Since a virtual model is alignaed to the actual, printed network sculpture, the audience can reveal layers of information by navigating over different layers of reality: interacting with a touch based mobile device on its screen, but also, navigating in the actual space by moving the device around. Using the built in motion sensors, gyroscope and the realtime camera image, the result is a mixed reality experience, where layered digital information is connected to the actual, physical network sculpture.

A workshop

After an initial brainstorming with network scientist László Albert Barabási, we started the project with a workshop at MOME campus with Mihály Minkó, where designers, artists, engineers and people from different fields of humanities were invited. We were investigating ways of how we can mix the language of augmented reality with network visualisation problems. Two theoretical lectures were given as a starting point, dealing with the taxonomies of augmented reality (and its corresponding cognitive models of the different modalities of space) and network topology: visualizing, understanding the structures of scale-free and complex networks.

Read the full article on Medium.

Augmented reality’s rocky road to consumer adoption hasn’t stopped the same technologies from being adopted by enterprises. Some of AR’s key hurdles — fashionability, broad usage scenarios, and affordability — aren’t preventing big, expensive, and narrow-purpose headsets from succeeding as business tools, on at least a limited scale.

After a few years of slow growth, enterprise AR appears poised for impressive leaps forward in 2020. Here are four big trends that will be worth following over the next 12 months.

The full details can be read on the original article and comprise the following:

1. Improved hardware
2. Better mobility with new wireless tech
3. More – and better – AR software
4. Competition and consolidation

The technology further allows multiple experts to join one call simultaneously, adding valuable second opinions.

O2 and Ericsson will also create a private network installation for Northumbrian Water at its Washington Water Treatment Plant in Tyne and Wear to guarantee uninterrupted network access and capacity for the business.

The first set of trials will also focus on three other key areas:

• AR Mapping – using 5G-powered AR to provide a 3D representation of buried assets for technicians. If successful, the technology could be extended to cover the layout of over 47,210km of water mains, pipes and conduits and would help engineers manage risks and hazards in real-time.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Management – allowing field technicians and engineers to quickly access and upload crucial data from Northumbrian Water’s central GIS database, without requiring a Wi-Fi or cable connection
• Home Water Maintenance App – an app for consumers to monitor their home’s water supply and flow, identifying any unusual patterns to flag potential issues ahead of time.

Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer at O2, said: “When we launched our new network in October, we discussed rolling out 5G to a range of businesses that we are already helping to harness the power of connectivity.  “Northumbrian Water has been a fantastic advocate for the possibilities of 5G for UK business, and is a great example of how 5G can change the way we do things in the utilities sector and beyond. This is a significant milestone as we bring new capabilities to make real changes in people’s everyday lives.”

“We firmly believe 5G will continue to bring major new technological capabilities that will support entirely new business models, sectors, and more efficient ways of working,” he added.

A first for water

Martin Jackson, Head of Strategy & Enterprise Architecture at Northumbrian Water, commented: “5G is set to completely transform the way we live and work, creating exciting new possibilities and improvements for our business, our customers and the environment.”This is the first time a trial like this has ever been done by a water company and we’re incredibly proud to be leading the way in the utilities sector.”

AREA member Welsh Water have been using Augmented Reality for a while now. Read Welsh Water’s AREA member profile.

Augmedics said this is the first augmented reality guidance system to be used in surgery and that it has won FDA clearance for the device. Nissan Elimelech, founder and CEO of Augmedics said the company has also launched XVS.

“Our headset is comparable to the surgical navigation systems that all the [larger medtech] companies have such as the Medtronic StealthStation or the Stryker Brainlift System,” Elimelech told MD+DI. “[XVS] is a true surgical navigation or guidance that accurately tracks the surgical instruments, implants, and spine surgery. We do all this using a very small lightweight and very economic … headset.”

The xvision consists of a transparent near-eye-display headset and all elements of a traditional navigation system. It accurately determines the position of surgical tools, in real-time, and a virtual trajectory is then superimposed on the patient’s CT data.

The 3D navigation data is then projected onto the surgeon’s retina using the headset, allowing him or her to simultaneously look at the patient and see the navigation data without averting his or her eyes to a remote screen during the procedure. The system is designed to revolutionize how surgery is done by giving the surgeon better control and visualization, which may lead to easier, faster, and safer surgeries.

“[XVS] is the first product out of many that we intend to work on and launch in the next few years,” Elimelech said. “We started with a spine product because we think there is the most need for a system like that. Most of the spine surgeons are not using any sort of guided-computer navigation.”

He added, “later we will work on other applications for brain surgery; joint reconstruction – knee and hip replacement; and trauma surgery. Basically, everything that requires high precision in treating a patient.”

Ref Source article

Initial certification paves the way for the availability of the award-winning, enterprise-grade Atheer “AR Management Platform” on the world’s lightest weight mixed reality glasses, the X2 Mixed Reality Glasses made by ThirdEye Gen, Inc.

This initial certification with ThirdEye’s head/gaze motion controls, audio commands, and gesture controls means that Atheer’s growing base of enterprise customers will soon have a new and exciting device to offer for its myriad use cases. ThirdEye’s Android-based X2 MR Glasses, the lightest weight mixed reality glasses on the market weighing just about 300 grams, offer a wide field of view with powerful sensors and advanced mixed reality features that are not available on monocular devices. The 13-megapixel camera on the X2 MR Glasses allows for HD video streaming of content. ThirdEye will also soon be offering cellular 5G compatibility which will allow technicians to use the glasses and software anywhere with built-in connectivity.

“It’s exciting to see Atheer, a well-established leader in the enterprise augmented reality market, complete initial certification of its award-winning AR management platform for use on ThirdEye’s X2 MR Glasses,” said Nick Cherukuri, Founder and CEO of ThirdEye. “We’re thrilled to be working with Atheer and together meeting what we know is a growing demand for enterprise AR across a broad range of use cases in vital industrial sectors including the automotive industry, telecommunications, aviation, and manufacturing.”

Atheer’s CEO, Amar Dhaliwal, is equally enthusiastic about the partnership. “We are thrilled about the initial certification of ThirdEye’s X2 Mixed Reality Glasses as it will soon give our customers access to a new, lightweight and more affordable binocular hands-free hardware option,” Amar said about the new device for their software.

Further reading:

Original press release

Atheer’s AREA member profile

ThirdEye Gen’s AREA member profile 

Augmented reality (AR) technology is beginning to change how workers are trained in education, healthcare, entertainment, and gaming. Now it’s entering manufacturing. In the session, The Rise of the Augmented Worker – How Augmented Reality and Artificial Intelligence Will Revolutionize Manufacturing, Chris Kuntz, VP of marketing at Augmentir, explained how training in AR can improve productivity, efficiency, and safety in the manufacturing setting. He also shared insights on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be combined with AR to deliver manufacturing knowledge.

Transferring Boomer Knowledge to Millennials

One challenge facing manufacturers is the retirement of Baby Boomer. Those skilled workers are leaving the plants with decades of knowledge. “There is a lot of intelligence and expertise in the aging workforce that is leaving,” said Kuntz. “Companies are trying to figure out how to take that knowledge to new younger workers. Yet there is not a lot of insight into how to capture that knowledge.”

Knowledgeable workers are leaving at the same time the company needs to improve its manufacturing operations. “While companies are losing their most knowledgeable workers, they are also struggling to improve their manufacturing processes. They know that traditional classroom training is ineffective in teaching these skills,” said Kuntz. “Meanwhile, they are using paper to distribute work instructions. They’re realizing something has to change. The frontline working is only marginally connected to digital knowledge.”

Turning to Augmented Reality for Training

In order to train workers effectively, companies need to learn exactly what goes on in each worker’s job. “There’s not much known about what happens at the workstation, and you can’t fix that if you can’t see what needs to be improved,” said Kuntz. “Enter augmented reality. We’re beginning to recognize that augmented reality can transform how workers are trained while also capturing the tasks at each workstation.”

AR and AI are forms of automation that are designed to make workers more productive, not eliminate them. “Augmented reality helps workers rather than replacing workers,” said Kuntz. “There are a lot of success stories with augmented reality training in manufacturing. It’s a matter of using a hands-on approach to train the workers rather than traditional classroom learning.”

The Slow Adoption of AR and AI Is Changing

While manufacturers are becoming aware of the benefits of AR and AI, there is also trepidation over the process it takes to deploy these tools. “So why isn’t this widespread? For one, it’s hard. Traditionally, adopting enterprise software is a long process. The same with AR. The process is slow,” said Kuntz. “Manufacturers are now in a pilot at most. The investment can be $100k to $200k just to see if it might offer results. Now that’s changing. There is an emergence of new software. The new software is designed for the end user. It’s easy to try, easy to buy, easy to own, and easy to dis-own.”

AI can be used to streamline the adoption of AR. “Companies don’t have the resources to explore every possibility. AI plays a role here. The augmented worker operates with guided step-by-step instructions with AI overlays,” said Kuntz. “Training much more effective if it’s accompanied by videos and access to remote experts. AI is used to deliver personalized instructions to the worker on tablets or with glasses.”

Using AR to Get a Picture of the Entire Workflow

A side benefit to AR training – and a potentially big one – is the view manufacturers get into what goes on at the workstation. “A new area in AR deployment is the ability to collect that information and bring it back so managers can see who is learning and how,” said Kuntz. “Where did they struggle? Where did the process stop for five minutes because the worker couldn’t find a tool? The ability to capture that data is a huge value in improving the productivity and safety for the worker.”

Trimble are one of many companies working in the wearable technology sphere in the construction industry

The GlobalData report – Thematic Research: Wearable tech in Construction – states that the wearable technology industry was worth nearly US$23 billion in 2018 and will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19% to reach US$54 billion by 2023.

Wearable technology is said to have great potential to improve safety in construction through innovations such as gyroscopes, emergency alerts, and tracking devices. GPS-enabled wearables and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology are leading improvements in efficiency on construction sites.

Growth in wearable technology will also be driven by the utilisation of many countries’ aging workforces in remote support roles for a younger generation of workers through AI and smart glasses technology. Wearable exoskeletons will also be used as an aid for workers’ physical support during strenuous tasks where there is a risk of injury.

Danny Richards, lead economist, GlobalData, commented, “Wearable tech, like the smart helmets developed by companies such as SmartCap Technologies, is helping to increase safety on construction sites. SmartCap measures workers’ fatigue levels and detects micro-sleeps, alerting them when they are in need of a break.”

Safety and efficiency are two primary trends in construction which are driving the adoption of wearable technology.

Richards added, “Despite wearables’ difficulty launching in the consumer market, its commercial applications have proven valuable. As the benefits of wearable tech becomes clearer to construction companies, uptake is likely to increase.”

Read: Original Article Wearable Tech Could Transform Construction.

The good news for DC’s is that training has profoundly changed.  In fact, the entire concept of how training takes place is being transformed with Vision Picking via smart glasses.

Vision Picking provides access to intuitive, constantly-available instruction via the display in the smart gasses, or in some cases on RF terminals or other mobile screens. The result is training turned from a classroom event into an always-on part of the job.  It’s a breakthrough capability for DC workforce development, where training is ingrained into every step of how work gets done.

Let’s explore the specifics of how Vision Picking impacts on-boarding and development within a DC, looking at how it makes training:

• Fast and obvious
• Constant and “always-on”
• Easy for complex tasks
• Simple for process changes, and
• Affordable operation-wide

Vision Picking simplifies training by turning complex instructions into easy-to-understand visuals. For on-boarding a new picker, this converts intricate steps, routes, and actions into obvious choices understood a glance.

See the full blog article on vision picking with detail here.

The operating room is a magnet for innovation. No doubt, smart glasses and augmented reality technology is set to revolutionize the way surgeons and other healthcare practitioners save lives.

Director of Business Development and Strategic Relationships Matt Margolis recently spoke to the emergence of these hands-free devices in the OR.

Speaking at the Telehealth Secrets Conference 2019, Matt discussed the potential for smart glasses to make the medical field more efficient – positively impacting the lives of countless patients.

While this transformation has just begun, Vuzix has successfully made life easier for surgeons on a small scale. For starters, Dr. Shafi Ahmed livestreams surgeries and lessons using Vuzix smart glasses.

The 5th generation of computers

This means that medical students from around the world can receive training directly from the operating table. Even better – the teacher isn’t burdened by their recording device.

Evidently, the training implications are endless. Surgeons can perform without being distracted by a camera or phone, bringing viewers closer than ever before. Additionally, be it for training or collective surgery, glasses allow users and their shared audience to annotate and circle points of interest – without getting in the way of surgery.

However, the benefits of Vuzix smart glasses aren’t limited to operating theaters, as some patients who are unable to leave the home have learned.

Read the full feature on Vuzix’s blog.

With Varjo Workspace, users can seamlessly switch between real, virtual and mixed reality modes and modify their creations while experiencing them in 3D.

Varjo’s Dimensional Interface gives access to the Microsoft Windows desktop at any size and with extreme resolution. All of this is made possible through Varjo’s human eye-resolution capabilities, as no other headset can display readable text on a virtual screen or be able to mix the virtual and real worlds seamlessly together. With Varjo Workspace, it’s now possible to have infinitely-adjustable multiple monitors and to work simultaneously within 2D and 3D worlds – this is a critical part of Varjo’s vision of the future of computing.

Read the full press release and learn about the new features here.