What augmented reality means

“Augmented” reality is an everyday reality that has been augmented or enhanced by the addition of digital visual information. The image you see in AR is exactly what you see in the real world using your eyes, but with images and text overlaid within your field of view via a wearable device. AR is different from “virtual” reality (VR), in which the user is fully immersed in a digital experience with the headset blocking out the external world completely.

The concept is so widespread that chances are you’ve seen or experienced AR in a basic form. When Iron Man looks through his visor and sees computer readouts alerting him to danger, that’s a form of AR, albeit one filtered through a fictional comic book or movie framework.

In the real world, the mobile game Pokemon Go incorporates augmented reality elements by using your phone’s camera to superimpose cute critters into the real world around you. Snapchat filters are another well known example that you may not think of as augmented reality.

While virtual reality shuts you off from the outside world, requiring new environments to be built, augmented reality integrates digital content into your physical environment.

These examples deliver an impressive, entry-level AR experience using the basic technology available in smartphones. Now imagine what’s possible with a lightweight, wearable computer created specifically with augmented reality in mind– one that can integrate digital content that is contextually aware of the physical environment it’s in.

How augmented reality works

Augmented reality works by analyzing the environment and using triggers around you to display relevant information in the applicable place in your field of view. So, for example, an AR function for a map application might be programmed to detect the logos of specific stores and display details such as store hours when you look at them.

On a smartphone, that’s simply a case of putting the information on the screen. But for a wearable AR headset like Magic Leap, the process is even more immersive. By using information from the built-in eye tracker, virtual content is rendered correctly and slightly differently for each eye, which enables virtual objects to appear at any depth.

Designed for comfort and long-term use

Enterprise-class, head-mounted displays must be designed in a way that lets the user wear them for longer periods of time without causing fatigue or strain. Because the device must fit securely and perform well, Magic Leap did the work to measure performance and comfort on a diverse range of users.

Researchers at Magic Leap spent years capturing 3D scans of hundreds of heads and have seen a wide range of head shapes, sizes, distances between nose bridges and eyes, all to inform the industrial design of the platform. Numerous pad configurations for forehead and nose make Magic Leap comfortable for all head shapes and sizes.

Magic Leap devices are fully customizable, distribute weight evenly around the head, and are designed for thermal comfort. You can even insert prescription lenses into your device to make it even more customized.

Designed for human physiology

Magic Leap has a unique heritage of designing for the human body thanks to the founding team’s groundbreaking work in the biomedical industry. This experience has uniquely inspired Magic Leap to create a device that operates harmoniously with human physiology.

Magic Leap works in tandem with our natural visual system in a safe and effective way to create incredibly real experiences. Magic Leap’s operating range begins at 37 centimeters, well within an arm’s length, and is among the largest operating ranges in the industry. Accordingly, Magic Leap has designed its AR wearable devices to deliver experiences that are low friction and do not typically induce nausea.

How augmented reality can be used

By bridging the divide between the digital and physical worlds, and combining them in a unique first-person point of view, AR has the potential to revolutionize many different professional fields, not just personal entertainment.

AR allows doctors to plan for complex surgical cases

Augmented reality is already being used in cutting-edge medical scenarios. In October 2020, surgeons at UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, CA, used Magic Leap technology to prepare for the separation of twin babies who were joined at the head. This rare and intricate surgery was planned by building a 3D reconstruction of the conjoined twins from MRI and CT scans, which were then viewed on the Magic Leap platform using Brainlab’s Mixed Reality Viewer software. The surgical team was then able to walk around the models to view all possible angles before a single incision was made.

SentiAR’s software, for example, connects operating physicians to 3D patient cardiac data in real time helping guide them during the procedure. It also helps patients visualize and understand the procedures they are about to undergo. SyncThink, Inc. is another company working with Magic Leap on clinical trials to explore AR for vestibular disorders like concussions. Heru, Inc., on the other hand, is using AR to innovate diagnostic solutions in optometry. The company’s platform on the Magic Leap 2 headset is designed to replace several legacy diagnostic devices and includes planned applications related to personalized vision correction that would allow clinicians to diagnose and manage patients with increased efficiency.

There are everyday practical applications as well, allowing doctors to view patient notes remotely, or collaborate with colleagues on patient cases in different cities or even countries.

Manufacturing problems can be tackled remotely

Linear motion company PBC Linear is one of the many organizations using AR to capture and leverage machine instructions from seasoned employees and train new machine operators, resulting in an 80% reduction in training time and 20% in annual savings due to less scrap and fewer mistakes — ensuring quality parts get to customers on time. Thanks to an AR package called Manifest, created by Taqtile and running on the Magic Leap platform, PBC Linear frontline workers have instant access to step-by-step guidance from their most experienced technicians and trainers, anytime and anywhere. AR is helping train and upskill the PBC Linear workforce, regardless of geographic location.

Shared digital spaces can shake up enterprise and marketing

Created to work in both physical and virtual shared spaces, the potential uses for augmented reality are limited only by ambition and imagination. Magic Leap is used by enterprise platforms such as Cavrnus, which collaborated with events agency Fix8Group to produce a hybrid model for experiential brand marketing in which in-person attendees, and those joining via AR, were able to communicate, collaborate, and even influence the lighting and music.

Magic Leap is also used by Talespin, an immersive learning platform that uses AR to deliver corporate skills training, and by “data storytelling” company Flow Immersive, which transforms complex information into easily understood AR visualizations that are shareable on social media.

The future of augmented reality?

A March 2021 study by Statista estimated there will be 2.4 billion mobile AR users worldwide by 2023. Ownership of dedicated AR devices such as Magic Leap is expected to reach 30 million units by 2023, an increase of over 380% from 2020. Increased use of AR platforms is one thing, but as the saying goes, you should follow the money for the full story. Spending on “extended reality” technology for just the U.S. construction and manufacturing sectors is projected to hit $35 billion in the next two years.

Unlike virtual reality, AR’s hybrid nature means that it is far more adaptable to real-world applications and that is only going to become more apparent as platforms evolve and developers discover new ways to overlap the virtual and real worlds.

Unplanned equipment downtime continues to cost manufacturing companies $50 billion each year, with aging equipment being the leading cause of extended downtimes. Manufacturers are increasingly looking to move to planned predictive maintenance to reduce downtimes and increase the longevity of equipment.

To improve equipment uptime and increase their operational life, manufacturers have transitioned from reactive maintenance that is largely inefficient to preventive maintenance, which is based on proactively servicing equipment to increase machine longevity. In Industry 4.0, preventive or planned maintenance continues to be the dominant approach favored by nearly 80% of maintenance personnel.

Having said that, this preventive maintenance strategy is not optimized to manage the complexities of Industry 4.0. For the most part preventive maintenance works around ‘fixed’ schedules or as a response to failure events.  In this article we will explore why manufacturing companies need to go beyond scheduled preventive maintenance and how a Connected Worker Platform can help them take the next step into data driven planned predictive maintenance.

What is Predictive Maintenance?

In today’s manufacturing, companies are focusing on improving their Overall Equipment Effectiveness or OEE score to increase machine uptime and productivity. For an optimized OEE score, manufacturers need to focus their maintenance-related activities around factual real-time data about manufacturing assets instead of measuring them against hypothetical end-of-life parameters.

Predictive maintenance is  about scheduling maintenance-related activities around accurate data-based predictions about the asset’s life. Planned predictive maintenance is facilitated by large volumes of asset data collected from equipment sensors, smart machines, augmented service tasks and robots. According to McKinsey, predictive maintenance reduces machine downtime by 30-50% and improves machine life by 20-40%.

Predictive Maintenance benefits Manufacturing companies by enabling:

• Real-time visibility into the current machine conditions, thus accurately predicting and preventing possible downtime.
• Effective cost savings by minimizing any planned machine downtime and maximizing equipment lifetime.
• Improved planning of maintenance activities by integrating the asset condition with the production schedules and demand forecasts.
• Improved productivity for the maintenance team personnel and enabling asset managers to improve OEE scores.

Next, let us see how a Connected Worker platform can help in elevating predictive maintenance in the manufacturing domain.

How Connected Workforce Platforms Improve Predictive Maintenance?

Through data-driven predictive maintenance, valuable insights about asset conditions can now be extracted that can facilitate the remote maintenance process. With the use of Augmented Reality (AR) technology in the Front Line Worker platform, remote technicians are better positioned to conduct asset repairs including complex machine parts. AR technology eliminates travel-related costs for support engineers by providing remote assistance and gets expertise where you need it.

Further, real-time data visibility can be used to streamline preventive maintenance operations in manufacturing facilities and allow the allocation of necessary resources to assets that need immediate attention. Front Line Worker platforms and technologies also elevate the quality of  inspections performed by technicians. Step-by-step visual work instructions available on Front Line platforms also enhance machine inspections and audits in any manufacturing facility.

Conclusion

According to ABI Research, predictive maintenance is expected to have an installed base of over 9.8 million devices in the next five years.

Low code/no code Connected Worker platforms boost predictive maintenance operations by providing real-time machine information in a convenient digital format that allows companies to iterate and improve their processes to achieve peak efficiency. This reduces machine downtime and improves OEE in the age of Industry 4.0.

With its Connected Workforce platform, Atheer has been providing innovative AR-enabled solutions that overcome many industry pain points including machine maintenance work for some of the largest companies in the world. The Atheer platform is here to empower maintenance engineers with resources including AR-based remote assistance, work instructions, and digital workflows to make sure they can do their best work every time. It’s time to free your teams from wasting thousands of hours per year per asset in dual data entry, eliminate inefficient processes and streamline operations with end-to-end support.

Overall, the solution helped PBC Linear operate and scale more effectively in several areas.

Deliver New Efficiencies and Process Improvements
PBC Linear utilized Taqtile’s Manifest on Magic Leap 1 to reduce training time for workers from almost three weeks to just three days – an 80% reduction in time.

Boost Productivity and Minimize Downtime
Along with reduced training time, PBC Linear saved almost $100,000 (USD) by reducing scrap and minimizing costly errors.

Attract Better Talent and Reduce Employee Turnover
New employees were enthusiastic to use Magic Leap’s augmented reality device to train more effectively and to increase productivity.

Simplify Training Procedures
Magic Leap’s device made PBC Linear’s training more efficient and interactive.

Save on Costs Tied to Training, Down-time and Human Error
PBC Linear realized substantial employee cost savings, including savings of more than $7,000 (USD) per employee across new machinist onboarding.

In case you missed this in-depth discussion of our manufacturing case study with PBC Linear and Taqtile, the webinar is now available for you to view. Watch Magic Leap’s video and resources 

Visit Magic Leap’s AREA member profile

Operating all across the globe, Molenaar is known for its high-quality food processing equipment, serving the biggest clients in the food and beverage industry. As a renowned market leader in heavy machinery manufacturing, they strive to offer the best customer service after equipment delivery and installation. Molenaar touched upon the possibilities of enterprise augmented reality already before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Yet, the imposed travel restrictions made the organization adopt the technology with full force.

Lead service engineer Marius Menezies is based in the busy hub of Johannesburg, South Africa, and directs a team of local technicians. The heavy machines are assembled, tested and manufactured, before being shipped to their clients worldwide. Marius provides direct support when technical issues arise during and after the installation process on the client’s site. As these machines need to be configured carefully, it’s common practice for Molenaar’s technicians to visit their client’s site. In addition, in case of machine breakdowns or repairs, skilled technicians travel on-site to their clients to have this fixed as soon as possible; since not working or obsolete machines cost the company thousands of dollars by the minute.

Fixing food processing machinery issues from a distance

With multiple customers located all over the world, it’s impossible for HG Molenaar’s engineers and technicians to constantly be on the road, and on top of that, the Covid-19 pandemic’s travel restrictions forced HG Molenaar to structurally think in a different direction. By using smart glasses technology, remote assistance sessions would allow issues to be fixed from a distance, without the need to travel. Here, the local technicians wear the glasses, and thanks to the built-in cameras and microphone, Marius and his team can then give feedback from a distance in real-time, fixing issues in twice as little time compared to the traditional way. Besides this, they also use the glasses for training purposes, resulting in faster onboarding of new employees.

The ideal hands-free solution for fixing heavy food processing machinery

The ‘plug-and-play’ interface ensures the glasses are extremely easy to use. Together with our remote assistance software partner Wizzeye, technicians simply log in and start recording their remote assistance session. Connecting each other over wi-fi, the remote technician gives detailed instructions to the local crew. In fact, the central camera and powerful zoom lens ensure remote collaboration over video gets a new, more powerful dimension. The remote technician sees exactly what the local technician sees on-site and can even make annotations and send them over via the small display screen in the glasses. He can additionally zoom into the smallest details and use the laser pointer to pinpoint exactly which actions need to be taken. “What I really like about the glasses is that you can simply use your own private smartphone. It’s so easy to use. After logging in and connecting with the other party, you simply tuck your phone away in a dedicated pouch and hook this onto your belt. This way, you have both of your hands available to do your job. So convenient”, Marius states.

HG Molenaar’s expert technicians provide instant feedback from a distance via video collaboration

Better operational efficiency and fewer machine breakdowns

The ease of use of the glasses advances both Marius and his team as well as the local technicians. Both encounter more productivity in terms of better operational efficiency and fewer machine breakdowns. By using smart glasses, the remote expert can use the time he would normally spend on traveling on other duties. Especially in Marius’ case, this is a big advantage as he sometimes gets calls in the middle of the night from the night shift. In this case, the glasses offer the perfect solution to resolve an issue the fastest way possible.

Besides productivity gains, using smart glasses also allows the company to offer better training and new employee onboarding. With branches spread around all across the country, it oftentimes occurs that the Johannesburg location needs assistance from the main headquarters in Cape Town and vice versa. Here, one technician wears the glasses while the other provides instant feedback and like this, they train each other from a distance. Here again, the smart glasses offer a viable solution to connect technicians from a distance and to quickly share tribal knowledge.

Smart glasses: A long term cost-saving solution

For Molenaar, using smart glasses has been a win-win for both their own technicians and their clients. Not only do their own employees save a huge amount of time on traveling, but also travel expenses are pushed back to a minimum. “The price of a pair of smart glasses compared over the long term with plane tickets and other travel costs is remarkable”, Marius adds. “It’s a much better cost-savings alternative.”

In a new competitive assessment of enterprise augmented reality platforms, ABI Research identifies which current AR vendors can deliver the most business value – now and in the future – using the following criteria:

• Customers, partnerships, and footprint
• Use case applicability
• Internet of Things synergy
• Machine vision capabilities
• Transformative technology capabilities
• Data visualization capabilities

From the PTC website you can download the full report and discover why PTC Vuforia “remains at the top” of ABI’s ranking with the “most innovation” among AR platforms.

Skilled labor gap

With a generation filled with skills entering retirement, the manufacturing industry is witnessing a looming labor shortage. As a result, manufacturers are struggling to find motivated, knowledgeable employees for the job.

Machine intelligence

The manufacturing industry is increasingly using the Internet of Things. A majority of firms either have already implemented the technology or are on the verge of implementing the Internet of Things machines. These smart machines assist companies in collecting useful information that can aid them in improving productivity and implementing predictive maintenance.

Maximizing automation

COVID-19 has shown us all that this is a critical time to explore the implementation of automation technologies (and all things Industry 4.0, including collaborative robotics, autonomous material movement, the internet of things, and artificial intelligence).

System age and usability

Today’s workers need an updated system. Internal users require updated systems that can assist them in better job performance. Updated systems offer flexibility, greater insight, and speed – permitting workers to perform their tasks more efficiently and effectively.

Growing with increasing demand

• Increasing capacity – having so much demand that you need to increase capacity can force choices, like moving to a new facility or expanding your existing facility.
• Demand-driven manufacturing – many manufacturers are just keeping up with work based on orders from existing customers, leaving little time or money to invest in other critical initiatives.

Trade war effects

Current trade wars affect all industry sectors. Manufacturing is not an exception since finished products and raw materials are sourced and sold across the globe. In the coming year, the industry is considering tactical changes to ease the impact of trade wars that are always heating up.

Supply chain visibility

There must be real-time, granular visibility within the entire supply chain. Manufacturers must be aware of every detail. They must know when products delay reaching the market. Being updated on such situations will give them an upper hand to adjust or rectify the problem.

Reshoring

Businesses are rethinking their global manufacturing strategies. Companies are motivated to participate in reshoring efforts due to rising foreign wages, rising tariffs, and reconsiderations of the total cost of ownership.

Responding to Covid-19

The effects of COVID-19 have impacted manufacturing, top to bottom. It’s hard, even with a business plan, to adequately address the unpredictable and rapid variables of the outbreak: quarantining, restricting travel options, closing schools, disrupting supply chains, etc.

Applications now being accepted

Please see the Qualcomm website to enter your application

The companies have partnered to pursue a joint goal: the accelerated growth of wearable software EyeSucceed, an augmented reality (AR) application based on TeamViewer’s enterprise AR platform Frontline.

EyeSucceed has the ability to digitalize processes and address critical challenges in the food industry. The commercial agreement leverages TeamViewer’s technological capabilities and NSF’s industry expertise and global customer base.

NSF has successfully integrated EyeSucceed into the daily operations of customers in the food and beverage industry to empower workers with AR-based workflows. For example, a global fast food restaurant chain has equipped its employees in more than 100 restaurants with the solution to ensure a global quality standard in training and onboarding of new employees.

Furthermore, the software is enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) features for improving food safety — for example, to automatically detect if hygiene gloves are worn and changed during the food production process.

“TeamViewer’s AR specialists have been dedicated and collaborative partners of ours since 2015, when EyeSucceed was first created,” said John Rowley, vice president of the global food division at NSF International. “Together with TeamViewer, we will help food businesses around the world to reduce risk, improve compliance and strengthen their brands. This collaboration will define the standard for AR applications in the global food supply chain.”

Jan Junker, executive vice president solution delivery at TeamViewer, said, “The use of voice- and eye-controlled AR applications giving step-by-step instructions to workers on smart glasses is game-changing for the food industry. Companies can digitalize their workplaces while keeping their workers’ hands 100% free to perform their tasks faster and better and to stick to all hygiene regulations at the same time. Customers who optimize their processes with our Frontline solution confirm double-digit increases in efficiency and close-to-zero error rates. We are looking forward to teaming up with NSF International to bring these benefits to more customers in the food industry and beyond.”

Read AREA member TeamViewer’s member profile.

Another company, Brainlab, wants to make its Mixed Reality Viewer software available on Magic Leap 2.

That Magic Leap is making its latest wearable available to digital healthcare startups first isn’t surprising; CEO Peggy Johnson said as much would happen last April. “Augmented reality may transform healthcare more than any other industry, at least in the near term,” she said at the time, noting also that the company would focus on enterprise customers at launch.

Read Magic Leap AREA member profile

When there’s a need for an expert to inspect an oil rig or train someone to repair a vehicle, companies used to fly the expert in to do the task in person. More and more, though, companies are learning that when workers in the field are equipped with assisted reality wearables, the expert can help them from a remote location.

The “see what I see” capability of these devices with a head-mounted camera and display allow the expert in a remote location to see what someone else is seeing on site. The expert can also give the person wearing the device verbal instructions and visual instructions through the display. In addition, the person in the field can use the device hands-free.

This kind of “remote expert guidance” has been a common use case for RealWear equipment since the company’s founding five years ago, but it was accelerated when the pandemic prevented people from traveling. Now that more companies have experienced the alternative, and the savings in travel costs and experts’ time, many are likely to stick with it.

“We think this is the new normal, that not everybody needs to travel all the time,” Rama Oruganti, chief product officer at RealWear, told PYMNTS. “There are certain tasks that can be done remotely as long as you have the right point of view, you can see the things and you have the tools in place to make remote work possible in that way.”

Providing Information Without Distracting From Hands-On Work 

RealWear launched the latest generation of its industrial-strength wearables on Dec. 8. Assisted reality wearables like the new RealWear Navigator 500 incorporate the digital world but do not immerse the user in it or put it in the user’s field of vision. Instead, with assisted reality, the digital world is right below the user’s field of view, so they need only look down to see it — just as the driver of a car would glance down at the dashboard, Oruganti explained. In industrial uses cases that often include hazardous environments, it’s important that the user’s field of view not be obstructed, he added.

“Industrial frontline workers are the people who can use most of the helpful things that might come out of the metaverse,” Oruganti said. “So, we are trying to take those and put it into the hands of the people who need it the most.”

The RealWear Navigator 500 is two-thirds the weight its predecessor, so it’s easier to wear during an eight-hour shift; it’s two-thirds the width of the earlier device, so that the center of gravity is closer to the user’s temple and the perceived weight is lower; it’s rugged enough to be dropped from a height of 2 meters without damage, and it’s modular so the camera and display can be changed in the future.

Enabling Digital Workflow and Visual Assist 

Another growing use case for these devices involves inspections in which the user is on site and doesn’t need remote assistance. This “digital workflow” use case applies the product’s ability to respond to voice command and to record what the user sees. While inspecting equipment, for example, the user can mark off items on a checklist with verbal commands and can record what they’re seeing. Previously, this would be done by marking the items off on paper and later entering that information into a laptop.

“That was one of the big things we resolve,” Oruganti said. “One, you reduce paperwork errors; two, you save time, and three, you have visual documentation.”

A third growing use case for this equipment is “visual assist.” If someone is repairing a piece of equipment and needs to see the blueprint as they work, they can see it on the display on the wearables. What’s more, they can track around that piece of paper and zoom in on the part they need.

“It’s like someone’s holding a seven-inch tablet at arm’s length with that information for you, so that’s very helpful,” Oruganti said.

Displaying IoT Data When It’s Needed 

Assisted reality wearables can also display information from the sensors on a piece of equipment so that the user can see if a machine is too hot or spinning too fast, for example, without having to read the dial. The Internet of Things (IoT) data is funneled into the display and the user can see it when they want it.

“[Assisted reality] and [virtual reality] are going to be big — they’re already big and they’re growing fast,” Oruganti said. “The big immediate use case for a lot of people in the real world is going to be in industry. There are 100 million industrial frontline workers — the kind of people we are targeting — so we are trying to take the best in class of things that are applicable here without being distracting and without taking away their hands.”