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At this year’s Orlando Forum I had the pleasure of hosting a session on the topic of Augmented Reality (AR) as a tool within the Digital Enterprise. Even though the first AR system was developed in 1992 (by the US Airforce) it is very much an emerging technology when it comes to industrial use. As such, we at ARC deviated from our general rule of only inviting users as guest speakers and hosted a panel consisting of AR software and hardware suppliers: PTC, Schneider-Electric, and DAQRI. Rather than discuss the gritty details of AR, the goal of my presentation was to set the stage for the other presenters by illustrating the alignment of strengths and opportunities afforded by AR with some of the major technology and industry drivers of the Digital Enterprise.
Before I provide examples, I feel it’s important to establish a more personal understanding of Augmented Reality. I’ve found that the best way to do this is to talk football:
The image above is easily recognizable as a broadcast of an NFL game, but many people fail to recognize the digital overlay as a prevalent example of AR. It may be an emerging technology in industry but since 1998, when the yellow first-down line was introduced, AR has been embraced by millions. During this year’s Super Bowl alone 111 million viewers relied on AR to gather instantaneous contextual information. Not only is AR valuable to the viewer to understand the state of a game, it is expected as the primary method of delivering certain data: Score, time remaining, quarter, distance to a first down, timeouts, etc. Likewise, as companies advance towards the ideals of the Digital Enterprise, increasing communication of contextual information will be expected and Augmented Reality provides an appealing method to do so.
Of the topics I discussed during my presentation, the two drivers that resonated most with the audience and other speakers were the explosion of available data and the changing workforce. In regards to the former, an ever-increasing network of connected and smart devices means companies will be inundated with information. Whether the data is coming from OEMs, suppliers, the factory floor, corporate headquarters, or any other place, it is only valuable if it can be used to make the right decisions at the right time. Within an industrial environment an AR headset is an ideal tool to communicate such information: it’s heads-up, hands-free, and persistent (in the sense that it is not placed in a pocket, set aside on a table, or requires the user to be at a certain location to use).
While companies continue to invest in their IIoT initiatives, there is a parallel trend of increasing automation. A fundamental drawback to increasing automation and decreasing operators, is a decrease of first-hand human experience on the plant or factory floor. For technicians and maintenance workers, who become responsible for more machinery and are provided less resources to gather context, this is a twofold blow. Analogous to the football example, AR systems can provide these workers with contextual information directly from the machine, be it details regarding system failures or technical specifications that may have been forgotten or just never learned. These concerns regarding increased automation are compounded by the massive outflow of experience and knowledge as baby boomers are replaced by millennials. Fortunately, what millennials lack in experience they may make up for in ability and eagerness to adopt new technology. In this circumstance, AR can be used to recruit, train, and retain a tech savvy, experience deficient workforce.
Despite these and other drivers, there are still considerable inhibitors to the adoption of AR. Although I listed three in my presentation: Price, missed expectations, and lack of a “killer app”, it became clear during the Q&A that most of the audience understood what AR had to offer, and were instead concerned with challenges of implementation. As an advocate of the technology, this was a pleasing response that suggests we are one step closer to an adoption tipping point. However, it is important that suppliers take notice as well. While images of floating 3D models and complex interactive displays are eye-catching, they only succeed in getting someone’s attention. Without an ecosystem of integrators, it is up to the suppliers to go a step further by developing, promoting, and assisting in efficient methods of implementation.
Augmented Reality: An Everyday Experience
Before I provide examples, I feel it’s important to establish a more personal understanding of Augmented Reality. I’ve found that the best way to do this is to talk football:
The image above is easily recognizable as a broadcast of an NFL game, but many people fail to recognize the digital overlay as a prevalent example of AR. It may be an emerging technology in industry but since 1998, when the yellow first-down line was introduced, AR has been embraced by millions. During this year’s Super Bowl alone 111 million viewers relied on AR to gather instantaneous contextual information. Not only is AR valuable to the viewer to understand the state of a game, it is expected as the primary method of delivering certain data: Score, time remaining, quarter, distance to a first down, timeouts, etc. Likewise, as companies advance towards the ideals of the Digital Enterprise, increasing communication of contextual information will be expected and Augmented Reality provides an appealing method to do so.
Technology and Industry Drivers of Augmented Reality
Of the topics I discussed during my presentation, the two drivers that resonated most with the audience and other speakers were the explosion of available data and the changing workforce. In regards to the former, an ever-increasing network of connected and smart devices means companies will be inundated with information. Whether the data is coming from OEMs, suppliers, the factory floor, corporate headquarters, or any other place, it is only valuable if it can be used to make the right decisions at the right time. Within an industrial environment an AR headset is an ideal tool to communicate such information: it’s heads-up, hands-free, and persistent (in the sense that it is not placed in a pocket, set aside on a table, or requires the user to be at a certain location to use).
While companies continue to invest in their IIoT initiatives, there is a parallel trend of increasing automation. A fundamental drawback to increasing automation and decreasing operators, is a decrease of first-hand human experience on the plant or factory floor. For technicians and maintenance workers, who become responsible for more machinery and are provided less resources to gather context, this is a twofold blow. Analogous to the football example, AR systems can provide these workers with contextual information directly from the machine, be it details regarding system failures or technical specifications that may have been forgotten or just never learned. These concerns regarding increased automation are compounded by the massive outflow of experience and knowledge as baby boomers are replaced by millennials. Fortunately, what millennials lack in experience they may make up for in ability and eagerness to adopt new technology. In this circumstance, AR can be used to recruit, train, and retain a tech savvy, experience deficient workforce.
Inhibitors of Adoption
Despite these and other drivers, there are still considerable inhibitors to the adoption of AR. Although I listed three in my presentation: Price, missed expectations, and lack of a “killer app”, it became clear during the Q&A that most of the audience understood what AR had to offer, and were instead concerned with challenges of implementation. As an advocate of the technology, this was a pleasing response that suggests we are one step closer to an adoption tipping point. However, it is important that suppliers take notice as well. While images of floating 3D models and complex interactive displays are eye-catching, they only succeed in getting someone’s attention. Without an ecosystem of integrators, it is up to the suppliers to go a step further by developing, promoting, and assisting in efficient methods of implementation.