostic and Health Management Suite (FW-PHM) can improve transmission and distribution providers optimize their operations and maintenance.

The hardware used in the video is the Smart Helmet, an industrial grade display embedded in a professional hardhat, designed by DAQRI, also an AREA sponsor member.

AREA member, APX Labs has released an exciting new infographic describing the state of the enterprise wearables market. The infographic identifies the top use scenarios and the relative interest levels of enterprises that participated in the study.

Study results are provided in a complete report of the enterprise wearables marketplace. The report identifies new opportunities as well as deployment barriers including device cost, complexity and performance of the hardware. Nevertheless, 93% of the companies surveyed say that they are exploring the use of wearables, half of them are currently piloting wearable technology and the fastest growing device segment is smart glasses, although smart watches have a higher penetration at the time of the study.

The report concludes that the momentum to adopt wearable technology is high with companies reporting that almost ½ their employees will one day benefit from using these devices for their job.

Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to host Augmented Reality in Leading-Edge Utilities Event

AREA teams with EPRI and IEEE Standards Association to identify opportunities for Augmented Reality in the utilities industry 

WAKEFIELD, Mass., USA – July 6, 2015 –The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA), the only global member-based organization focusing on accelerating Augmented Reality (AR) adoption in enterprise, announced today that the organization is teaming with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and IEEE Standards Association to host the AR in Leading-Edge Utilities (ARLU) event.

Taking place on July 27 and 28, 2015 at the EPRI facility in Charlotte, N.C., ARLU will provide delegates with insights into the opportunities for reduced risk and improved performance through the introduction of AR-assisted workflows in the utilities industry.

Focused exclusively on addressing the unique requirements of the utilities industry, ARLU is targeted at IT professionals working in utilities, vendors serving the utilities industry, and providers of AR components, systems and services. Presentations, workshop sessions, and demonstrations provided by participating organizations will highlight best practices and practical approaches for integrating AR-enhanced information visualization components to complement processes and workflows.

“Representatives from EPRI, Atheer Labs, Augmate, DAQRI, Design Mill, IEEE and NGRAIN will share lessons learned through the practical application of these technologies to help deepen delegates’ understanding of mission-critical workflows that can benefit most from the introduction of AR-assisted systems,” says Christine Perey, AREA Executive Director.

“EPRI is bringing together experts to ferret out the obstacles facing the industry and to identify the best approaches to take advantage of this technology,” says John Simmins, EPRI Technical Executive and AREA board member. “This meeting will give attendees a better understanding of the technology gaps that exist within the industry and the utilities customer requirements.”

Additional event details can be found on the ARLU web page, while invitations can be requested by sending an email to Laura Abbott.

About the AREA

The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) is the only global member-based organization focusing on accelerating AR adoption through creating and expanding a vibrant technology ecosystem. The AREA’s mission is to help organizations achieve greater operational efficiencies through smooth introduction and widespread adoption of interoperable AR-enabled enterprise systems. Its members collaborate to deliver content and programs that further these goals. Sponsor members of the AREA are thought leaders 1066 Labs, AERTEC Solutions, APX Labs, Atheer Labs, Augmate, The Boeing Company, Bosch, CN2 Technology, DAQRI, Design Mill, Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), IEEE Standards Association, NGRAIN, iQagent, Johnson and Johnson, Newport News Shipbuilding, Perey Research & Consulting, and Talent Swarm. More information about the AREA is available at https://thearea.org.

About EPRI

The Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. (EPRI,) conducts research and development relating to the generation, delivery and use of electricity for the benefit of the public. An independent, nonprofit organization, EPRI brings together its scientists and engineers as well as experts from academia and industry to help address challenges in electricity, including reliability, efficiency, affordability, health, safety and the environment. EPRI’s members represent approximately 90 percent of the electricity generated and delivered in the United States, and international participation extends to more than 30 countries. For more information visit http://www.epri.com.

About the IEEE Standards Association

The IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA), a globally recognized standards-setting body within IEEE, develops consensus standards through an open process that engages industry and brings together a broad stakeholder community. IEEE standards set specifications and best practices based on current scientific and technological knowledge. The IEEE-SA has a portfolio of over 1,100 active standards and more than 500 standards under development. For more information visit http://standards.ieee.org/.  

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Direct media inquiries to:

Christine Perey, Executive Director, AR for Enterprise Alliance

[email protected]

In what was nothing short of a “news coup” to equal those which Apple and Microsoft are capable of, DAQRI CEO Brian Mullins spoke about the Smart Helmet and the future of work with Bloomberg’s Cory Johnson in this segment on Bloomberg News.

In the four minute interview Mullins spoke about the business uses for Augmented Reality, the benefits and the technologies that make this useful. Safety for users, one of the key topics of the AREA Display Safety Committee, is one of the features that Mullins highlighted as a benefit for users. Cox points out that the use of Augmented Reality is very relevant for people working with physical world objects more than those who are information workers in the strictest sense of those jobs.

On the opening day of Augmented World Expo, invited speakers and AREA members provided the day-long AWE AR in Enterprise (AWARE) sessions. A short synopsis of the presentation made by Paul Davies, representative of Boeing, an AREA Founding Sponsor member, was featured in this post on the Recode blog. According to Davies, trainees performed tasks using either a PDF displayed on a desktop computer, a PDF displayed on a tablet or animated Augmented Reality-assisted instructions. Trainees using the AR-assisted system were 30 % faster and 90 % more accurate on their first tries than the other groups.

NEW YORK — June 8, 2015 — Augmate (www.augmate.com), an enterprise wearable technology company, announced today the launch of a Wearable Environment (WE) platform to enable the deployment of wearable devices like smart watches and smart glasses at scale. Augmate’s management platform provides a secure network for facilitating and managing the distribution of information across a workforce, which allows organizations to develop endpoint solutions for a myriad of industries.

“The launch of Augmate’s suite of tools for WE is a huge milestone for us,” said Pete Wassell, co-founder and CEO of Augmate. “With this platform, companies can quickly deploy wearable devices and gather insights on their deskless workforce while connecting employees to business-critical information. It enables companies to derive real value from implementing wearables and reduces the friction of introducing new technologies into the workplace.”

In addition to ensuring the secure deployment of wearable devices, the Augmate WE platform also provides customers and partners with actionable insights related to workforce behavior and performance. To optimize accessibility to information, operational workflows, and work safety, Augmate WE platform consists of a suite of tools including Augmate WE(Manage) and Augmate Client for Wearables that enables for provisioning, accessing, and managing smart devices that are being used in the workplace.

Augmate WE platform allows enterprises to manage wearable devices through the web on desktops, smartphones and tablets, collect and analyze data, and author new rules. With the data, Augmate WE visualizes insights from devices, users, and app metrics. The WE platform also supports the loading of the Augmate Client on multiple smart devices simultaneously, connects to third party software in real-time, and features the ability to add smart devices and beacons to the WE dashboard.

Augmate Client securely launches WE on smart devices, connecting directly to Augmate’s backend for live sensor data feeds to access pre-approved applications and databases; it also delivers system-wide messaging and notification capabilities and supports Over the Air (OTA) app updates directly to the wearable device.

Market research firm Tractica predicts the deployment of more than 75 million enterprise and industrial wearable devices over the next five years. Currently, the most widely adopted are the enterprise implementation of biometric wrist bands and activity trackers. However, these wearable devices alone are not enough. Augmate’s WE platform allows enterprises to seamlessly connect and manage every deployed device simultaneously, so enterprises can introduce rewards based employee wellness programs as well as dynamic safety training programs to reduce workplace injuries.

Screenshots of Augmate’s WE Platform: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xmd0goitb7mrq7k/AAAXm1ngRD3TiVUh830WwH4la?oref=e&n=350859465

About Augmate

Augmate was founded in 2013 to empower the deskless workforce with real-time, hands-free information on the job. Augmate offers a Wearable Environment (WE) platform that enables enterprises to deploy wearable devices at scale, providing a suite of tools for provisioning, accessing, and managing smart devices in the workplace.

For more information, please visit: www.augmate.com.

NGRAIN Announces Industrial Application Suite for Transformative AR Deployment in Enterprise

Powerful Interactive AR Tools Include Inspection and Damage Assessment, Field Support, and Manufacturing Analytics

Augmented World Expo – San Francisco – June 8, 2015 – Combining the power of augmented reality (AR) with the industrial Internet of Things, NGRAIN today announced its comprehensive suite of industrial applications – NGRAIN Scout, NGRAIN Consort and NGRAIN Envoy – firmly placing the organization at the forefront of deploying AR technologies across the data-intensive enterprise. Each industrial application focuses on a specific business use case and helps businesses maximize productivity, manage risk, and prevent costly mistakes before they happen.

“The importance of integrated augmented reality capabilities in industrial settings continues to grow. With customers across the Global 2000 in aerospace, defense and manufacturing already using NGRAIN technology, we are making it possible for the enterprise to obtain unprecedented levels of performance” said Barry Po, Director of Product Management. “The power of the NGRAIN industrial application suite is that it provides businesses with an innovative technology and deployment platform that leverages big data investments, visual elements, and AR to deliver critical information to enterprise workers at the point of need.”

The NGRAIN industrial application suite includes:

NGRAIN Consort An interactive 3D application that powers streamlined design inspections, quality control reviews, repair planning, and sustainment activities across an organization. NGRAIN Consort allows organizations to combine digital information about an assembly, vehicle, or other complex equipment with the actual machinery. Using innovative interactive augmented reality and virtual 3D, inspectors and technicians can directly annotate areas of concern, review maintenance histories, and plan for repairs on the spot.

Lockheed Martin is using NGRAIN Consort to effectively assess airframe damage and increase technician efficiency. Learn more about how NGRAIN and Lockheed worked together to solve these challenges.

NGRAIN Envoy A virtual 3D and augmented reality application that eliminates inefficiencies in field-based operations. By providing on-demand access to crucial equipment information and field-based data, specialists in the field can make critical decisions in real-time and collaborate with other field teams and colleagues remotely. Live updates to operational variables can be monitored at all times. Valuable knowledge captured in the field can be instantly assessed and disseminated to others, improving operational efficiency, asset management, and logistics planning.

NGRAIN Scout A 3D visual analytics application that supports real-time visual analysis and real-time decision making in manufacturing execution environments. Floor supervisors can access data at a glance, including current state, product lifecycle data, supply chain, and inventory information. Through a combination of augmented reality and interactive 3D experiences, every worker on the shop floor is always ready to act on work orders and rapidly changing operating conditions, to ensure that manufacturing activities are operating at maximum effectiveness.

For more information on NGRAIN and its products, please visit www.ngrain.com.

Visit NGRAIN at booth #14 this week at Augmented World Expo in Santa Clara to see NGRAIN industrial applications in action.

About NGRAIN

NGRAIN allows the world to see beyond reality. Our innovative, interactive 3D technologies empower decision makers in the most challenging markets around the globe, building a world where the enterprise workforce is always connected to the right information, at the right time, on the right device — maximizing operational uptime and eliminating costly mistakes.

NGRAIN’s patented virtual reality and augmented reality software is used by leading Fortune 500 organizations in aerospace, defense, energy, healthcare, and heavy industry; transforming the way they communicate, collaborate, and understand the world around them.

Through industry-first 3D development platforms, authoring tools, and industrial applications, NGRAIN enables organizations to accelerate decisions by interacting with the world’s data in 3D. For more information, visit www.ngrain.com.

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NGRAIN Media Contact:

Victoria Berry
King & Weber Communications
[email protected]
+1 519 362 5347