Wearables have the potential to increase value of workers by improving physical and perceptual abilities, according to the report. Wearables such as smart glasses, sensors, smart watches, and exoskeletons are reducing in size, weight, and cost for enterprises, as well as offering the ability to collect and process data in real time.

The report is quoted in the article, finding that wearable technologies can improve workers’ productivity as well as fill in the gaps in their skills or overcome physical limitations. Wearables are being increasingly offered as a service and end-to-end solution, which increases ease of adoption in the enterprise. Other factors that make wearables more attractive for enterprises in the US include:

• The aging workforce
• Skills shortage
• Rise in remote working
• Increase in workplace safety regulations

Wearables enable business leaders to navigate these problems via augmentation of workers’ abilities, e.g. increasing physical strength, providing instructions, alerting for hazards, and facilitating virtual interactions, all of which can potentially increase safety and productivity.

The four ways in which wearables can benefit your workforce as listed in the report are:

• Enhancing strength and endurance. Workers can be equipped with exoskeletons in organisations that require physical labour, helping them to conserve energy and avoid straining. Examples of this include Lowe’s robotic exosuits released in 2017, and Ford’s use of exoskeletons for manufacturing workers. Audi, Gammon, and the US Navy are also utilising or evaluating the tech, which is claimed to be particularly useful for aging workers as it helps to avoid injuries and overexertion.
• Augmenting vision. Instructions offered in a worker’s field of view via AR or VR can aid duration and quality of work, design and data analysis abilities, and improve team collaboration. An example of this is GE Aviation’s use of smart glasses improving efficiency by 8-12% and reducing errors.
• Empowering speech and hearing. Voice-controlled wearables and hearables offer workers hands-free access to instructions to increase efficiency. An example of this is Lufthansa using voice-based headphones that enable a two-technician job to be completed by just one, as one would have to read out instructions. Instead, the maintenance checklist is converted to voice commands which the technician can respond to.
• Improving awareness. Wearables can provide quicker task and situational awareness to workers to aid work quality and productivity. An example of this is the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport’s use of smart watched to alert cleaning crews when / where they are needed.

Worker safety can be improved by these tools by monitoring the worker’s physical status in addition to environmental conditions, notifying them when either becomes dangerous.

With a broad range of system-related technical trainings and advanced trainings, a total of 31 Bosch Training Centers worldwide support automotive workshops in keeping up with technical developments concerning vehicle servicing and repair. The training center in Plochingen close to Stuttgart (Germany) develops the courses and trains more than 3 500 workshop employees annually. For the first time ever, Bosch will now use the innovative Augmented Reality technology for its technical service trainings thus literally increasing the transparency of the training contents for the participants.

Practical insights into future learning

During the Automechanika fair in Frankfurt, Bosch offers daily accredited trainings on high-voltage engines. Automotive mechatronics can get acquainted with the new training technology free of charge after pre-registration. By means of Augmented Reality technology, the differences between hybrid and fully electric vehicles, the functions and features of different high-voltage components as well as troubleshooting strategies – among others – are explained to the participants. The transparent AR-assisted depiction provides the mechatronics with a detailed insight into the structure and the functionality of high-voltage components. Besides information on electric vehicle components, the participants are also provided with exciting insights into future learning. Supported by experts on site, they are able to experience the new Augmented Reality training method live. In addition, AR experts will also show and explain this new technology at the Bosch exhibition stand in hall 9.

Different training scenarios using Augmented Reality

Starting in autumn/winter 2018, Bosch will offer the first service training supported by Augmented Reality, the two-day apprenticeship for “high-voltage technicians – working on intrinsically safe HV vehicles” carried out at the Bosch Service Training Centers in Plochingen (Germany) and Ballerup (Denmark). Once they passed the final exam, the trainees are allowed to de-energize HV systems of hybrid, electric and fuel-cell vehicles and to work on HV components. An additional service training for the “calibration of driver assistance systems” supported by Augmented Reality is planned as well.

Bosch developed a special Augmented Reality Platform (CAP) specifically for AR applications. It allows publishing new contents and applications – also for the training sector in particular – in a device-independent manner. Fed with locally and centrally stored contents, the platform compiles the required data for each specific AR application. This even allows different training scenarios to be implemented. In “Trainer Mode”, the trainer controls the devices of the participants and decides which case shall be displayed on their devices. And yet each participant keeps an individual point of view – for instance onto the engine compartment. The whole group of participants and each and every one of them can actively follow and experience the explanations the trainer provides for each training situation. In “Trainee Mode”, the trainer accesses any participant’s device. He can thus provide useful hints and tips and explain the next steps lucidly.

Augmented Reality (AR) complements reality overlaying useful additional information. In case the workshop employee points his smartphone or tablet camera – or even his smart glasses – onto an area on the vehicle’s engine compartment featuring AR information, explanations, 3D objects or videos are added to the real image. In this manner, AR technology shows structures hidden behind panels, for instance, such as the cable harness behind the dashboard.

For further detailed information on the Bosch AR workshops and online registration.

ABI Research’s ranking system, “Smart Manufacturing Platform Ranking”, saw 11 major companies in the industry analysed on a variety of different factors.

The platforms were reviewed on its innovation, originality, plans to deploy and support transformative technologies, digital twins, edge intelligence, protocol adaptability, robotics integration among other transformative technologies like blockchain and Artificial Intelligence.

The assessment also saw the platforms studied on its progress in establishing partnerships, connecting assets, integrating with enterprise and cloud systems, security, regional coverage, in addition to its upfront costs and current business model.

PTC, SAP, Schneider Electric and Siemens all tied for first place in digital twins, and PTC and Telit drew for highest in protocol adaptability and connectivity.

However, it was confirmed that PTC was considered the best platform overall.

“PTC emerged as the leader, excelling with its innovative initiatives across transformative technologies, and GE Predix came in second,” said Pierce Owen, Principal Analyst of Smart Manufacturing at ABI Research.

Last month, it was confirmed that Rockwell Automation would partner with PTC in an equity investment and strategic partnership believed to be worth $1bn.

What signs should enterprise customers look for that an AR platform is truly enterprise-ready? We’ll look at that question in more detail in the second part of this series, but here’s a sneak peek at what’s on that list:

1) Security – A great AR platform needs to provide you with a way to secure the data that will flow through it, whether that data is the content of a video call, a set of proprietary work instructions or data from IoT devices. The security solution could be supplied on-board by the hardware vendor, be a feature of the operating system or be third-party technology that works with your AR productivity software.

2) Ability to scale – You don’t want an AR platform that is stuck on a particular make or form factor of smart glasses, smartphones or tablets. To be really useful, your AR platform needs to be able to “scale up” to match the changing needs of your organization and not be limited by fixed numbers of allowed users or supported mobile operating systems.

3) User management – People work in your organization, not machines. You want to have information stored with each user profile that ensures that a given employee gets the information that matches their needs, job role and task – and gets context based on previous work.

4) Integration – Just as no person is an island, you don’t want your AR platform to act like one. It needs to integrate appropriately with your existing  enterprise infrastructure, tools and device management.

5) Ease of deployment – A great AR platform shouldn’t be tough to deploy. You are more likely to have success with something that can deliver real, measurable ROI quickly and easily – and achieve greater adoption by the workforce – if it’s as simple as possible to roll out and use.

6) Interaction flexibility – To deliver the best and broadest possible solution for your enterprise, your AR platform should support modes of interaction that match the scenarios faced by your workforce. In many cases, that will mean supporting hands-free interaction using technologies such as gestures, head motion, gaze tracking and voice recognition.

7) Technology partnerships – Who does your AR platform provider work with? To be broadly successful, you want a provider that tightly partners with industry leaders, innovates around standards and can bring the right team to the table when you tackle sometimes complex and thorny integration issues.

The immersive technologies behind extended reality (XR) are having a profound impact on enterprise, allowing companies to interact with their customers in new ways and connect their people more effectively

Customer interaction

XR’s ability to deliver immersive experiences enables brands to connect with consumers in ways that establish emotional connections and bring brands and consumers closer.

Augmented reality (AR) solutions exist that allow users to ‘‘place’’ a vehicle on their driveway, walk around it, open doors and look inside, just as if they were in a car showroom.

Whether they are looking for furniture or fashion, rather than having to visit a physical store to browse the goods on display, customers will be able to put on a headset and appear in a virtual store and interact with ‘‘sales assistants’’ ‒ virtual representations of real humans.

By creating a closer distance to new experiences, XR will allow people to transport themselves to different places and attend live events without leaving their own home.

Connected employees

XR offers huge potential for humans to connect and collaborate on things that would normally require people to be in the same room.

In the field of innovation and design, remote team members can collaborate on complex visual data in real time, enabling the simultaneous co-design by complex items, and the capability to stress-test with real-time design amends. As well as improving productivity and performance by avoiding the delays of bringing people and data together, virtual design collaboration reduces design costs significantly.

For organisations that deploy field workers, XR can enable remote collaboration on complex visual data in real time, and connect highly skilled workers at base with engineers in the field.

AR headsets can provide real-time data delivery to service technicians. They in turn can make repairs to products and systems in people’s homes more efficiently, allowing for quality control on the spot.

A safer space

One of XR’s greatest strengths is its ability to deliver training experiences, particularly for those working in potentially dangerous environments, for example, defence, emergency services and oil and gas industries. XR can simulate these environments without putting trainees at risk.

Learning experiences can also be delivered to employees wherever they are via the devices that they use every day, as most smartphones and tablets have the requisite hardware to run AR applications already.

Remote expert coaching could also be prerecorded and stored in a training library for employees. For instance, an auto manufacturer could offer VR and AR training packages to help mechanics maintain vehicles.

Smarter libraries

As a means of delivering information, XR can effectively place rich data in context, thereby getting better results.

For example, a manager working in a production facility who previously relied on a dashboard of metrics on their computer screen could instead walk through the plant and see contextually relevant information overlaid above each piece of machinery ‒ with a machine flashing red if it’s about to malfunction – a far more obvious signal than an elevated figure on a spreadsheet column.

However it is used, XR represents a significant change in the way we interact with technology and the world around us. The emergence of smartphones has radically altered our behaviour in so many ways we take for granted, whether that’s being able to map the best route to a destination and preview the front door before you even leave, or meeting a potential client at a conference and being able to share details instantly through social media.

The ubiquity and scale of the changes from XR will be the same – in ways we can’t even imagine.

In this eBook you’ll learn how to:

Re-imagine the way that you perform Maintenance and Repair Operations (MRO),

Mitigate the risks of an aging workforce,

Ensure expertise is easily delivered to the point of need,

Improve productivity, accuracy, quality, and safety.

“68% of Aviation industry survey respondents will be making investments into wearable or handheld devices over the next three years – suggesting that the industry is already aware of the value that these technologies can provide.”

The ebook can be downloaded here.

It’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to figure out what’s just a flash in the pan and what’s worth investing your money in. In this blog, Advantage AHCI aims to help you do exactly that – as they tell you about the five technologies which will change the construction sector forever.

Drones

When a camera is attached to one of these aerial vehicles, it allows for site managers and teams to not only receive real-time progress updates but also to check for and monitor health and safety hazards they may not have otherwise been able to spot. So significant is their anticipated impact that US start-up company, Skycatch, have made supplying drones to construction projects their primary focus. Furthermore, from a marketing perspective, being able to use drones to capture time-lapse footage of schemes being constructed is a brilliant calling card for surveyors and agents.

3D printing

3D printing has already made a big splash, but many people believe that we haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of its capabilities. One Chinese construction company has started building houses using a giant version of the technology, spraying layers of cement and construction waste to create them. Many in the industry are convinced that this could, eventually, help to solve the global housing crisis – reducing the time and costs involved with building new homes.

AR & VR (incl. BIM)

Augmented and virtual reality are already revolutionising many sectors, but their effect on the world of construction is set to be huge. Thanks to this advanced technology, construction managers will be able to oversee every element of a project on as granular a level as necessary – aiding with health & safety, co-design, digital job guidance, progress monitoring and more.

Additionally, BIM (building information modelling) is already making waves in the construction industry, providing contractors, developers and professional teams with the ability to conduct virtual walk-throughs of projects. It’s started to replace traditional blueprints and is slated to transition from 3D to 5D in the very near future.

Carbon nanotubes

Engineers have created this incredibly thin, lightweight material which – contrary to what you might think – can be used to add greater strength and density to metal, wood and glass. Despite being only a nanometre (one-billionth of a metre!) in thickness, the carbon walls which the tubes create have the highest strength to weight ratio of any material on earth. This could streamline the construction process at breakneck speed, making buildings faster and easier to erect.

Smart H&S gear

From responsive clothing to “smart” hard hats, PPE has had a 21st-century makeover and is now poised to keep on-the-ground teams even safer. The “Smart Helmet” is a piece of wearable tech from Uvex which is equipped with special lenses, 4D augmented reality and more – meaning that its wearers can be warned of potential hazards, and be given detailed information about their surroundings.

We were delighted yet unsurprised to see the use of AR on the list.  We have reproduced the section on AR for the benefit of our readers:

• Highlight the benefits of automation
• Companies must nurture young talent
• Manufacturers must take control
• Reach out to families and teachers
• Combine study with work
• Share talent around the globe
• Invest in postgraduate qualifications
• Use augmented reality.

The section on augmented reality was answered by Youssef Mestari, Programme Director of the Connected Plant initiative at engineering giant Honeywell.

Traditional education is one solution. But in the short term it’s more important that companies find effective ways to retain the years of on-the-job experience they already have. Intelligent deployment of emerging technologies will play a central role here, with solutions like augmented reality providing new ways to record industry veterans at work, creating active assistance for workers and immersive training sessions.  Augmented reality has been shown to reduce technical training from six to just two months.

In a business environment where markets are unpredictable and margins are tightening, finding efficient ways to retain skills, accelerate training and cut costs will be key to remaining competitive.

She writes: Over the past few years, the trajectory of the augmented reality (AR) industry has been tumultuous at best.

Consumers gushed over Snapchat’s AR hotdog. They sang their hearts out through AR Facebook filters when Taylor Swift released her Reputation album. And when Pokemon Go exploded, they ran around their neighborhoods, schools, and local parks chasing fictional creatures as if their lives depended on it. It seemed like the game might be the catalyst that AR enthusiasts had been waiting for. But when even the hype around Pokemon Go dissipated into just another fad, industry leaders were again left asking, When will AR have its blast-off moment?

The short answer? It might not. But that’s not a bad thing.

There’s a more efficient and realistic way to drive consumer adoption of AR, and it doesn’t have anything to do with a singular tipping point. Instead, consistent mainstream adoption will take hold when the utility and practicality of the technology creates real, tangible value for those who would use it in their everyday lives.

Instead of one-and-done AR campaigns where there is little incentive for consumers to engage with the technology consistently, the evolution of AR needs to focus on adding value by solving problems consumers face in the various facets of their lives.

Industries like retail, education, and healthcare have massive opportunities to utilize AR in increasingly convenient and meaningful ways. Once companies more regularly integrate AR into their broader customer experience strategies, consumers will also be able to interact with the technology on a more consistent basis.

She goes on to provide three examples of brands across several industries using AR to provide more value to their customer. The full article can be read here.

It is worth mentioning in response to this article that ROI is a key concern in the forefront of the minds of business executives. The AREA provided research on this topic of ROI calculator and a guide for best practice which can be found here.

The Upskill team sat down with Eric Mizufuka, Product Manager for the Moverio business and Jay Kim, Upskill’s Chief Strategy Officer to talk about the history of Upskill’s partnership with Epson, and what the launch of these new smart glasses means for enterprises looking to adopt AR.

The interview covers:

1. How did it all start?
2. What went into getting the second generation Moverio, the BT-200 to market?
3. In what ways does this new Moverio BT-350 ANSI Edition really amp things up for enterprises?

You can read all the answers in their Q&A Session here.