AR’s baby steps in geospatial applications

It wasn’t long before the geospatial world saw the potential of AR. However, unfortunately, the technology wasn’t ready. Using software like Unity 3D and Unreal, it was possible to bring 3D models into the physical environment but difficult to accurately scale or get a good ratio of pixel to the real world. Further, mobile phone GPS, even in the best phones of 2013, wasn’t able to get better than a fix ±/10m  of a position. So, creating overlays of the real world was tricky without using third party software like Vuforia to create anchors (or georeference points in GIS terminology, or ground control points in survey terminology).

It wasn’t until 2017, a whole four  years after the AR boom that Mapbox, Esri and some others brought SDKs (Software Development Kits) into Unity and Unreal, which allowed map units to be referenced and used alongside maps, real world coordinates and navigation. To really make the most of the AR overlay, a correction to the GPS by Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) was needed, though this was big and cumbersome for the average mobile user.

Over the space of one year, geospatial AR moved by leaps and bounds. Vuforia and Google improved their detection systems so that it was possible to detect surfaces and objects far better than ever before. Ways of triggering events improved with augmented geofences which allowed for things to be triggered when the mobile device was within an area in the real world. This one particular capability (along with some help from Esri) enabled one of the biggest and most popular AR games with over 600 million downloads. The fact that users could interact with game characters in the real world through their mobile devices sounded like science fiction before the turn of the century. This one mobile application should have turned the tide on how AR was used in business.

There were a few innovations in the geospatial industry using AR that are still amazing and underrated. One of them is Trimble Sitevision, which is essentially a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) with a mobile phone mount, though once you have tried it, you realize how much more there is to it

Uses of AR

So, why did Google Glass fail? Why aren’t there more AR games and business applications today? After all, the potential applications for AR are immense; even the military saw the potential and used HoloLens headsets in the field. AR could be used to overlay building layouts for emergency services, it could revolutionize navigation by providing an overlay on a vehicle windscreen so that the driver wouldn’t need to look away from the road, and it could also improve the housing industry by providing information overlays for the building being viewed. The applications are endless.

There were a few innovations in the geospatial industry using AR that are still amazing and underrated. One of them is Trimble Sitevision, which is essentially a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) with a mobile phone mount, though once you have tried it, you realize how much more there is to it. Trimble have done their homework; you are able to integrate your BIM, site drawings and other information into the AR application on your mobile device and then view that information as an augmented environment to fantastic precision. Wires behind walls, new pipes about to be installed, and even new objects can be shown in AR against what has actually been built.

Another great AR innovation came from vGIS. One of the greatest challenges for the construction industry is being able to identify the precise position of underground cables. Here, vGIS, much like the Trimble Sitevision, is able to overlay BIM and as-built data, but also uses Esri data types to create a simple geospatial solution. Furthermore, vGIS has worked with Microsoft to make it work with HoloLens.

One application that I had a vested interest in and which is no longer on Google Play, was made by the Carto Group—it was a commercial real estate application which would overlay potential augmented office layouts in an empty office space, meaning you could view office spaces to rent or buy and use your mobile phone to view what they would look like with different furniture layouts. This was supported with a “model mode” so that you could put a doll’s house size version on the ground or a table and look at different layouts, as well as some other great functionalities. It was a great way to use existing information that was present but could be used in a way that made the information more useful.

Is AR worth it?

With only a few examples of the great things AR can do when mixed with geospatial information, should we give up? I don’t think we should. We are in the midst of a geospatial revolution. Computational technology is rapidly declining in size, GPS chips are becoming more accurate, and companies like Trimble are starting to provide GNSS correction services to allow centimeter accuracy on your phone…how long before this is commercialized and made commonplace by Apple or Google?

Over the last year, we have seen a steady increase in Virtual Reality (VR) and excitement about the metaverse: Ray-Ban has worked with Facebook to release Smart Glasses; Amazon has released the Echo Frames 2nd Gen; Lenovo has released the ThinkReality A3 AR glasses that allow business users to view 5 virtual displays; and there are even some AR glasses for cyclists who want more real-time Strava feedback called Solos. AR is by no means dead but, in my view is waiting for the right technology to become available. At present, AR glasses look too much like one has put half of a  computer on one’s head. Further, battery life can be short and mobile AR doesn’t quite have the graphic capability to overcome the uncanny valley effect.

A case for the future

Although the Ray-Ban Smart Glasses aren’t really AR, they prove that the technology can be cool and consumable. Now imagine them being capable of smart assistance like Jarvis in the Iron Man movies, overlaying information to questions and giving real-time feedback on performance, or based on what they are hearing, providing the information that Alexa, Siri and Google provide both audibly and visually. Our assistants on our mobile phones have become almost natural, so it isn’t hard to see how, given some small technological improvements, this could become our future.

Can we say goodbye to geospatial AR? Although the hype is over and the technology isn’t ideal, it is too early to how we communicate and interact with the world around us. This technology from vGIS, Trimble, and even the current Google Glass 2 shows how it can be used to improve current working practices.

In Industry 4.0, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) often get the spotlight as the next great leap in boosting worker productivity. But these X-Reality (XR) technologies aren’t always practical when used as manufacturing or frontline tools.

Enter another aR: assisted Reality.

What is assisted reality? How does it differ from augmented reality?

Assisted Reality gives you access to the right information right when you need it, allowing you to have full situational awareness. Unlike AR, it’s a reality first, digital second experience. Assisted Reality allows a person to view a screen within immediate field of vision, hands free. Information is not overlaid with real-world view.

Let’s explore this by looking at heads-up displays (HUDs). HUDs in vehicles give an extra layer of relevant information without hampering vision or distracting the driver. The driver doesn’t have to shift their gaze to the dashboard. They can keep their eyes on what’s most important (the road) and have both hands free to control their vehicle.

Assisted reality devices can also be wearable to be more practical in certain situations.

• Headsets with micro-displays: A small but high-resolution screen that’s positioned in front of the user’s eye. With the appropriate focal depth, a half-inch display can look like a 7-inch tablet held at arm’s length.
• Smart glasses: Worn like ordinary glasses, purpose-built smart glasses project images directly onto the lenses (note: most assisted reality use cases are not dependent on SLAM (simultaneous location and mapping) computer vision.

• RealWear devices with assisted reality technology are leading the industrial field’s digital transformation with hands-free, Android-based headsets, designed specifically with safety in mind.
• RealWear devices with assisted reality technology are leading the industrial field’s digital transformation with hands-free, Android-based headsets, designed specifically with safety in mind.

How is assisted reality different from augmented reality?

Assisted reality differs from augmented reality in a key way. Assisted reality gives users access to relevant information in their immediate field of view (FoV), augmented reality uses computer-generated, digital content to create an interactive experience within real-world environments.

Read the full article on the RealWear blog here.

• 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.

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/

The coming together of AEC Next Technology Expo & Conference, International Lidar Mapping Forum, and SPAR 3D Expo & Conference to form Geo Week reflects the increased integration between the built environment, advanced airborne/terrestrial technologies, and commercial 3D technologies. Partner events taking place in conjunction with Geo Week include ASPRS Annual Conference, MAPPS Winter Meeting, and USIBD Annual Symposium, ensuring the presence of geospatial and built world industry movers and shakers all in one place.

Presenters representing leading organizations including Autodesk, Esri, USGS, The Beck Group, Hexagon Geosystems, GM, Caltrans, Velodyne Lidar, Draper, MLB and NASA will share their expertise on a range of topics. Featured sessions include:

• BIM Project Approaches
• The Digital Twin In Action
• Locating and Mapping Underground Infrastructure
• 3D Technology in Transportation
• AR/VR/XR Applications
• Mapping for Transportation (Road, Rail)
• Exploring How 3D Technology Will Define Our Future Workflows
• Advances in Processing of Point Clouds

Geo Week will have multiple tracks with content clearly identified as relevant to one or more of the audience groups feeding into Geo Week. The International Lidar Mapping Forum (ILMF) audience has historically been comprised of precision measurement professionals in surveying and mapping who use airborne and terrestrial lidar and related remote sensing technologies. The AEC Next audience has historically been comprised of professionals in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) that use technologies such as reality capture, automation, AI and XR to bid and manage projects and improve workflows. The SPAR 3D audience has historically been comprised of professionals who use 3D capture, scanning, visualization and modeling technologies across a variety of verticals.

“We’ve witnessed the growing convergence between geospatial and the built world,” said Lee Corkhill, Group Event Director at Diversified Communications, organizer of Geo Week. “We believe the market is ready and eager for this next step of leveraging the confluence of technologies for improved collaboration, increased efficiency, and better outcomes. Much of the conference content and technology being showcased will reflect and support this increasing integration. At the same time, we recognize that individuals and organizations are at differing levels of adoption, and so there will be ample content that is more focused on what were traditional AEC Next, ILMF, and SPAR 3D topics.”

Geo Week will provide education, technology, and resources for professionals in industries including AEC, Asset & Facility Management, Disaster & Emergency Response, Earth Observation & Satellite Applications, Energy & Utilities, Infrastructure & Transportation, Land & Natural Resource Management, Mining & Aggregates, Surveying & Mapping, and Urban Planning & Smart Cities.

More than 80 companies have confirmed booths on the Exhibition Floor with additional companies being confirmed every week and more than 100 associations and media companies are signed on as supporters.

Geo Week takes place February 6-8, 2022, with conference programming and exhibits Sunday, February 6 through Tuesday, February 8. Additional features of the programming are vendor-delivered Product Previews, Exhibition Theaters, workshops, and programming hosted by ASPRS, MAPPS, and USIBD. Visit www.geo-week.com for more information on attending or exhibiting. Register before December 10, 2021 for early bird rates.

About Geo Week

Geo Week is part of a network of events and media for the global geospatial and built markets organized by Diversified Communications, a leading organizer of conferences, trade shows, and online media with 15 years in the technology arena. Geo Week, taking place February 6-8, 2022, is the new brand name of previously stand-alone events AEC Next Technology Expo & Conference, International Lidar Mapping Forum, and SPAR 3D Expo & Conference, and reflects the increased integration between the built environment, advanced airborne/terrestrial technologies, and commercial 3D technologies. Powerful partnership events will also take place at Geo Week, including ASPRS (American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing), MAPPS and USIBD (US Institute of Building Documentation). Diversified Communications also produces Geo Week E-Newsletter, SPAR 3D E-Newsletter, AEC Next –E-Newsletter, GeoBusiness Show (UK), Digital Construction Week (UK), Commercial UAV Expo Americas, and Commercial UAV News. For more information, visit www.geo-week.com.

Contacts:

Carl Berndtson, Global Partnerships, [email protected]

Lora Burns, Geo Week Marketing Manager, [email protected]

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.

The workplace influences the safety, health, and productivity of workers at multiple levels. To protect and promote total worker health, smart hardware, and software tools have emerged for the identification, elimination, substitution, and control of occupational hazards.

Wearable devices enable constant monitoring of individual workers and the environment, whereas connected worker solutions provide contextual information and decision support. Here, the recent trends in commercial workplace technologies to monitor and manage occupational risks, injuries, accidents, and diseases are reviewed.

Workplace safety wearables for safe lifting, ergonomics, hazard identification, sleep monitoring, fatigue management, and heat and cold stress are discussed. Examples of workplace productivity wearables for asset tracking, augmented reality, gesture and motion control, brain wave sensing, and work stress management are given.

Workplace health wearables designed for work-related musculoskeletal disorders, functional movement disorders, respiratory hazards, cardiovascular health, outdoor sun exposure, and continuous glucose monitoring are shown. Connected worker platforms are discussed with information about the architecture, system modules, intelligent operations, and industry applications.

Predictive analytics provide contextual information about occupational safety risks, resource allocation, equipment failure, and predictive maintenance. Altogether, these examples highlight the ground-level benefits of real-time visibility about frontline workers, work environment, distributed assets, workforce efficiency, and safety compliance.