When considering the deployment and use of any construction technology (ConTech), the main concerns of any Innovation Officer, Operations Director, or Senior Project Manager revolve around jobsite safety and the ability to scale across the entire organization.

You’re likely familiar with the impact AR is having on increasing quality and efficiency throughout the entire project lifecycle, but you may still be wondering how scalable it is, and how safely it can be used on a jobsite. After all, every emerging technology carries a certain degree of risk, and smart industry leaders are looking to ensure their organizations avoid any safety hazards associated with the new tech. 

The following sections are discussed in detail on the original article which can be viewed here.

1. Building Continuous Improvement Teams

2. Jobsite Safety and OSHA-10 Certification

3. Developing Your Personalized Go-to-Site Plan

4. Competitive edge

Taiwan is well-known for its high-tech industry with electronic manufacturing companies forming a large part of it. Digital transformation is having the same effects on the Taiwanese industry as it’s having all over the world, changing the ways enterprises operate. To capture the full benefit of digitalization and to compete in the future markets, Taiwanese companies are advancing their digital strategies at a growing speed. Data and how well companies are able to use it are vital success factors in this. We are proud to work together with IISI to make sure AR as a key technology to make data visual and usable, is part of these strategies.

Starting with a large-scale SmartPanel deployment

The Augumenta and IISI cooperation gets a speedy start with a project that brings the Augumenta SmartPanel technology into one of IISI ‘s client’s production facilities in Hsinchu Science Park, the top semiconductor manufacturing hub globally. Virtual control panels and the Augumenta marker technology will be integrated into the client’s systems to monitor and control the production lines with the help of smartglasses and 5G connectivity. Easy access to data saves time and lets people on the factory shop floor react faster helping to optimize the uptime of the production lines.

In this project, we have reached a new milestone in deploying the technology; a well over a hundred panels are placed into the facilities which make it the largest number of panels used in a single project so far. The key value-adds of virtual UIs could not be clearer: the flexibility and cost-efficiency of adding this many control points to a production line virtually are on a completely different level compared to building the same amount of traditional hardware-based ones.

Combining experience and innovativeness

IISI group has an impressive track record on large-scale projects for IT system planning, deployment, maintenance, and operation. The company has provided large systems for customers, such as the public sector, banks, smart city, health care, manufacturing, and has a strong position in working with the semiconductor industry. Augumenta, having a development hub also in Taiwan, is the forerunner in industrial augmented reality development and focusing on helping companies improve productivity with Industry 4.0 technologies. Together, the two companies are extremely well-positioned to advance enterprise AR in the area.

As a result of the cooperation agreement, Augumenta licenses core AR technologies to IISI. The solutions include all of our key apps, such as the virtual control panel solutions, SmartAlert and Guide as well as our latest marker technology. IISI tailors the solutions to fit the needs of their clients and takes care of integrating them into customer IT systems. IISI will also provide the needed technical support for the end-users. The companies work in close cooperation in developing the core assets. IISI will have full visibility and access to Augumenta’s latest innovations and in turn, promotes the solutions to their clients.

“In the age of boundless connectivity and intelligent automation of the 5G era, we believe that the application of AR technology will bring a considerable amount of business opportunities, especially in the semiconductor industry.“ says Andy Lee, Director of Technology Services Business Division of IISI Group.

Tero Aaltonen, Augumenta CEO, summarizes: “Working together with IISI has been incredibly straightforward because both companies have a similar vision of the future of manufacturing and the role of AR in it. With IISI’s strong presence in Taiwanese markets, they are a perfect partner for us, and their experienced engineering teams adopted our AR technology in record time. We are looking forward to bringing the benefits of AR to Taiwan’s already-strong high-tech industry together.”

Read about Augumenta on their AREA member profile.

Michael Hasselberg, Associate Director of the University of Rochester Medical Health Lab, is quoted to have said that AR’s seamlessness makes it easy to use in training, and that the technology is currently used predominantly in training medical students. He claims that Vuzix is “innovative” and has made the M400 Smart Glasses comfortable to wear for long periods of time in addition to being user-friendly.

President and Chief Executive Officer at Vuzix, Paul Travers, has further stated that the company is focused on providing “all day” enterprise wearables, and they are satisfied to have contributed to “potentially life saving” medical training at the University of Rochester Medical Centre. Vuzix’s Smart Glasses applications in the healthcare industry are steadily expanding both in the US and globally, in certain European and East Asian countries.

Read the PR Newswire article here.

Canon’s MREAL Display MD-20 was announced earlier this year, however the MREAL S1 is more of a Virtual Reality headset with a passthrough AR feature. VR displays combines with stereoscopic camera sensors provide a ‘Mixed Reality’ view. Two additional optical sensors offer positional tracking. The device requires a PC tether, however, it can work with mobile workstations.

Advantages of the MREAL S1 mentioned in the article include:

• The “smallest and lightest video see-through MR device in the history of MREAL”, according to Canon’s Japanese website
• Portable due to the lack of light-blocking blinders
• Cheaper than its predecessors
• Handheld style for ease of use
• Designed for industrial applications
• Convertibility
• Smaller in size than predecessors – size of a regular smartphone
• No ungainly giant handles from previous models

The article concludes by noting that the MREAL S1 is likely to be a Japan-only enterprise device.

The Head of Commercial Solutions at Design Interactive, Matt Johnston, is quoted to have said that AR and VR enable two technicians to see the same view at the same time. The organisation is developing a virtual classroom program for training technicians, using a combination of AR and point-of-view video training. This creates a procedure involving 3D interactive holograms and other content. Once finished, any trainee or expert in the company can download the content, making the entire process remote.

Other key points throughout the article include:

• AR smartphone apps overlay step-by-step guides onto a technician’s field of vision; they can point their phone at equipment and view AR information such as supplemental icons, updating along with the camera’s movements. Experts can also be involved by logging in and viewing the technician’s screen.
• Adoption of AR during Covid-19 has accelerated due to social distancing, as technicians can work completely remotely using AR.
• Kenneth Calhoun, Fleet Optimisation Manager for Altec Group, has been investigating the current education system and found that few schools have invested in modernising truck equipment for the upcoming generation of technicians. Calhoun has stated that AR and VR can be utilised to educate students on newer truck technology.
• Director of Industry and Customer Engagement at Tradiebot Industries, Beth Rutter, is quoted to have said that kinesthetic / tactile learners tend to be attracted to the repair industry, and AR/VR technologies can provide an environment in which they can learn appropriately.
• According to Marlo Brooke, the CEO and founder of Avatar Partners, Mixed Reality gives technicians the highest memory retention, and allows for less experienced, Level 1 technicians to train at the level of senior technicians. Additionally, the technology allows for a 75% reduction time for troubleshooting vehicle problems, as AR provides “x-ray vision”, allowing them to detect the issue efficiently.
• Experts’ skills are also increased due to AR, as their work is sped up by 25%.

The article includes a section stating the differences between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality, and elaborates on specific use cases of the technology in vehicle maintenance. For example, AR is particularly useful for bumper removal; since the sensors in bumpers now compromise other vehicle systems, AR apps can overlay icons on the vehicle representing which areas can be removed, which tools should be used, and the appropriate procedure.

As a result of Covid-19 reducing face-to-face interactions, the retail must adapt quickly. Via Contentstack’s use of AR, retailers and brands can create engaging, contactless self-service experiences. This can further attract customers, increasing foot traffic.

Sonja Kotrotsos, Head of Product Marketing for Contentstack, is quoted to have said that the app demonstrates how easy integrating AR is, and that retailers can use emerging technologies to differentiate from other brands by building content-rich, interactive, dynamic experiences.

Contentstack and Valtech built their prototype application using cloud-native, API-first SaaS, headless (MACH) technologies, and microservices. The app simulates an in-store shopping experience for skincare products using web-based AR. The scenarios are as follows:

• First scenario: point of sale experience. Information on ingredients and product reviews for a range of serums is given, and a personalised recommendation is offered to the customer, based on a pre-existing profile (e.g. personal skincare goals or purchase history) or integrations with influencer marketing programmes.
• Second scenario: “first use” experience. After purchasing the serum, the customer receives usage instructions, such as how much and how frequently they should use the serum. Their existing skincare routine is extrapolated from here too.
• Last scenario: how the AR app is used once the customer has used the product for some time. Further personalised recommendations suggesting repurchase, adjusting use, or using a different product are given. Reviews can also be left by customers, which are then integrated into the first scenario.

Vice President of Commerce at Valtech, Pascal Lagarde, is quoted to have said Contentstack’s personalisation capabilities, simple internalisation, and a vigorous workflow enabled them to build the AR app. The beauty industry specifically requires personalised information that can be easily understood, and the proof of concept represents how retailers can support the shopping experience.

The article concludes by addressing how previous retail AR proof of concepts have been unsuccessful, therefore the Contentstack and Valtech prototype is promising news for both the retail industry and AR.

In this edition of the CIO Review, we bring you the story of some of the most successful AR/VR tech solution providers that deliver the best outcomes for their clients”, said Justin Smith, Managing Editor. “We hope this edition will provide you with the right assistance in choosing the best AR/VR tech solution providers that align with your requirements.”

Paracosma has also been recognized as one of the Top 10 AR/VR Solution Providers 2019 by CIOApplications Europe and “20 Most Promising AR/VR Tech Solution Providers – 2018” by CIO Review Magazine for offering high quality AR/VR Application Development and 3D content creation services.  Paracosma services include industrial AR for machine maintenance, training, assembly and test applications; enterprise AR and VR holographic video executive training solutions and interactive training simulations for oil & gas applications; medical/surgery training; live 3D copresence and communications in virtual environments; advertising, marketing and branding experiences; a white-label 360 video distribution platform; 3D modeling and rendering for studio photography replacement; photogrammetry recreation of large-scale digital twins; as well as custom content creation and application development .

“We are honored to be recognized for our achievements again by CIOReview Magazine and to be listed among the “10 Most Promising AR/VR Tech Solution Providers – 2020”, said Ken Ehrhart, Founder and CEO of Paracosma Inc. “We continue to dedicate our efforts to providing the highest quality and most advanced AR/VR services at the most affordable prices.”

Additionally, Paracosma is providing VR Collaboration Services  for businesses to operate in a risk-free environment. Businesses can interact with their customers “in person” in a virtual office, auditorium, meeting hall or event venue that is accessible to anyone in the world with an Internet-connected AltspaceVR compatible device.

See Paracosma’s AREA member profile here.

Despite the advantage of remote support, James Kobielus claimed that it tends to lack the immersive capabilities of robotic technology. Detail about the following particular technologies is included in the article:

• RPA (Robotic Process Automation) = this software-centric approach has already arrived in remote work environments; however, it is not the same as having a human assistant nearby.
• EC (Embodied Cognition) = these tools use sensor-driven Artificial Intelligence to power hardware-based robots as digital assistants, bridging the gap via anchoring robotics in physical environments. Facebook researchers are developing this technology to automate physical tasks, which could boost worker productivity. Furthermore, Facebook Research have just open-sourced SoundSpaces, an audio simulation platform that trains robotic agents to navigate 3D environments.
• AR (Augmented Reality) = this technology can support remote work environments where certain aspects of its physicality are unknown to the worker. 3D descriptive captions are displayed over the worker’s camera view, supplementing the information with guidance and labels. This presents employees instantly with the necessary information, eradicating the need for workers to retrieve information via paper manuals or computers. MIT’s Computer Science and AI Laboratory have created a system that can identify and caption people’s behaviours via WiFi and other signals, which can be used to detect when disabled employees require assistance, among other advantages.
• VR (Virtual Reality) = VR is able to simulate key tools, activities, and participants that may be missing from the worker’s physical environment; computer-generated imagery can supplement tasks, projects, or outcomes, while avatars can be used to represent personnel who are not present. Additionally, head-office staff can use VR to visualise the remote worker’s environment.
• MR (Mixed Reality) = a hybrid of AR and VR, MR blends real and simulated work environments. It is appropriate for supporting remote environments where not all participants are within an employee’s field of vision, which would call for ambiguous or missing aspects of the environment to be labelled. The technology is useful for training situations for those in high-risk careers.

The article concludes by claiming that immersive technologies such as AR will become fundamental for remote workers in coming years, enabling enterprises to deliver 24/7 support.

The technology allows experts to help identify and solve complex issues remotely, via viewing what the technician is seeing in real time. Documents and images can also be displayed in the technician’s field of vision via the glasses. The program, Virtual Remote Support, was recently distributed to all 383 Mercedes-Benz USA dealerships, following an initial pilot program in January that began at 13 dealerships before COVID-19 interrupted business travel.

Christian Treiber, Vice President of customer service at Mercedes-Benz USA, is quoted to have said that COVID-19 accelerated the need to release the technology, as it now enables field specialists to provide support from and to any location. The user benefit also involves a more rapid turnaround on complicated service issues that would usually inconvenience the customer, add to dealership costs, and take up important service department space.

Further key advantages of the smart glasses include:

• Reduction in time and expense devoted to travel
• Reduction in potential exposure to COVID-19
• Greater customer satisfaction, leading to greater customer loyalty
• Success rate heading towards 60%

Another company that has employed AR glasses is Porsche, via their program Tech Live Look; they use smart glasses from Osterhout Design Group in addition to AREA member Atheer’s AiR Enterprise. According to Porsche, their system can reduce resolution time up to 40%.

The article concludes with another quote from Treiber, stating that issues can now be resolved in minutes or hours rather than days as a result of the combined Microsoft HoloLens 2 glasses and Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 Remote Assist system.

The project will function in the following way (visualised in Auganix’s article):

• Warehouse operator starts acceptance checklist
• Automatic damage/shortage detection
• Scan label to start a checklist on the MAWB nb
• Fill in checklists with voice command
• High quality pictures of damage added to check
• Data automatic send to cloud in one report

Iristick reported this month that testing and validating two new proof-of-concepts has led to a new project milestone. The first one, currently passing the testing phase, focused on digitisation of acceptance checklists. The second, which has almost completed its first development sprint, aims to automate a shipment’s label recognition via Artificial Intelligence, improving handling processes.

Additionally, Iristick has stated that these proof-of-concepts can potentially deal with multiple manual procedures and tasks within ground handling operations, via innovation and improvement of standard operational processes in the air cargo sector. Field testing for smart glass technology in the airfreight industry was based on the following criteria:

• Improved observation and data capture
• Eliminating paper-based procedures
• Speed up the air cargo processes
• Create a safer work environment

The article concludes by stating that feedback from testing week has made way for developing a future-proof scope, enabling an improved handling process. Iristick’s ultimate aim with the implementation of XR technology is to change the air cargo industry future.

Read Iristick’s AREA member profile