AR in Trades and Industry
Enabling the seamless integration of technical, instructional and empirical information with the real world, augmented reality (AR) is revolutionizing the way tradespersons examine, analyze, plan, repair and construct the things and spaces we use every day.
From a schematic, digitally overlaid on an automobile engine to real-time temperature and pressure values superimposed on a working steam boiler to a fully rendered visualization of a home addition, AR merges measurements, blueprints, diagrams, tables or instructions with the visible world and allows workers in the trades and industry to see and interact with their world in new ways.
Have you ever looked at the engine in your car and wondered what all of those parts do? Could you find the oil filter if you had to?
What if you could view your car engine – not a photograph of a similar car engine, but your car engine – through your smartphone or tablet and see each part labelled, oil filter included?
What if you (or an auto mechanic) could tap on any of those labels to view part descriptions, replacement specifications and diagnostic procedures? AR is still in its infancy, but this application to trades and technology is already a reality.
AR technology in the trades leverages the mobility, optical systems and computing power of mobile devices -- phones, tablets or glasses -- in combination with existing data assets such as blueprints or parts lists and real-time information such as dimensional measurements or temperature readings to allow tradespersons to preview, assess and interact efficiently and intuitively with complex systems without the need to down tools.
Manufacturing
AR has the potential to allow manufacturers and their workers real-time, shop floor access to manuals, safety information, maintenance tracking and schedules, parts lists and inventory, schematics and breakdowns, work orders, service tickets and step-by-step process guides.
Smartphones, tablets or dedicated AR glasses merge context-specific information with the physical world as needed, streamlining the identification of parts, measurement of operating conditions, and even remote assistance.
Watch this short video to see how BAE Technologies, in partnership with Microsoft and PTC Inc., used existing 3D digital assets along with AR technology to develop interactive, three-dimensional virtual assembly walkthroughs and process guides for employee training and performance.
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Construction
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Architectural design has already been made virtual and digital through the use of industry-standard 3D design software such as AutoCAD, ArchiCAD and SketchUp.
AR is able to leverage these existing design assets on the jobsite by merging rendered 3D visualizations of plumbing, HVAC (Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning) and electrical systems, architectural frameworks, dimensional measurements, building code specifications, doors, windows, walls and even paint colours with a project in progress.
Tradespersons, supervisors, inspectors, architects and clients can view and share these visualizations on-site or remotely, offering options for collaborative review, plan revision, inspection, and identification of deficiencies before building even begins.
Watch the short video above (or at left) to see how SRI International uses AR to streamline building inspection and construction quality assurance while improving efficiency, accuracy, accountability and record keeping.
Automotive
An automobile is arguably the largest and most complex mechanical system most of us will own. Augmented reality provides tools for the design, production, and testing of automobiles and automotive systems, as well as for maintenance, driver safety and use.
In the design phase, AR permits automotive engineers to view, manipulate and collaborate on 3D prototypes in real time without the need for physical models.
In the production phase, automotive assembly workers use AR to ensure that proper tools, parts and processes come together seamlessly on the assembly line.
In end use, drivers can use AR technology like HUD (Heads Up Display) projectors to display critical information such as speed, engine status, blind spots or other warnings into their field of view.
Finally, AR allows automotive technicians -- or just ordinary car owners -- to view mechanical systems augmented with labels, part codes, operating parameters and maintenance instructions.
Watch the video below (or at right) to see how Bosch Automotive is using AR to optimize automobile maintenance workflow.
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Maintenance
Our modern world is a complex place, filled with interconnected and interdependent systems that heat our homes, purify our water, generate our electricity, process our waste, refrigerate our food or transport us from place to place.
Keeping these systems running effectively requires expertise, tools, parts, plans and processes, all of which can be made accessible and interactive for maintenance tradespersons using AR technology.
In the video above (or at left) to see how RE'FLEKT GmbH helps companies develop maintenance and training AR applications for any real world system or process.
Trades Training and Education
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What's ahead?
Rather than attempting to list potential new uses for AR technologies in the trades, it may be more expedient to simply wonder whether there is any trade -- from welding to pipefitting, from carpentry to landscape design -- for which AR could not offer convenience, efficiency, safety and productivity. Any trade that relies on measurements, standards or processes and functions in the real world can potentially benefit from augmenting the material environment with the information tradespersons require, in an intuitive, responsive and hands-free way.
As our world and the things and information in it become increasingly digitized, and as mobile computing becomes more capable and more commonplace, this integration of formerly static information with the physical world will play an important role in the training of tradespersons and in the way they perform their job.
Educators -- experts in designing and delivering information -- will need to position ourselves at the forefront of AR system design, both to ensure its usability and to make full use of the potential of AR systems for training and education.
AR is not the future any more, it's today.
Practice makes perfect, and AR can help trades trainees enjoy valuable practice time with no material waste or cost. Learners can refine their skills safely and review their performance immediately. Using special AR-enabled tools, materials and surfaces, trainees can see an augmented view generated by an AR application and superimposed over the actual practice equipment.
Watch the video below (or at right) from Boxford LTD, showcasing an Augmented Reality welding training station that permits trainees to practice various welding techniques using "metal" surfaces and welding tools covered with markers that assist the application in creating a realistic and accurate facsimile of a real weld for display both to a screen inside the trainee's visor and on a separate display for teaching and evaluation purposes. Captured metrics of hand movements can then be re-animated and reviewed.