Recent surveys reveal how COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation. ComputerWeekly released the following statistics:

• 89% of CIOs report that digital transformation within their company has accelerated; 58% claim it will continue to grow in 2021
• 79% are reinventing their business model
• 99% believe that economic growth can flourish from using digital manufacturing technologies; 90% are planning to evolve their business models due to the current business environment
• COVID-19 has increased digitisation of customer interactions by years, according to a study from October this year – the number increased from 33% in December 2019 to 58% in July 2020, equating to a 3-year acceleration based on previous trends

Key frontline technologies currently involved in strategies for digital transformation are:

• Augmented Reality: This technology allows workers to work together remotely, which is especially useful for training. Earlier this year, PTC and Rockwell Automation started to offer Vuforia Chalk, remote assistance platform, for free. The AR tool enables factory workers to connect with remote experts to discuss technical issues while sharing a view. PTC has seen AR boost productivity by 50% and reduce errors by 90%. Examples include global engineering company Howden leveraging Chalk to release a standardised program to units internationally, and GlobalFoundries using Vuforia Expert Capture to record and deploy instructions. AR also aids marketing and sales, bridging the gap between customers and professionals.
• Industrial Internet of Things: IIoT provides opportunities such as workforce tracking, remote asset control, and remote collaboration, ensuring security and safety for employees. 93% of digital leaders stated that digital investments made before the pandemic allowed for an agile response, according to a survey by 451 Research. IIoT gives the necessary insight and data that enables companies to respond appropriately and quickly, as well as offer new value to customers. Before the pandemic, healthcare manufacturer bioMérieux created a remote service platform for products, consisting of over 16,000 connected diagnostics systems. Customers then turned to the platform to resolve issues once the pandemic began, increasing the tool’s usage by 40%.
• Robotics and Automation: To protect healthcare workers in the pandemic, robots have been deployed in various roles. “Cobots” (collaborative robots) are key for improving productivity and human workers’ abilities; one example is a metal fabricator in Texas maintaining social distancing by utilising a team of cobots to meet demand. Spatial computing is another significant technology, helping to better understand how machines, humans, and products spatially relate to one another. The technology combines AR, IIoT, Artificial Intelligence, computer vision, and camera sensors to elevate seamless collaboration between humans and machines.

The article concludes by recognising how COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst for technological developments, as digital transformation is now a necessity for the enterprise. Innovative technology supports essential workers and allows businesses to thrive.

See PTC’s AREA member profile here, and read the full article here.

More than 1.5 billion AR-enabled devices are in the market, which building owners and operators have utilised before the technology was embraced at a widespread level.  During this time, emerging technology, such as IoT and smart building strategies were getting increasingly integrated, opening the door to AR applications.

When the pandemic started, facilities managers were calculating how to safely reopen their businesses. As the UK gradually comes out of lockdown, facilities management is a priority for ensuring employee safety. Actions they must consider when reopening their buildings include:

• Avoiding unnecessary travel
• Decreasing the number of physical objects that must be touched
• Limiting the number of people on-site
• Reducing physical proximity of employees on-site

AR and 3D visualisation allow staff to achieve the above goals with minimum resources. Specific examples given in the article are as follows:

• Limiting number and proximity of staff: Digital twins can be used to merge digital data with a building’s physical structure, making “context-aware insights” available. This allows for tasks that previously required physical visits to be completed remotely. Technicians can identify as well as assess issues using the technology from home.
• Going contactless: Buildings that use IoT to link smart devices such as thermostats, security cameras, and lights can be controlled via AR apps. Physical devices can be managed on a visual interface by pointing a smartphone or tablet at connected devices. Vendors, visitors, and tenants can ring the doorbell and call for an elevator without having to physically touch anything, reducing exposure to viruses. Additionally, digital concierge apps can replace information desk representatives to guide visitors. AR content can be accessed at points of interest as visitors navigate the space, which reduces staff proximity.

The article concludes by stating that the AR market size is expected to increase at a CAGR of 46.6%, reaching $72.7 billion by 2024. AR offers many advantages for facilities managers, therefore every building should eventually offer a range of AR applications once they make the choice to innovate.

ARVR applications provide an improved customer and employee experience. The following benefits of AR and VR in construction detailed in the article are:

• Immersive Experience: Using ARVR technology, construction companies can create a 3D model of properties, as well as an AR overlay of furniture, for potential buyers. VR can then provide a complete tour using the virtual image of a furnished apartment, giving a clear idea of how the finalised apartment will look.
• Effective planning: Quick and efficient communication is vital for completing construction projects on schedule. AR headsets can transfer site data recorded by engineers or supervisors to the design team to identify and fix any issues. Managers or contractors can conduct a virtual walkthrough of a site using an AR overlay of Building Information Model (BIM) on top of the physical model for assessment and review. In guiding workers with proper material alignment, AR helps to reduce errors, time, and cost.
• Improving safety standards: In 2017, 971 deaths occurred in construction, 20.8% of total private sector deaths. AR and VR technology can give precise locations of potentially hazardous equipment around the site. Training can also be provided using ARVR, eliminating physical hazards for workers. A US-based company has adopted VR safety training courses to teach correct procedures and increase employee safety.

Some challenges of AR and VR also addressed in the article include:

• Lack of knowledge and training: A limited number of professionals have experience and knowledge of AR and VR, as adoption is at a basic level. Workers are often accustomed to conventional construction practises, with little technical knowledge, therefore ARVR training can be time-consuming.
• Lack of resources allocated to IT: Due to its reliance on traditional methods, construction has seen less technological advancements than other industries. Less than 1% of annual construction sales is spent on IT. The large amount of human and capital resources needed to develop technology means that adoption is increasing very slowly in construction.

Despite the barriers to ARVR adoption in the construction industry, digital technologies have greatly improved operations in other sectors. If the construction industry is open to large-scale integration of ARVR, they will benefit from the opportunities provided by the technology.

Scandit is focusing its marketing, partnership activities, and sales on the following industries of Japanese companies:

• Transport
• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Logistics

The machine learning and computer vision platform combines AR, text recognition, object recognition, and barcode scanning for any smart device equipped with a camera, such as mobile phones or wearables. Advantages of the software mentioned in the article include:

• Speed
• Accuracy
• Ability to scan in bad light
• Ability to scan at any angle
• Ability to scan with damaged labels
• Reduces time and cost of operations
• Empowers employees
• Improves customer engagement / satisfaction

Masahiro Sekine, Senior Sales Director at Scandit GK, has said that early results in Japan showcase “tremendous opportunities”. Digital transformation accelerates once companies witness the benefits of AR smart devices to replace dedicated scanners.

Enterprises in the aforementioned industries are using Scandit for the following:

• Powering mobile apps
• Mobile shopping
• Self-checkout
• Inventory management
• Proof of delivery
• Asset tracking

AEON Retail Co. Ltd. is a leading user of Scandit in the Japanese market. Operating Officer and Chief Officer of System Solution Division, Minoru Yamamoto, has stated expectations for the company with their application “RegiGo”. It integrates Scandit and enables customers to scan products while shopping before they pay, allowing for faster and more convenient shopping. AEON anticipates usage and productivity to improve as a result of Scandit’s Japanese office.

Each year, Scandit performs tens of billions of scans on 100+ million active devices, involving over 20 Japanese companies (mainly in distribution and retail), starting from AEON. Some of Scandit’s other 1,000 international customers include:

• FedEx
• Toyota Motors USA
• Levi Strauss & Co
• 7-Eleven, Inc
• Macy’s
• Alaska Airlines

CEO of Scandit, Samuel Mueller, has said that COVID-19 has made contactless transfer essential. The company’s presence in Japan increases accessibility to contactless scanning solutions in the present and future.

Read the full article here.

Venkata Naveen, GlobalData Senior Disruptive Tech Analyst, has said that construction companies have integrated Augmented and Virtual Reality following demand to fulfil projects on time and within budget. The technologies help to minimise errors, provide a long term return on investment, and prevent rework.

Despite the advantages of AR, construction companies have been slow to adopt and invest, and there are certain barriers to entry. Naveen has further stated that some potential concerns of AR and VR that are hindering mass adoption include:

• Wearing heavy headsets for long periods of time
• Susceptibility to harsh work environments
• Lack of low latency internet connectivity

Use cases of AR and VR in construction, uncovered by the Digital Solutions Map in Construction of GlobalData’s Disruptor Intelligence Center, are:

• Project planning design and engineering: XYZ Reality (London) has developed a head-mounted device that combines AR with building information modelling (BIM), allowing contractors to visualise structures. This increases BIM accuracy, eliminates the need for physical floor plans, and enables engineers to identify real-time errors.
• Virtual collaboration design and engineering: Suffolk Construction (Boston) has partnered with InsiteVR (New York), enabling engineering teams to meet in a virtual environment regardless of location to plan, coordinate, and resolve issues. A VR headset is required to join the platform, so users can identify issues, review designs, and make changes.
• 4D modelling and visualisation design and engineering: Bentley Systems (Pennsylvania) released their Mixed Reality solution, SYNCHRO XR, for visualisation and 4D modelling of construction projects. Microsoft HoloLens is used by engineers and contractors to interact with digital models via physical gestures. This helps to visualise the schedule as well as identify potential errors.
• Virtual guidance construction: Fologram (Australia) launched an app that merges physical work environments with digital construction models, aiding complex brick-laying. Computer-aided design software such as Rhino feeds data into the app, which converts it into digital instructions projected onto the Microsoft HoloLens’s display. Masons can improve brick-laying accuracy by using the headsets.
• Smart glasses construction: Balfour Beatty (British group) implemented AREA member Vuzix’s Blade smart AR glasses for a US construction site. Since COVID-19 prevents on-site visits, the technology allows for a remote request of information from project stakeholders. Site managers can share visual information to remote clients via the smart glasses.

According to Naveem, AR and VR can be coupled with Artificial Intelligence and 5G as the technologies develop, making them an “invaluable asset” to the construction industry.

Read the full article here.

The example of online shopping is given to describe how AR works; customers can visualise how certain furniture would fit their living room via a virtual overlay. Multiple industries can be impacted by AR aside from customer service, such as manufacturing and healthcare.

AR training is extremely useful for any industry, as training is always a necessary step in employment. Benefits of AR training mentioned in the article include:

• Error reduction: AR enables supervision via a superior alongside each step of training, so they can provide guidance to struggling workers. A digital environment can be shared amongst colleagues or experts remotely, allowing for real-time image transfer during the walkthrough process. Elimination of real-time errors boosts client satisfaction, protecting the company’s reputation.
• Maximising profit and time: Implementing AR is of relatively low cost, as most individuals own AR-compatible devices such as mobiles phones, computers, and laptops. AR also eradicates geographical boundaries due to its remote nature, which further increases the number of potential candidates for the job, and allows for training multiple employees at a time.

In addition to training, AR can enhance existing work projects between employees. Collaboration is more accessible since location is no issue, and a group can work on a digital prototype before testing AR on a physical object. Client and customer relations are also made possible using AR due to visualisation, improving customer satisfaction and reducing returns.

The article concludes by stating that the sooner businesses integrate AR into their work environment, the faster they can receive the benefits. Adaptation to new technology is key.

Using Kyra (Guardhat’s Industrial IoT platform), Vuzix’s smart glasses connect to Guardhat’s Theia app, allowing the following features:

• Tracking real-time location with in-built GPS
• Wireless connectivity with offline operation when disconnected
• VOIP audio-visual communications
• Local media capture with sync to Kyra
• Voice- and button-activated panic alarm

Anupam Sengupta, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Guardhat, is grateful for the partnership with Vuzix, as it enables them to provide support to workers during the pandemic. Guardhat are always seeking ways to use their technology as a way of maintaining front-line worker safety.

Vuzix’s smart glasses consist of two variants: the HG1 (Vuzix M400) and the HG2 (Vuzix M4000). The differences are that the HG2 has a see-through waveguide display and comes with a larger WVGA colour display (28 degrees, equivalent to a 9” mobile screen seen at 18”). However, both devices use the Qualcomm XR platform, ensuring better performance.

Paul Travers, CEO of Vuzix, has also said that the Guardhat app provides “real-time situational awareness”, bringing important, hands-free information to workers to increase their safety as well as productivity.

Further advantages of the companies’ integration include:

• Audio/video calls to remote experts
• Capturing pictures and recording audio/video
• Scanning barcodes and QR codes for asset identification
• Voice command operation
• Display of guided instructions and work procedures
• Checklists for MEO, EAM, and EWP use cases
• Interoperation with other Guardhat wearables and devices via Bluetooth
• Digital forms
• Field service solutions

The article concludes with a quote from Chief Operating Officer at Guardhat, Indranil Choudhury, who states that the smart glasses display the industry growth and innovation that has occurred as a result of the pandemic.

See Vuzix’s AREA member profile here, and read the full article here.

Research shows that 50% of companies anticipate a productivity increase by using wearables to connect workers to resources and to each other. Key areas that benefit from wearable devices listed in the article are:

• Streamlined processes and increased productivity: Wearables can help to speed up production, reduce operational expenses, and alleviate strain on workers. Previously manual processes can be automated by these devices, creating a hands-free environment, increasing design accuracy, and allowing enterprises to rectify issues before release.
• Personalised and effective training: Increased efficiency and personalisation in training as well as employee satisfaction, performance, and knowledge retention, are caused by wearable technology. Wearables create immersive task simulations, placing employees in a virtual environment that accurately mimics a day on the job. Three-dimensional training is also enabled with wearable technology, giving information on various products.
• Safety and situational awareness: Employers can make more informed decisions and be proactive in ensuring employee safety using business operation insights; wearables can be tailored to a worker’s specific needs, and equipped with haptic response capabilities to inform workers if they are working unsafely. Data capture capabilities can also determine which tasks are being performed poorly or inefficiently and help to create time-specific reports to track performance, both of which can reduce risks and combat lost productivity.
• COVID-19 prevention: Wearables can be used to grant access to employees, removing the need to touch surfaces. The technology can also be used to detect temperature changes in a worker’s body to identify any illness or COVID-19 cases. Advanced possibilities include booking meeting rooms for test and trace records, replacing lunch queues with bookable slots, and using a smartphone to order a lift in advance.

Some challenges and concerns related to wearable technology mentioned in the article are:

• Security concern
• Compliance
• Management
• Updates

The article concludes by acknowledging that wearables are already revolutionising the workplace, such as law enforcement body cams and wireless pendants for hospital worker communication. COVID-19 is a catalyst for wearable integration. If enterprises are going to explore the potential of wearable technology, they need to ensure their devices are managed properly to gain the most benefits.

Venkata Naveen, Senior Disruptive Tech Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “While the alternative reality technologies have been used in the gaming and entertainment industries for years, they started to make waves in the construction by merging the digital and physical view of jobsites to address various bottlenecks. The demand to complete projects within budget and on time has propelled construction companies to leverage AR and VR technologies to save time, reduce errors, prevent rework and create a long-term return on investment.”

The Digital Solutions Map in Construction of GlobalData’s Disruptor Intelligence Center uncovers the use cases of AR and VR across the construction industry value chain. A few examples:

Virtual Collaboration

Boston-based Suffolk Construction has partnered with New York’s VR startup InsiteVR to help its engineering teams meet virtually to coordinate, plan and resolve issues, irrespective of their geographical locations. Users can join the platform via their desktops wearing a VR headset to review project designs, spot issues and make changes, all inside the virtual environment.

Project Planning

London startup XYZ Reality developed a helmet-mounted device combining augmented reality with building information modeling (BIM) to let contractors visualize the structures, eliminating the need for physical floor plans. It helps to make BIM more precise and allows engineers to identify if the ongoing construction project follows the original model and spot errors in real-time.

4D Modeling and Visualization

Pennsylvania-based infrastructure and engineering software provider Bentley Systems launched mixed reality solution SYNCHRO XR for 4D modeling and visualization of construction projects. Using Microsoft HoloLens, contractors and engineers can walk around and interact with digital models through intuitive gestures. The models can help contractors to flag potential errors in project designs and visualize the construction schedule.

Smart Glasses 

British multinational infrastructure group Balfour Beatty implemented Vuzix Blade smart AR glasses at one of its construction sites in the US to help with a request for information (RFI) from project stakeholders, who can no longer visit the sites due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Site managers walk through the project site wearing the Vuzix smart glasses, wherein clients can view the project progress remotely.

Virtual Guidance 

Aussie tech startup Fologram rolled out an app to merge digital construction models with the physical jobsites to ease laying bricks in complex patterns. The app pulls data from computer-aided design (CAD) software such as Rhino, translates it into digital instructions and projects them onto Microsoft’s HoloLens heads-up display. Wearing the headsets, masons can virtually see where to place each brick more precisely.

Naveen concludes: “Despite their immense potential, AR and VR technologies are still falling short of widespread use in the construction industry. Key concerns such as wearing bulky AR headsets for long hours, susceptibility to harsh jobsite environments and the non-availability of low latency Internet connectivity are hindering the mass adoption of the technologies. As AR and VR continue to mature, they can be coupled with 5G and artificial intelligence to become an invaluable asset to the construction industry.”

Read the original article on Contractor Mag.

The following aspects of work are improved via AR:

• Collaboration
• Engagement
• Communication (with both consumers and employees)
• E-commerce
• Field service
• Workplace strategies

The overlay of images, objects, and spaces on the physical world transforms the customer experience into an immersive and interactive journey. AR forms a connection between our three-dimensional world and two-dimensional technology, creating a range of possibilities for enterprises of any industry.

An example of how AR can be used in businesses mentioned in the article is customers’ ability to search for information by visualising an object instead of clicking through pages online. Additionally, customers can present a malfunctioning object to a technician unable to see the issue on their end, and can also access the complete history of the relationship between the customer and communications service provider.

According to the article, marketing, e-commerce, and service will achieve the greatest advantages from AR. The following industries are listed as have existing AR use cases, such as remote training:

• Retail
• Healthcare
• Travel
• Public safety
• Banking
• Manufacturing

Specific use cases addressed in the article are:

• “Ask Mercedes”: Mercedes’ AR app virtually assists customers by answering questions about vehicles.
• Warby Parker: This prescription glasses company uses a combination of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and Artificial Intelligence to give glasses recommendations via an infrared camera that captures facial images.
• Westpac Bank: This New Zealand bank has developed an interactive AR mobile app for bank management; customers can scan their bank cards using their phone camera to see and manage their accounts.

Despite these use cases being customer-centric, they bring attention to how enterprises can also implement AR. In the ‘ICT Enterprise Insights Global Survey’ of over 4800 IT professionals, 61% said they have AR investments (minor or significant) planned for 2020, 24% said they have strategic AR investments planned, and 37% said they have minor AR investments.

The article concludes by acknowledging that better understanding of AR technologies will accelerate AR adoption. As AR becomes increasingly more vital for businesses, companies in all sectors must devise long-term strategies.

Read the full report, ‘Market Landscape: The Augmented Reality(AR)-Enabled Customer Experience’ here, and the full article here.