• Magic Leap raised US$500 million off a US$2 billion valuation and unveiled its Magic Leap 2 AR headset that is set for release in 2022

• Chief executive Peggy Johnson said the headset would be the industry’s “smallest and lightest device built for enterprise adoption”

• Much like Microsoft’s Hololens, the goal for this headset is to help remote workers connect and train away from physical office

When Magic Leap was founded 11 years ago, the company set out to be a pioneer in augmented reality and mixed reality technologies. It even received almost US$3 billion to fund its first consumer-friendly AR headset, the Magic Leap One, which was launched in 2018 after a long delay. The US$2,300-priced headset eventually flopped, having sold only 6,000 units — a figure far removed from the one-million sales goal set initially.

The startup eventually narrowed its focus to professional applications, tried unsuccessfully to sell the company, and fired more than half of its workforce during the challenging economic climate of 2020. Plans to make mixed reality glasses mainstream were pushed back.

Amidst this whirlwind of shifting expectations, co-founder and CEO Rony Abovitz decided to leave the company in July 2020. Replaced by Peggy Johnson, the company then unveiled the Magic Leap 2, dubbing it as the industry’s smallest and lightest device built for enterprise, “designed to increase business adoption of AR.”

Johnson, formerly with Microsoft, revealed the new headset during a CNBC interview and in a blog post this past week. In a sign of investor confidence in the burgeoning enterprise AR space, Magic Leap further announced that it has raised US$500 million in funding at a post-money valuation of roughly US$2 billion. “The new capital will further Magic Leap’s focus on delivering best-in-class AR solutions including the roll-out of its second-generation product, Magic Leap 2, in 2022.”

Additionally, as claimed by Johnson, “this more advanced headset boasts critical updates that make it more immersive and even more comfortable, with leading optics, the largest field of view in the industry, and dimming – a first-to-market innovation that enables the headset to be used in brightly lit settings, in addition to a significantly smaller and lighter form factor.”

The short article mentions a number of providers, some of whom are AREA members one of which is Microsoft’s HoloLens 2. The HoloLens 2 smartglasses can connect to remote experts, holographically overlay patient data, and consult MRI images in 3D. They combine existing features—such as high-resolution images, better performance, and eye-tracking—to deliver an interesting full package.

In conjunction with Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic, Microsoft has developed a HoloLens app, HoloAnatomy, that allows medical students to see every aspect of the human body, from muscles to veins, in 3D on a dynamic holographic model. Microsoft is not alone in this space.

Facebook has the wireless Oculus Quest 2 VR headset, just one of multiple types that Oculus is producing. As more technology and applications become available, exciting new opportunities await healthcare professionals.

Accuvein uses projection-based AR in its handheld device that illuminates peripheral veins on the skin’s surface with the goal of improving venipuncture.

Amazon and Intel are getting into this space, as is a Chinese company called Nreal (a former AREA member) which is developing mixed reality technology in the 5G era.

A mixed reality viewer from Brainlab, whose software and hardware create and enhance data, aims to improve critical surgeries and make the operating room more efficient.

The article does state that “down the road, AR healthcare apps could help surgeons become more efficient at surgeries”, however, that is very much a reality already, as many customers are already using Augmented Reality in surgery, such as AREA member Vuzix whose smartglasses have been used in surgery. See News Pixee Medical Surgery Solution Has Received Clearance to Enter U.S. Knee Surgery Market with Vuzix AR M400 Smart Glasses

“The worldwide AR and VR market will experience continued growth, thanks to a slowly warming reception and an increase in the number of new devices arriving to market,” says Ramon Llamas, research director, IDC’s Augmented and Virtual Reality team.

Through this partnership, TeamViewer and Google Cloud are co-developing and co-marketing enterprise AR solutions built on Google Cloud to better serve customer needs.

The first jointly developed solution ‘Assisted Order Picking’ is a hands-free order picking application that leverages Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 smart glasses equipped with TeamViewer’s vision picking software from its Frontline suite, focusing on improving omnichannel fulfillment for grocery stores and retailers.

Carrie Tharp, VP Retail & Consumer at Google Cloud: “Shopping behavior has dramatically changed, especially in the current pandemic, and retailers are having to hire new associates while rethinking their picking and fulfillment processes.  Retailers are looking for off-the-shelf technology they can implement today that will also prepare them for long term success as they develop new approaches to the modern store.”

“We are excited to introduce this first solution with Google Cloud as retailers and grocers struggle to adjust to omnichannel shopping trends.  Our goal is to provide them the tools and technology to drive a higher level of service to their customers and to streamline their ever-changing business models,” says Alfredo Patron, executive vice president of business development at TeamViewer.  “As a Google Cloud partner, we are now developing solutions to improve both the front and back-end of retail operations as a first step.  In the very near future, we are looking to extend our partnership and apply this same technology stack to improve manufacturing, field service and supply chain processes within other industries.”

Connected to a retailers’ or grocers’ order fulfillment systems to update inventory in real-time, associates receive the information they need to fulfill the orders within the display of Google Glass.  This heads-up display capability enables associates to use both hands to locate and pick the correct items, improving pick rates anywhere from 15-40 percent.  At the same time, it provides new data insights to retailers servicing the increasing demand from customers for buy-online and pick-up in store (BOPIS) and same-day delivery options.

This announcement builds on a partnership initiated with Upskill, a pioneer in industrial AR solutions, that was acquired by TeamViewer in March 2021.

For an animated explanation of how the solution works, check out this video.

As your manufacturing company starts or continues its digital transformation journey, how do you know what works? This question looms large in today’s competitive global manufacturing marketplace. Poorly executed digital transformations have proven quite costly to companies that have experienced them, but it is equally (if not more) risky to hesitate while your competitors move forward with their digital transformations. How do you navigate a successful path and avoid both of these undesirable outcomes?

Although each company’s digital journey is unique, we at Siemens have identified some key ingredients common to the many successful digital transformations we have helped implement. By accounting for each of these elements, you will be well on your way to a practical, actionable answer to the question of what works.

1. Cultivate a collaborative environment – Digital tools are only as effective as your team makes them, so preparing your team for a digital transformation is as important as selecting and implementing digital solutions. At most manufacturing companies prior to a full digital transformation, employees are accustomed to segregating by functions and responsibilities. They rely on tribal knowledge to complete their tasks and often have very limited access to information from other departments. To gain the full value of your digital investment, this culture must be replaced with an ecosystem in which sharing and interpreting data across domains is the norm. This cultural shift supports the implementation of digital technologies, and the inverse is also true: today’s most effective digital tools support cross-departmental collaboration and sharing of data to garner knowledge and insights.
2. Choose technologies wisely – The proliferation of digital manufacturing technologies makes it challenging to cut through the noise and identify the best tools to bring about your digital transformation. Because manufacturing digitalization is a journey, selecting the next technology to implement at your facility depends on what steps you have previously taken. We have found that a strategy of starting small with a plan to scale fast is very effective for most of our customers. As you investigate products that address the next need in your manufacturing operations management, in addition to the specific functions that each product offers, you will also want these tools to remove communication barriers, streamline information flow, and enhance collaboration throughout the enterprise. This means the technologies should be built upon a comprehensive digital twin and a robust digital thread.

   The comprehensive digital twin represents in the virtual realm every aspect of a product’s life, from design through in-use performance, including the processes used to manufacture the product. The comprehensive digital twin is used to simulate, predict, and optimize the product and production system before you invest in physical prototypes and assets.​ It provides valuable foresight prior to actual production as well as insights that drive continuous manufacturing improvements.

   The digital thread is the digital form of individual business processes – activities, tasks, decisions – that enhance and expand the digital twin. It supports automation, traceability, and standardization in the manufacturing enterprise. The digital thread connects disparate sources of information, enabling data to flow freely and supporting automation and improvement efforts at every step of the product development cycle.

3. Implement effective change management strategies – Successful digital transformations employ change management strategies with three key characteristics. First, they are integrated in that they manage the interplay between technology and people, or more broadly, between facts (digital strategy, business model, technologies, roles and skills, and more) and social interactions (leadership, teams, communication, training, role transitioning, and more). Second, they are agile in that they adapt to changing situations by being flexible at all times to address current needs, without compromising the vision. Third, they are adaptive in that they tune and apply classic change management levers to the context of digitalization.
4. Adopt a stepwise approach – At Siemens we encourage our customers to make a digital transformation journey – not a digital transformation leap. An iterative, measured, incremental and layered approach, with each new investment building on and incorporating previously implemented digital technologies, helps to optimize value versus risk and to make a successful outcome all the more achievable and likely. As you look around your current facility, it may seem a far cry from lights-out manufacturing or other factories of the future, which are achieving new efficiencies and quality of output. The good news is that a stepwise approach that includes digital transformation along the process value chain has and will continue to convert traditional manufacturing floors to data-driven, resilient and agile operations.

Finally, we believe it is hard to overstate the importance of choosing the right digital industries software provider to partner with you on your digitalization journey. If you are to realize the full value of your digital investment, the tools you select today must serve your strategic vision and manufacturing initiatives for the next decade or more. Your partner must support flexible and scalable applications to predict and adapt products to your future needs. You partner must offer an open ecosystem that affords you the opportunity to build on your investment. In sum, your digital manufacturing partner must keep pace as you drive your business forward.

You can read Siemens Digital Industries Software AREA Member profile here.

Combined with MX Industrial Edge and Mixed Reality-capable devices connected via private wireless (e.g., AR headsets, tablets, and mobile devices), Manifest enriches the experience of frontline users by providing reliable real-time instruction, access to static, audio, and video assets, integration of IoT data, and the ability to communicate in real-time with remote experts when needed. The advanced capabilities of Manifest are changing the way information is delivered to deskless workers and enhancing how these workers do their jobs.

“MX Industrial Edge provides a convenient way for Nokia enterprise customers and their employees to access Manifest and other advanced platforms to complete complex tasks and leverage digital solutions that unlock the inherent value of their operational data,” stated Dirck Schou, CEO of Taqtile. “With Manifest, MX Industrial Edge users will be able to improve their companies’ resiliency, scale their workforces more efficiently, and be better positioned to overcome issues like labor force reductions, supply chain disruptions, and other business challenges.”

Nokia is integrating the capabilities of these advanced applications with high-performance technologies such as 4.9G/LTE and 5G private wireless networks. As a result, enterprises will benefit from an entire ecosystem of connected devices, systems, and sensors. Because Nokia MX Industrial Edge is on-premises, data is processed on-site, providing optimized compute and networking performance, as well as the resilience and data security required by mission-critical Industry 4.0 use-cases.

“Nokia is proud to partner with Taqtile to expand Nokia’s MX Industrial Edge ecosystem with applications that create customer value beyond connectivity. With simple and easy to use mixed reality work instructions in real-time and MX Industrial Edge capabilities, we can address the needs of many segments such as manufacturing and logistics,” said Fabian Schlage, Head of Ecosystem Engagement, Nokia Enterprise Solutions.

About Taqtile
Digital transformation of organizations’ operations continues to accelerate but silos of excellence and expertise still exist. Leveraging AR, cloud computing, and LTE/5G networks, Taqtile’s Manifest platform removes these silos with a single, integrated solution. Manifest enables flawless workflows everywhere and every time by aggregating the critical components of operational systems – people, procedures, places, and machines – so that jobs get done faster and better. Companies and defense organizations around the world recognize Manifest as a leading solution for improving operational proficiency and a platform that gives deskless workers instant virtual access to, and step-by-step guidance from, an organization’s most experienced technicians and trainers. Taqtile is the recipient of the 2020 Microsoft Mixed Reality Partner of the Year Award and included on the Fast Company “World Changing Ideas” 2021 list. For more information on Taqtile and Manifest, please visit www.taqtile.com.

About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together. As a trusted partner for critical networks, we are committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. We create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs. For more information about Nokia MX Industrial Edge, please visit: www.nokia.com/networks/industry-solutions/mx-industrial-edge/

When I left my role at Microsoft to take the helm at Magic Leap, I knew that the potential for AR was vast. What I found when I arrived at Magic Leap was a diverse, high performing team and a strong technology platform with one of the most robust IP portfolios I’ve seen for a company of this scale.

In a short period of time, we have accelerated the organization’s pivot to enterprise, brought our industry-leading capabilities to new customers, and strengthened both the financial and technological foundation of the company. While this past year has been a tremendous step forward for Magic Leap, 2022 will be equally important. I’d like to take a moment to reflect on my first year as CEO and share a glimpse of what lies ahead for AR and our organization.

The Growing Demand for AR

COVID-19 has transformed the way we work and has served as a major catalyst for AR adoption across industries, with a sudden and increasing need for advanced remote work technologies. With limitations on travel and human interaction, the pandemic has spurred the need for innovative technology, like AR, in training, manufacturing, healthcare, defense, and the public sector.

According to IDC, the AR/VR market is expected to grow to nearly $140 billion by the end of 2024. With over a decade in the industry and billions invested in our market leading technology, we’re seeing this firsthand at Magic Leap.

In my role, I’m in constant dialogue with CEOs and leaders of organizations who are navigating today’s rapidly changing work environment and looking for new ways to increase performance and collaboration. From the head of a hospital network who wants to find new ways to train for complex procedures and the CEO of a high-tech manufacturer who is looking to improve training methods that will further empower frontline workers to the head of a finance firm looking for market-leading text legibility to drive screen replacement and AR data visualization and the CTO looking for ways to ease video conferencing fatigue – the demand for tangible solutions is high.

While our core business objectives remain focused on enterprise solutions, there continues to be intense interest in the application of Magic Leap’s technology in the consumer space. In fact, we have received several requests to license our technology and will actively pursue these opportunities if they enhance our position and ability to innovate in the enterprise market.

Focusing on Enterprise

As we accelerated our focus to bring industry-leading innovation to enterprise, we saw significant excitement for our product and its capabilities. Over the last year, we’ve worked with several enterprise customers to drive business transformation across industries.

We partnered with Ericsson to improve work floor processes on factory floors, increasing efficiency and collaboration. Ophthalmologists at Heru used our technology to develop an AR solution for eye exams, replacing a costly and cumbersome diagnostic machine with a more affordable vision diagnostic tool. And Farmers Insurance recently used Magic Leap to remotely train newly hired claim adjusters during the pandemic eliminating the need for environmentally taxing travel.

We’ve also engaged a number of strategic partners to further bolster our support for enterprises of all sizes. We recently announced a partnerships with Google Cloud, PTC, NVIDIA and VMWare to bring their market-leading applications and technologies to the Magic Leap platform, helping to provide essential tools for businesses.

Applications for enterprise are no longer abstract concepts. We’re helping organizations drive adoption across vital industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and the public sector.

Positioning Magic Leap for Success When I arrived at Magic Leap, there was already a powerful set of assets in place. My focus was on strengthening the team, sharpening our strategic focus on the enterprise markets, advancing our technology, and getting our product into the hands of more customers.

As part of this, we established a new leadership team to drive the next generation of Magic Leap, appointing a new chief software and cloud officer, chief financial officer, chief legal officer, chief business officer, chief marketing officer, and chief transformation and people officer. They have each been critical additions to our team, augmenting the world-class talent base we had at the company when I arrived.

We’ve also strengthened our financial footing. Our recent round of funding and new valuation of roughly $2 billion reflects the progress we’ve made and the confidence we have in our future. We are positioned to pursue our share of the overall market opportunity, and enhance our current go-to-market efforts and ability to deliver augmented reality solutions that drive business transformation outcomes for enterprise customers.

Most importantly, our team has been working tirelessly to bring Magic Leap 2, our second-generation product, to market with general availability slated for 2022.

CMPC is a multinational corporation that produces and markets wood, pulp, packaging products and household and personal use products. “We implemented the use of Vuzix Smart Glasses in our company because we cannot travel sporadically to the more than 40 countries where we sell our products.

The objective of implementing this cutting-edge technology is to have greater access to our clients and take immediate resolutions,” explained Pedro Silva, Cardboard Technical Assistance Supervisor of CMPC’s Technical Deputy Manager.

Statkraft is an international energy producer of hydropower, wind power, solar power and gas-fired power and supplier of district heating. “Our plant is 45 minutes away, and each specialist has to constantly be traveling to operations.

Benefits of Smart glasses

With the implementation of Vuzix Smart Glasses in our facilities, we were able to realize a reduction of trips and travel costs. Recently, we were able to remotely obtain the advice of an expert in Brazil thanks to these glasses,” stated Mirko Ojeda, Dispatch Coordinator at Statkraft Chile.

Read more at https://www.vuzix.eu/News

For several hospitals, disruption led to innovation. Vuzix Smart Glasses allowed medical instructors to stream their first-person view to off-site students. Meanwhile, caregivers could provide doctors with a real-time view of patients.

Even though much of the developed world has now been vaccinated, healthcare administrations are doubling-down on this technology.

And with lower latency, higher capacity, and increased bandwidth, expect 5G to trigger a hands-free revolution in the healthcare space.

5G networks offer lower latency, higher capacity, and increased bandwidth, meaning wearable displays can more seamlessly assist healthcare workers. As a result, more lives will be saved.

As providers like Verizon (Vuzix Smart Glasses support BlueJeans by Verizon) roll-out 5G networks across North America and beyond, there’s more incentive for hospitals to equip staff with wearable displays.

And the motivation isn’t purely financial. Smart Glasses have a track record of making workers in several industries more efficient.

Smart Glasses enable medical practitioners to get real-time monitoring of a patient without the need for a face-to-face consultation.

This ability has value that extends far beyond the current public health crisis. Most notably, it allows experts to remotely treat patients. World-class practitioners are no longer required to travel to save lives.

Ultimately, wearable displays make healthcare workers more effective.

It’s time to ditch the clipboard. Hospitals are about to get a much-needed productivity boost.

See Vuzix’s AREA member profile.

Reinventing Intelligence Operations for the British Army

Masters of Pie was proud to showcase their work on the Digital Bird Table solution for the British Army at DSEI in London. The Digital Bird Table solution complements Project Hydra, a project about collating multiple data feeds and processing this information so that Command Centres are able to make better and more timely decisions.

The Masters of Pie’s software (Radical) has been integrated directly into multiple data sources such as SAP HANA and ESRI ArcGIS. The Radical real-time collaboration server pulls the Digital Bird Table experience together, synchronising Hololens and desktop users. The time-lapse video highlights how the solution was polling live data and tracking assets on the move. Watch Video

XR Collaboration for CAD/PLM and BIM Data

The XR collaboration for manufacturing and engineering consisted of a live demonstration of the Radical software integration into the CAD software application to enable the seamless transition to a single user or collaborative VR experience without the need for exporting complex and sensitive data into a standalone application. The solution is ideal for remote assistance, remote diagnostics, design review, design to manufacturing handover, design to supplier engagements, and engineering training purposes. Watch Video

DSEI was a great opportunity to showcase the Radical’s software ability to deliver such contrasting use cases, integrate into a wide array of data sources, deliver multiple end-user experiences (Hololens (AR), VR, and desktop), and support a range of deployment options (cloud, on-premise and stand-alone). Radical is the future of collaboration delivering any data securely to any device.

According to the report, PTC provides the leading AR platform for connected workers in the market today for three reasons.  First, PTC is the only vendor that offers a broad solution portfolio for different use cases and on different technical levels – deep code (Vuforia Engine™), low code (Vuforia Studio™), and no code (Vuforia Expert Capture™, Vuforia Instruct™, and Vuforia Chalk™).  Second, PTC is the only vendor that strongly pushes the integration of AR with emerging technologies such as IoT, AI, SaaS, and spatial computing.  Third, PTC has a strong vision for future AR integrations, bringing its Vuforia portfolio elements closer together to offer tightly integrated solutions for holistic work procedures.

In addition, the PAC Radar analysis recognizes PTC as the first vendor to integrate its AR and IoT capabilities – Vuforia and its ThingWorx® IIoT platform – acknowledging PTC’s ability to harness the digital thread to create a closed loop between the digital and physical worlds and transform how products are engineered, manufactured, and serviced.

“No other vendor offers a broader solution portfolio for different use cases and on different technical levels” said Arnold Vogt, Head of Digital Innovation and IoT at PAC.  “PTC has a clear vision and has already started to bring its Vuforia portfolio elements closer together to offer tightly integrated solutions for holistic work procedures.”

“PTC is proud to be recognized as the leading AR platform for connected workers for the third consecutive year by the PAC Radar analysis,” said Michael Campbell, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Augmented Reality Products, PTC.  “The achievement emphasizes our commitment to offering the best-in-class augmented reality solutions that empower industrial enterprises and complete the digital thread.”