According to Wikipedia, a coordinate measurement machine is a device for measuring the physical geometrical characteristics of an object. This machine may be manually controlled by an operator or it may be computer controlled. Measurements are defined by a probe attached to the third moving axis of this machine.

KEYENCE, a maker of the XM-Series of instruments for factories, has announced on its web site its first coordinate measurement machine with handheld probe and Augmented Reality support. The new XM-Series model is portable although not mobile and offers rapid results.

The system could be highly useful to accelerate and streamline the creation of 3D models of existing parts for Augmented Reality-assisted procedures.

Private pilots are now able to benefit from some of the same technologies used in heads-up displays of military jet pilots. According to a post on aviation industry blog “Flight club” the Aero Glass’ Augmented Reality-assisted software released in 2014 on Epson Moverio BT-200 will soon be published for Osterhout Design Group’s next-generation glasses.

The video published on the post illustrates how overlays showing air corridors, navigation and runway information appear from a pilot’s perspective during flight. Other use cases that could make flying in unfamiliar aircraft safer include checklists, customized for virtually any model or user.

The author predicts growing Augmented Reality use by pilots due to a new Federal Aviation Administration requirement that some aircraft share “automatic dependent surveillance broadcast” (ADS-B) data about their position “with ground stations and each other by 2020.” Complying with this new regulation will entail mandatory avionic upgrades and possible linkage with instrumentation, including new displays such as AR-enabled smart glasses.

AREA Member APX Labs CEO Brain Ballard offers his company’s insights into the trends surrounding Google’s smartglasses in the workplace in this post in the MIT Technology Review blog. While APX Labs offers software and solutions that accompany the devices provided by Vuzix and Epson as well, Ballard says that Google Glass are in highest demand. Companies order units of 50 or more at a time.

The recent increase in interest, says Ballard, is in part the result of customers being better informed. Customers who have experimented with Google Glass in 2014 understand the limitations and advantages of their use in factories or other settings where workers need both hands to perform a task.

In general, there are more uses for products like Google Glass in the workplace than in the home or daily lives of consumers.

In this post on the Augmensys blog, the author analyzes the disruptive effects of having an ecosystem of Augmented Reality technology providers that is insufficiently big and developed to withstand acquisitions, such as that of Metaio by Apple. Although the emphasis is on the benefits of the company’s proprietary system, it raises the important point that if Augmented Reality is to be considered a sustainable component of enterprise IT systems, it must be able to shift to new suppliers as the conditions change.

The point remains that those who focus on and work towards the development of discreet “apps” for specific tasks are unable to expand quickly either. Augmented Reality technologies, regardless of their supplier — internal or third party — need to be viewed as “just another component” in a digital thread that delivers better performance and results. Focusing on results, instead of the tools that we use to deliver them, is another lesson that is hard for engineers to learn, but essential for the adoption of Augmented Reality.

In yet another sign that Apple is developing or planning to introduce systems using Augmented Reality, tech analyst Chip Chowdry told the Washington Post that the company is developing a 27- to 50-inch heads-up display for automobile windshields.

The new display would also incorporate gesture control by using sensors integrated into the windshield.

Release of the technology is “not imminent” and could conceivably be used in many different applications, such as TVs. The article recently published in Autoguide.com new section speculates the windshield AR technology could also be used in Apple’s rumored self-driving car. This would make Apple one of a number of companies working on Augmented Reality windscreens, such as Land Rover and Supplier Continental.

Catavolt, a provider of enterprise application mobility solutions, has published a new eBook about optimizing manufacturing processes with real-time data which summarizes results of data collected from 111 manufacturing professionals in various disciplines about trends and technology that are driving operational excellence. This is an excellent resource for manufacturing and AR professionals.

In a recent post on the Catavolt blog some of the important study findings in relation to AR-assisted systems were summarized. Specifically, Augmented Reality is improving operational efficiencies in manufacturing by reducing production downtime, quickly identifying problems and keeping processes moving. An example provided is the use of AR in the assembly of F-35 Lightening II fighter jets at Lockheed Martin. It is interesting that there are not more companies mentioned or projects described.

Suggesting benefits of Augmented Reality is the first step in educating customers. Unfortunately, the Catavolt blog post fails to mention any of the obstacles that face those who are beginning to implement AR in their manufacturing processes. It would also have been valuable to gather insights on how early adopters in manufacturing industries are addressing major barriers encountered in the Augmented Reality introduction process.

“The simplest things in life are often the most difficult to perfect – especially things that we normally take for granted,” says, Jody Medich, consultant and UX designer. In an eloquent original essay published on the LeapMotion blog, Medich explains that until designers learn and practice new methods of interface design digital content will stay in its world (while the users will stay in the physical world). She compares our flat screens to pieces of paper with “magical” qualities that permit users to interact with the digital world but in very limited ways.

She implores UX designers to begin thinking of their interfaces in three dimensions and explains how to approach designing for 3D experiences, such as those provided in immersive environments like Virtual Reality and in the physical world, using only paper, scissors, markers, some red and blue film, and tape.

The results are very impressive and have permitted Medich and those with whom she works to design compelling interfaces such as Leap Motion’s Unity Widgets.

This blog should be in the bookmarks of every UX designer working on AR interfaces.

Many hands-free Augmented Reality-assisted display providers are experimenting with voice, gesture and touch for user interaction. One of the options that has been the study of researchers requires the use of gaze detection and tracking for eye gestures. Past implementations of gaze-based user interfaces have not been widely adopted due to high need for training, slow performance and lack of accuracy.

In a press release issued by SensoMotoric Instruments (SMI), the company says that in its booth at SIGGRAPH visitors will be able to experience new eye tracking algorithms using the EPSON Moverio BT-200. The company reports that it will replace cumbersome and error-prone display calibration routines, provide higher quality results and add continuous adaption of the AR experience to the user’s biometric information with new eye tracking algorithms.

The systems are currently targeted at researchers. The platform has been tested in a German Federal Ministry for Education and Research funded project conducted by Cluster of Excellence Cognitive Interactive Technology (CITEC) researchers at Bielefeld University.

Fast Company takes a look at the 106-page patent filing of Magic Leap, an Augmented and Virtual Reality startup that recently closed a $542 million financing round led by Google.

The patent application reveals gesture-controlled smart glasses featuring an innovative user interface based on totem objects such as virtual keychains of menus and commands, allowing users to interact in new ways with information about their environment. The patent filing also shows virtual menus and dials being displayed on a user’s hand in order to transform the hand into an interface “controller.”

Although the majority of scenarios are consumer oriented (e.g., changing television channels via hand movements), a few use cases describe enterprise scenarios. One example shows a firefighter using a glove as an interface controller to communicate with the dispatcher, while another describes a Magic Leap-equipped doctor using a 3D model of a heart for guidance during surgery

When a technician is in the field and can’t quickly find a manual or the right section within their technical documentation, precious time can be lost and errors committed. ScopeAR’s RemoteAR system is designed to support field technicians who need help connect quickly with and receive support from a remote expert.

This post on TechCrunch describes the RemoteAR platform’s features and includes several videos to illustrate the user experience. The post also reveals that ScopeAR has partnered with other technology providers for recognition and tracking features as well as the video call set up and tear down software. This illustrates that strategic partnerships within the AR ecosystem is happening today. Partnerships between enabling technology providers and solutions integrators will continue to be valuable as a strategy to bring AR-enabled products to market and evolve these as customer requirements change over time.