Google Glass has now become a workplace tool to help companies increase productivity; the computers are now known as Glass, and are made under the auspices of Alphabet’s X Lab, Google’s parent company.

Other companies which have tested or used Glass listed in the article include Coca-Cola, Volkswagen, GE, McKinsey & Co and Boeing.

The article mentions that additional organisations have tested Microsoft’s ‘mixed reality’ HoloLens. A study by Forrester Research anticipates that over 14 million US workers will use smart glasses by 2025.

AGCO’s director of business process improvement, Peggy Gulick, is quoted to have said that the glasses help to make employees safer and more productive, and are more beneficial than workers carrying tablets, which caused them to be damaged. Gulick has also said that instructions embedded in the safety glasses at AGCO can be customised to suit the employee’s level of experience, altering the detail of instructions on screen. Voice commands can be used to leave notes for the next shift, and workers can scan a machine’s serial number to access a manual, photo or video for tractor building.

Google offered AGCO a pair of smart glasses to try after the debut of Glass for the consumer, and the company now has approximately 150 pairs in use at its Jackson facility. In addition to this, smart glasses are being tested at AGCO’s facilities in Germany, Italy, Brazil, Kansas, and Illinois. Gulick has estimated that AGCO will be using around 1000 pairs by the end of 2018.

AGCO has also found that the smart glasses have resulted in:

• 30% reduction in inspection time
• 25% reduction in production time for certain assembly jobs
• 50% reduction in time needed to train new employees

However, the article mentions some downsides to using the smart glasses:

• Some employees are reluctant to embrace the technology
• Ergonomic issues, e.g. headaches and eye strain
• Fears of employees becoming obsolete as a result of technology
• Cost
• Comfort of use

Topics for discussion include:

• The session will firstly dissect what augmented reality is
• How AR differs from VR
• Discussion of benefits of AR, and highlight
• How this type of technology can be used as part of a communications strategy to help increase staff engagement with employee benefits
• Bryant will explain how AR can be utilised as an engagement tool, particularly when employers are segmenting their workforce in order to target their communications approach. As a relatively new tool in an employer’s communications arsenal
• Potential challenges around AR, including its use of personal data, especially in light of the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK, effective from May 2018.

The 2018 conference will take place on Wednesday 28 February 2018 at Park Plaza, Westminster, London.

For more information see EmployeeBenefits.co.uk

Integration Overview

SOLIDWORKS “Publish to Xtended Reality” capability will allow users to export a CAD model from SOLIDWORKS to a customized version of an open-source format known as “glTF.” Once a SOLIDWORKS model has been exported to glTF, it can be viewed on Meta’s Model Viewer platform in the Meta 2 Development Kit headset.

The exported file retains key information from SOLIDWORKS, such as:

• Display states
• Materials/colors
• Animations (such as exploded view animations, motion study, etc.)
• 3D model hierarchy

This AR integration between SOLIDWORKS and Meta enables a simple and more natural design visualization for SOLIDWORKS customers on the Meta 2. Furthermore, the Meta 2’s wide field of view and direct hand interaction creates an easier and more immersive experience than virtual reality. Through this collaboration between Meta and Dassault Systèmes’ SOLIDWORKS brand, consumers of 3D CAD are no longer limited to viewing models on a 2D screen, and product design can become three-dimensional.

Key benefits of the Meta-SOLIDWORKS integration include:

• Speed – the plug & play nature of the file export/import process means there is no need for a SOLIDWORKS user or developer to build models uniquely for the Meta AR headset.
• Accessibility – benefits of 3D CAD visualization is not limited to designers and engineers – any sales or training professional wanting to view 3D models in immersive AR can do so immediately.
• Efficiency – viewing 3D CAD models in AR can have a significant impact on time-to-market, cost optimization and revenue by shortening the design review cycle, increasing sales conversion, and enhancing training comprehension.

The full press release can be viewed here.

The UK Government announced back in November that 2018 would be the Year of Engineering, and they have also launched the Industrial Strategy and Made Smarter Review. This has been said to help make the UK a world leader in the Fourth Industrial Revolution by 2020.

Real applications of Augmented and Virtual Reality mentioned in the article include:

• Boulting uses VR to allow immersion for their clients as well as developing designs more clearly before construction begins and reducing mistakes
• VR helps design of a facility and could have applications for building information modelling; inputting computer aided design files into a VR app can enable the designer, engineer, and client to move around and view the product from different perspectives
• VR can revolutionise training by allowing engineers to explore and manage situations without risk
• AR can provide important info to engineers wearing headsets while allowing hands-free manoeuvres
• When combined with remote monitoring and dashboard user interfaces, the status of a motor control centre can be visualised next to the system via AR
• When combined with a risk-based maintenance schedule (e.g. Boulting’s BRISK), pieces of machinery can be colour-coded according to risk

Points made about Artificial Intelligence in the article include:

• One of the benefits of AI is advanced data analysis, which collects, stores, and analyses data automatically
• Based on the results from the analysis, processes can be altered which increases productivity, reduces costs, and prevents production downtime
• Combined with trend prediction and predictive maintenance schemes, yield and efficiency can increase

The article concludes by stating that plant managers are focusing on connecting system and taking advantage of the benefits of the Industrial Internet of Things, such as interpretation and enhanced data collection.

By investing in virtual and augmented reality, Axon is also showing a willingness to experiment with new products that could help it to maintain its leading market position in the future.

Axon said it had opened a new R&D facility in Tampere, Finland, that will lead the charge into VR and AR.  This group will focus on enhancing the capabilities of Axon’s future wearable and in-car cameras and developing a platform for future advancements that leverage Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The team had been part of Nokia and then Microsoft, gaining industry expertise in the imaging market. But with Microsoft shutting down Nokia, the respected team of imaging engineers needed a home for their talents, which is where Axon stepped in.

Axon invested in artificial intelligence capabilities last year, and is now adding virtual and augmented reality.  Advancing into virtual or augmented reality is the next step in the product line.

If Axon continues, it’ll entrench itself more completely with law enforcement around the world, potentially bringing valuable technology to police that will help them do their jobs better, while simultaneously keeping the company ahead of its rivals.

The full article has an investment basis and appeared originally on MotleyFool.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Computerised Tomography (CT) scans take a long time for medical students to study and learn to interpret. Therefore, AR and VR can provide visualisation to aid training. The technology can provide a 3D rendering of a scan that can even be scaled larger, externally manipulated, and internally explored. This can help physicians with surgical planning as well as train medical students.

In addition to bridging the vital medical information asymmetry, AR and VR can help patients to further understand their diagnosis and lead to higher engagement with their treatment. The tech also has the potential to be used during medical procedures and surgery

Ochsner’s medical 3D lab initially had the goal of giving clinicians and patients access to medical data. It leverages platforms such as 3D printing and immersive tech to enhance medical training, facilitate patient education, and improve clinical care delivery.

Important information about Mixed Reality mentioned in the article includes:

• At enterprise level, MR adds another dimension to visualisation and product design
• Exploration of Augmented, Virtual, and Mixed Reality is often linked to additive manufacturing
• MR allows for collaboration to no longer be site-specific
• A way of managing 3D data models for view in MR is via the use of point clouds
• Point cloud data creates an image as a collection of dots which saves a significant amount of processing power

Arvizio provides MR services to enterprises. They have integrated high definition point cloud data produced by DotProduct 3D to improve the current abilities of its proprietary MR Studio™ platform for the Microsoft HoloLens and other headsets.

Jonathan Reeves, CEO of Arvizio, is quoted to have said that this integration will enable collaboration for stakeholders and team members in highly efficient new ways.

Use cases for DotProducr’s 3D scanners mentioned in the article include:

• Electrical utilities
• Building renovation
• Offshore oil facilities
• Hardware engineering in the US Navy
• Bridge renovation project (used by multinational construction and development company Skansa)

The partnership between Arvizio and DotProducts has produced MR products that allow customers to multitask using virtual display channels. Users can host a video chat with colleagues and simultaneously access any relevant data about the project to add to the discussion.

A recent article on Aviation Pros has reported on MTU Maintenance’s new Augmented Reality project at its Berlin-Brandenburg facility. The project is named ‘Inspection 4.0’ and the intention is to improve shop knowledge management.

The two main goals of Inspection 4.0 are to centralize all data regarding a specific part into one system and merging the real and virtual worlds of maintenance. The former will reduce the amount of time mechanics spend switching between documents, allowing them to focus on inspecting the part necessary. The latter means that data will be transferred to smart devices, enabling the mechanic to have a complete overview at all times.

Key development of this project will take place in Berlin, since MTU Maintenance is collaborating with the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg. Brandenburg Invest and the Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg are also supporting the project. Project development will continue until July 2019, followed by analysis of results and presentation to the Federal Aviation Office of Germany for relevant approvals.

Some key areas explored in this article are issues connected with AR and VR for enterprises as well as those providing AR for consumers.  Topics that are on the agenda for enterprises that we are working with at The AREA.  The summary below gives an overview of topics addressed in the article on TechRadar.

Content needs to keep you coming back for more

it’s not about creating content for a completely new category, but consistency. And getting people hooked in an ethical way is still key.

Samantha Kingston, Client Director at VR content and event planning agency Virtual Umbrella explained: “If you concentrate on the game side, I believe that we still are tackling the ‘normality’ of using AR as a medium. The ‘normality’ has come through things like snapchat and Pokemon go for the public so far.

“However for it to be used every day and consistently it’s down to creating content that really works with AR, not just because it’s a new and exciting medium.”

Privacy issues need to be addressed and regulated

Important discussions about ownership and data are already rife in the tech industry right now. But these conversations, and the regulations that come from them, need to be translated into AR as well.

Advertising and the battle of the brands

But for that to work there needs to be more transparency, lots of regulation and a big focus on quality content rather than making a quick buck. Although these may seem like concerns for the future rather than the present, it’s going to become increasingly important to have legislation in place sooner rather than later.

Considering real world safety

But unless we consider where responsibility lies, how to educate users and how to keep everyone safe, they’re problems that are likely to come up time and time again, leaving users injured and tech companies out of pocket.

Research conducted by The AREA last year looked at a range of security issues connected with wearables in the enterprise. More information can be found here.

More inclusive and thoughtful development

In a paper called A Value Sensitive Design Approach to Augmented Reality, researchers Batya Friedman and Peter H. Kahn from the Dept. of Psychology at the University of Washington explained: “At times, augmented reality attempts to create a system such that the user cannot tell the difference between the real world and the augmentation of it. Yet, when all is said and done, and the technology is turned off, many users will want to know what was ‘real’ and what was ‘augmented computation.’

• Vuzix, a Smart Glasses and Augmented Reality (AR) technology supplier, has teamed with H-E-B, a major U.S. grocery company to pilot Vuzix Basics Video (VBV) glasses within the company’s manufacturing operations, according to a company press release.
• The model in use at H-E-B is the M300, known for strong audio and noise cancellation excellence. Employing augmented reality on the plant floor allows H-E-B to provide faster technical education and knowledge transfer abilities.
• The M300 is believed to offer speedy ROI and easy deployment for users.

More on the story can be read on Supply Chain Dive.com