Growing awareness and appreciation of AR’s value accelerates. There are use cases where Augmented Reality applications help boost—and simplify—workflow ensuring less time is spent from idea through prototyping to construction and finished product.

The article looks at how widespread is Augmented Reality in manufacturing before looking at examples of Augmented Reality in manufacturing including automotive, construction and agriculture.

The article concludes by noting that the boon of using Augmented Reality for manufacturing is restricted only by the limited number of enterprise-level Augmented Reality hardware suppliers and the price. However, there are practical apps right here, right now.

We should expect significant progress of AR hardware together with price decreases in the next few years. Be prepared for the increased demand when it arrives.

“Services are a powerful economic driver,” UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Isabelle Durant said during a keynote speech to open the fair “They made up 56% of developing countries’ total GDP in 2016, and 54% of their total employment in 2017.”

UNCTAD Creative Economy Programme Chief Marisa Henderson was also a keynote speaker at the creative economy forum. She was joined by UNCTAD’s Creative Economy Programme team which participated in several side meetings and events to highlight the growing role of the creative economy for economic development.

The forum was held on 29 May and was jointly hosted by the World Tradepoint Federation and the Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce with the participation of UNCTAD.

It tackled the theme of how technological innovation promotes the development of creative economy. Participants looked at how augmented reality, technology and the creative industries are combining to form a new engine for economic growth.

Ms. Henderson spoke about the creative economy in the digital era.

“In terms of development, digital creation, distribution and participation have revolutionized the creative and many other industries and are driving new economic and trade models forward,” she said.

“Creative workers and creative content are already integral to bringing the digital world to life – and it is critical that we understand both this contribution and how it promotes socio-economic development.”

The full article can be read on the UN conference for trade and development website.

Augmented reality, which sees digital elements blend with the real world, was worth $4.21bn in 2017.  The forecast means the AR market will grow at a compound interest growth rate of 40.29%.

Various sectors have been exploring ways to use the technology. In healthcare, surgeons at St Mary’s Hospital, London, have been using Microsoft HoloLens to provide visual assistance during surgery.

Interest from emergency services has also been high, with plans to use an AR overlay in the US to track the position of firefighters in a burning building.  Jeremy Dalton, head of VR/AR at PwC, said: “Once Augmented Reality becomes a default part of the devices in everyone’s pocket it will enhance the business case for developing further AR applications and help build greater comfort with its use in society, both of which will help drive adoption.”

See the original article for more information.

Previously, on-premises products enabled 3D environments and virtual actors for various use cases such as training, simulations, and marketing. The Sumerian-managed service brings this tech to the cloud and works on a range of platforms, such as web browsers, mobile phones, and VR hardware.

Amazon Sumerian aims to simplify the app-building process. It functions as follows:

• Developers create or upload their 3D environment in AWS Management Console.
• Sumerian Hosts, 3D animated characters, can be added, which can use natural language understanding and automatic speech recognition to read scripts or answer verbal questions.
• Developers can customise Sumerian Hosts’ genders, appearances, clothing, and other features, before adding them to any virtual scene.

Other vendor producrs, such as Maya, Cinema 4D, oe 3ds Max Design, also produce similar results, although they have an increased cost. Sumerian also helps accelerate speed to deployment.

Enterprise uses for Amazon Sumerian explained in the article are:

• Training / advertising – although marketing and HR in particular are mentioned, any sector aiming to create interactive, user-friendly demos will find a benefit in the Sumerian.
• Integration with other Amazon offerings – the service integrates with Amazon Lex and Polly, enabling voice interactions between Sumerian Hosts and end users. Developers can also integrate real-time data from other Amazon services into Sumerian scenes.
• Convenience and speed – enterprises requiring rapid VR development will find Sumerian useful as it is quick, cheap, and easy. It is a good introduction to VR for enterprises, as they don’t have to worry about processing requirements for larger VR tools or the major server.

Despite the Sumerian having been built with developers inexperienced with VR in mind, the article does recommend a certain level of confidence with technology before building apps, such as understanding the basic premise of running a public cloud service (security and cost monitoring).

The Sumerian service includes a 12 month free trial, which offers users the ability to create a published scene up to 50MB that can receive a maximum of 100 views per month. After the free trial, the service costs $0.06 per GB a month for scene storage and $0.38 per GB a month for scene traffic. On average, a Sumerian project for enterprises costs between $5 and $25, which is relatively inexpensive compared to high-powered servers and displays, often exceeding $10,000 and not including support, power, or software.

It’s tedious and time-consuming work for field technicians, who must photograph each pole, write down its location on a map along with other identifying information, and then manually enter those details in a database back at the office.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Kansas, but it’s hot and humid,” Wassenberg says of the Kansas summer. “A lot of times you can’t even read your own handwriting.”

But Wassenberg, who heads augmented reality initiatives at energy consultant Burns & McDonnell in Kansas City, has a trick in his toolkit to make the process more efficient. During the recent utility pole distribution survey, Wassenberg wore an industrial AR headset made by RealWear, which helped him turn a cumbersome, analog process into a streamlined and hands-free experience.

Vancouver, Washington-based RealWear’s flagship product, the HMT-1, is essentially a helmet equipped with a voice-activated Android computer, a computer and a drop-down display. Using voice commands during the recent survey, Wassenberg instructed the headset to take a picture of each utility pole and update its name in the database. And with the AR overlay, Wassenberg could look into his field of vision and see a landscape of green markers where poles had already been inventoried — thus avoiding any unnecessary work.

RealWear is particularly useful for communications back to base while workers are in the field, Wassenberg says. He adds that by allowing a worker to livestream a job to other engineers, Burns & McDonnell can reduce the number of personnel it must send out to a work site. Senior engineers can also use the technology to guide junior team members through tasks, enabling remote on-the-job training, he says.

Even without the livestreaming capability, the HMT-1 lets workers pull up any relevant documents, like schematics or manuals, using voice commands. They can easily switch back and forth between information and tasks — all without using their hands.

Such capabilities are essential for in-the-field workers, who need the technology to just work. Andy Lowery, founder and CEO of RealWear, says his company’s headsets offers features that are important in industries like field service that competitors like Google Glass can’t match. Each headset has enough memory to store about 10 GB of information locally, with a storage expansion slot to add 256 GB. It can also recognize a voice command the first time, no matter how much noise is in the background. And when the HMT-1 starts to run out of juice, its battery can be swapped out easily in the middle of a job.

Read the full article here.

When developing a pedestrian bridge at Villanova University in suburban Philadelphia, an architect working with High Concrete, noticed an error in the design through a HoloLens headset; a sheltered horizontal concrete surface that would have attracted roosting birds. The architect found the error because the glasses showed him the bridge in 3D, and if it was not spotted before the bridge was built, the customer would have had more expense due to adding another material to prevent birds from nesting there. Thomas Beam, 3D building information modelling specialist at High Concrete, is stated to have said that the company was able to make a design adjustment prior to the concrete pieces being put in place.

Beam is quoted to have said that High Concrete wanted to make their clients’ experience of viewing their projects more enhanced, and they did this by purchasing the developer’s version of the HoloLens for $5000, increasing their competitive edge. In addition to improving customer experience, Beam believes that HoloLens also helps him and his colleagues to be better design partners.

On any given project, High Concrete generally works with three different people: a project owner, general contractor, and architect. The HoloLens helps the project owner to visualise the project in 3D space, it helps the general contractor to visualise the project as well as an architect, and it helps the architect (who already knows how to read contract drawings) to gain a clearer idea of what Beam and his colleagues are delivering.

Beam has also said that the headset offers a view of the texture, finish, and structure of the concrete. He hopes to see AR being used in production and quality control in future, and is quoted to have said that this would allow the company to ensure that all the reinforcements and hardware are being placed in the right location by projecting a piece into the form as a one-to-one scale.

The article mainly consists of an interview with Mark Brewer, Global Industry Director for Service Management at IFS, a global enterprise software provider, who addresses the field service industry’s interest in AR / VR.

Key points given by Brewer in the article include:

• Field service is focused on predicting failure and improving asset reliability as well as reducing service costs and enhancing customer experience
• AR and live video can be used for remote customer support, making technician dispatch unnecessary, although a field service provider is required for off-site engagement is a truck roll is needed
• Service providers can offer additional valuable resources from a centralised source more efficiently and at a reduced cost due to the ability to tag additional experts given by AR
• AR and Mixed Reality can effectively democratise knowledge
• Resource conversation and cost reductions are two important variables that maximise output in field service
• ARVR tech reduces training time for field workers as well as enabling them to virtually access the situation
• AR tech in particular increases communication with the contact centre, allowing off-site professionals to guide equipped workers
• Extra info and tools are made available via useful ARVR projections, which means workers no longer have to retrieve forgotten materials
• A study by The Service Council found that 41% of incomplete service visits would benefit from AR sessions or live video
• The same study found that 72% of respondents were already evaluating or utilising AR
• Currently, one of the most popular ARVR use cases in field service is virtual guidance
• DAQRI’s AR glasses are used by companies to interact with 3D models so they can access equipment analytics and perform service functions
• The Microsoft HoloLens has also been used by Siemen’s eHighway system project to provide workers with remote access to off-site employees, a virtual checklist, and repair diagrams
• Employee training is currently another major use case of ARVR in field service, as it provides a visual walkthrough of a process
• DAQRI AR has been used in Los Angeles to accelerate fire department team members’ training on how to fix broken headsets
• NASA has used AR tech to aid instructions on how to perform maintenance operations in space for astronauts
• Industries making more use of ARVR include manufacturing, medical, automotive, HVAC, construction and general training
• Promising hardware innovations mentioned are the Microsoft HoloLen, Oculus Rift, DAQRI AR Headsets, and Google Glass Enterprise Edition
• Interesting AR software and platforms mentioned are XMReality, Webex, XOi Technologies, GoToMeeting, PTC Vuforia, and SightCall

Brewer concludes the interview by expressing excitement for the concept of combining AR tech with IoT, enabling the ‘Digital Twin’, which is where a digital representation of a physical object can be created, allowing the way in which a unit is being operated to be monitored easier.

Ms. Hodge has also said that AR is become a vital part of the spacecraft division’s digital infrastructure, as it is increasing the efficiency, reducing troubleshooting time for design and manufacturing issues, and reducing defect rate for one spacecraft production line. She is quoted to have said that the tech can give them a competitive advantage and accelerate the company.

Many other companies, particularly in manufacturing, have been exploring AR. According to Forrester Research Inc., approximately 14.4 million US workers will use smart glasses such as Microsoft HoloLens and Google Glass in 2025, compared to 400,000 in 2018. They have also predicted that large companies will spend $3.6 billion on smart glasses in 2025, compared to $6 million in 2016.

Lockheed’s spacecraft division started exploring use of AR in production five years ago. In the last year, the company has begun experimenting with AR in the manufacturing of the Orion space vehicle being built for NASA with the purpose of travelling to Mars, due to advances in AR headsets and sufficient expertise on the software. Before this, technicians used paper instructions or 3D computer models in certain Orion manufacturing processes, whereas now, wearable AR devices overlay instructions rather than workers having to use binders of data or move across the room to view content on a computer screen.

Shelley Peterson, Augmented Reality systems engineer at Lockheed Martin, is stated to have said that since using the headsets, the time taken for a technician to understand drilling processes has been reduced to 45 minutes from eight hours. The manufacturing process of drilling and inserting panels into the Orion spacecraft previously took six weeks, but recently took only two weeks. Ms. Hodge is stated to have said that AR has also helped technicians to eliminate defects due to ease of following instructions, and that analysing ROI looks at reducing defect rate and cycle time.

Ms. Hodge has also said that software programmes given by vendors like Scope AR make it easier for IT workers at Lockheed to design 3D representations of instructions and objects overlaid on the physical world, as they require less coding. Technological challenges remain, such as headsets encountering difficulties in 3D image rendering of complex machinery, as Ms. Hodge pointed out, which need to be addressed before AR reached widespread deployment. However, the spacecraft division is further experimenting with using 3D representations of jets and weapons systems to reduce design time for military members’ defense system-related projects. Lockheed’s innovation centre in Denver plans to offer clients the chance to visualise certain weapons systems or F-35 jets in certain environments, which would reduce design time due to Lockheed’s quick, instant feedback and customer collaboration, as stated by Ms. Hodge.

Lockheed Martin’s AREA member profile can be read here.

CIMC’s focus is on innovation and promoting the development of smart manufacturing, following suit of ‘Made in China 2025’ in addition to efforts to promote integration of the Internet, artificial intelligence, big data, and the real economy. Qingdao CIMC Reefer Container Manufacture Co., Ltd (QCRC), its subsidiary, lead the piloting for the integration of IoT and MES.

As the overall platform for the pilot project, ThingWorx will connect to the company’s MES to create an integrated factory information platform and data application consumption platform in order to achieve full-course visual operations, conduct big data analysis of major technologies, and essentially aid reduction of operating costs as well as boost production efficiency. ThingWorx is the award-winning Industrial Innovation Platform from PTC consisting of tools and tech that allows users to quickly develop, deploy, and extend apps and Augmented Reality experiences. The platform includes a wide range of features, such as a variety of connectivity options, analytics, and application development tools all built around a single, real-time view of a physical object in the virtual world.

ThingWorx supports remote data collection of connected devices, manages devices / sensors, integrates with multiple enterprise-level systems, and enables independent and secure connection between devices. The analysis function and big data learning in Thing Worx also allows predictive maintenance and lowers energy consumption as well as unplanned downtime of said devices. Project leaders of QCRC will be able to understand the factory’s operations, warnings, and abnormalities in real-time as well as future production trends.

Jinjie Pan, CIO at CIMC, is quoted to have said that information tech is used in the QCRC pilot project to solve the issue in business management by providing data for management, decision-making, and operations. The aim of the project is to integrate an information-based platform and automated devices as well as explore the integration of informatisation and automation.

Jerry Liu, DVP and President of Greater China, PTC, is also quoted to have said that the company is looking forward to seeing CIMC utilise ThingWorx as part of industrial IoT for digital transformation and smart manufacturing. PTC believes that the successful launch of this project will boost CIMC’s development, aid its digital transformation, and in a wider context, help to promote smart manufacturing development in China.

PTC’s AREA member profile can be read here.

The market opportunity for AR goes far beyond gamers or consumers and has the potential to disrupt the enterprise market of technical and skilled workers – from engineers to architects, to healthcare professionals.

The potential for the technology is perhaps best underlined by the fact that major tech industry players are committed to developing AR marketing. For instance, global tech brands such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Facebook are providing deep toolsets for developers to create apps targeting the use of AR.

Many have also quietly adopted the implicit assumption that a persistent, wearable artificial reality is the next big thing, according to Epson Singapore.

As AR adoption gains momentum and an increasing number of industrial applications being launched, some businesses are expected to start incorporating smart glasses into the core of their Internet of Things (IoT) systems, in their quest to enhance worker productivity and streamline backend operations.

According to Amy Kwa, regional manager of visual products at Epson Singapore, “Deploying AR will enable processes at work to be more efficient, by enhancing the reality of the user, so they can, for example maintain an engine or a complex electrical board in an intuitive and easy manner. They’ll be able to see the internal structure of a device and act on the information in real-time.”

Smart glasses have a wide variety of features that offer new AR experiences for a broad range of commercial and industrial market applications. For instance, Epson’s latest Moverio smart glasses offer video and can benefit several sectors, including healthcare.

The glasses have proven to be helpful for surgeons and clinicians, allowing them to fully concentrate on their patients by freeing them from manually handling data, allowing them to focus on complex tasks. Dentists have also been greatly assisted by smart glasses as they are capable of providing a precise heads-up overlay of their patient’s teeth. This allows them to have better hand-eye coordination and a more precise treatment time.

Augmented Reality through smart glasses

As smart glasses evolve to become a truly seamless experience that users interact with on a daily basis, one of the most important issues for developers of AR wearables is form factor. Future generations of smart glasses are expected to be equipped with Wi-Fi capabilities, stereo 3D graphics, and enhanced processing of images and audio.

The user’s choice of smart glasses will depend on their purpose. Key considerations include their ability to deliver digital information crisply and legibly, and also whether the smart glasses are comfortable, especially when worn for long hours.

For use in applications such as healthcare or at museums, galleries and tourist destinations, smart glasses have the benefit of enhancing the overall experience for visitors. With smart glasses and AR, background data on whatever the visitor is viewing can be shown in real-time as part of the tour they are experiencing.

In other applications, operators are using smart glasses in heavy industrial jobsites that may be hot and cramped. In situations like these, it is crucial that workers remain focused as any distraction could result in safety issues. The smart glasses, in this case, need to be in the form of a headset, secured with a firm headband, so that safety is guaranteed.

Looking ahead

According to Kwa, it is likely that adoption of AR technology will reach a tipping point this year. “Developers will launch innovative new apps to grow the commercial and consumer markets, and they will be working to overcome issues such as predictive head motion tracking to reduce ‘motion to photon’ latency, as well as the constraints on power and thermal factors necessary to keep the glasses cool.”

As smart glasses become the norm, we are likely to see them entering additional industries, such as fashion. Whether smart glasses appear on the catwalks of Paris and Milan or not, the potential for AR combined with wearables is huge.

“Following the personal computer, the Internet and the smartphone, AR and smart glasses are likely to be the world’s next transformative technology,” Kwa predicted.