AR or Augmented reality, for short, is a method that expands reality or a “material scene” with virtual features. Because there is no immersion in a completely simulated world, augmented reality is not the same as virtual reality. The true sensory stimulus stays present with SCG in technology, which is critical in the context of maintenance and service.
Working on sophisticated machines requires both hands to be free
Augmented reality can be used with a variety of hardware. Smart glasses are especially recommended in the industrial sector. In the user’s field of view, smart glasses display context-relevant information. As a result, the view of a smartphone or tablet is no longer required, and the hands remain free.
In general, two technologies can be distinguished: AR lite and 100 percent AR. With the help of the smart glasses guide, you will be able to choose the perfect smart glasses for your specific servicing and maintenance requirements.
Smart glasses are an excellent way to get started with augmented reality
Android-founded smart glasses, such as the RealWear HMT-1 or VUZIX M400, can be used as a bridge between regular platforms and AR. Because there is no direct overlap with reality, one can speak on AR light here. A 2D screen is situated in the smart glasses’ peripheral arena of view. Using the Remote Maintenance solution, this screen can be used to send information to an external expert.Simultaneously, the expert can receive movies, application windows, data, and so on via screen sharing. The built-in microphone allows for more oral conversation.
Smart glasses encourage effective problem solving: Because the camera is so close to the eye, the expert can see which component the service professional is focusing on and provide relevant directions more rapidly. Triggered functions, for examplelaser pointers or annotations, that distinguish the remote maintenance software, are communicated immediately to the smart glasses’ screen.
Integration of IoT
The following example depicts a possible integration of existing machine data with the benefits of the remote maintenance service.
An industrial robot is depicted in three dimensions in space (provided by Salt and Pepper).The industrial robot is part of a manufacturing plant and is outfitted with a variety of sensors. Existing sensor values from the industrial robot are communicated to the servers by the Beat Monitoring System (BMS) and visualised in real time on display components on the model.
The information is synchronised with the servers. If a problem occurs on the industrial robot within the manufacturing plant, the HoloLens user is notified. The impacted component of the robot is highlighted in colour, and the appropriate error text is displayed.
Because fault clearance requires the assistance of an expert, the user can then initiate a Remote Maintenance session and transfer his own camera image to the external expert.The external expert sees the video image, sensor data, and error message of the malfunctioning component as a result of the entire integration. The issue can be repaired with the assistance of an expert, and the industrial robot can be reimbursed to a fault-free state.
Data networking and infrastructure machine solution offers quick and efficient support with fault clearance operations. The virtual representation of a machine was chosen for this application example. In practise, a direct viewing of sensor data on a real-world machine would happen instead.
