The Augmented Reality Field Service Revolution: Smart Glasses

Smart Glasses have come a long way from the products first launched by Google back in 2014, with the intention of them being do-it-all head-worn computers. Subsequent products in this technology line were always a little bit niche and never really took off as a mass-market device. Things really got serious with the Meta Ray-Ban range which were both affordable, easy to use, and capable of many tasks. The fact that they also looked like proper glasses really helped too.  

Once the standard had been set, and the fundamental technology sorted out, smart glasses have become a huge sub-product area. The market is awash with smart glasses of different levels of quality and ability, and it’s becoming a bit of a task to understand which are best for different needs. If you want to top up your social media or just listen to music on the beach then you have plenty of options. If, however, you want to carry out serious work functions backed up with smart glasses, then you need to be a bit more selective.

People working in the field have specific requirements for AR tools. In addition to high-quality images and sound, they want their glasses to be portable, long-lasting, user-friendly, and compatible with all of the essential apps they need to use on a daily basis.

Smart Glasses for Field Work

The connectivity of smart glasses makes them ideal as a visual aid when working in the field, and having to share information with co-workers in the office. Up until now, this could only have been achieved using the video function on a mobile phone, but that was a bit problematic. It’s much easier if the person that you are communicating with can see what you are looking at, and can speak to you as though they are right next to you.

But why are smart glasses intended for field use so different from social designs and what traits do they need? Essentially, they must excel in several product areas, such as:

• Reliable connectivity. Bluetooth and a strong, consistent internet connection are essential if a device is being used in what might be remote or difficult places. 
• High-spec camera. If you are trying to show a colleague an intricate wiring system, or a complex mechanical issue, then a low-res, pixelated image just won’t cut it. 
• Excellent aural capabilities. Fuzzy or broken sound is going to make working in field environments very difficult. Any device used in remote situations will need to have crystal-clear sound to prevent mis-hearing and problems with understanding.
• AR features. The ability to overlay XR content on the real world is becoming increasingly important in many industrial applications, including field service. Using XR features, a field technician could be shown assembly instruction overlaid on a device, or the correct connection sequence of a complex wiring system.
• Rugged design. Regardless of how well they are treated, any tool used in the field is likely to suffer from knocks and bangs and will suffer because of it. Any device intended for field use has to be sufficiently sturdy to be able to put up with mild abuse.

Introducing Vuzix

Developing glasses that have all of these traits and have an OS that is both easy to use and effective as a business system is a tall order, but luckily the new Vuzix Z100 smart glasses and their AugmentOS steps up to the mark.

Vuzix is a prominent manufacturer, designer, and marketer of AI-driven smart glasses and AR products and services for the enterprise, medical, defence, and consumer markets. 

While the Z100 smart glasses are physically very capable for use in the field, it’s the bespoke OS that is the real power for field operations. AugmentOS is an innovative operating system that uses artificial intelligence to boost human potential. The OS can be installed with several useful features already activated, such as language learning tools, proactive AI help, smart notifications, AI dashboards, and real-time captioning.

All of these can be user-modified to get the best out of the glasses and make field operations easy to undertake, and the AugmentOS has an in-built developer platform that allows users to create their bespoke content with ease. Using this platform, developers can now design a single application that operates across various smart glasses models for a homogenous experience.

Together with San Francisco Tech company Mentra, Vuzix have developed a combination of glasses and software that is truly useful in industrial applications and can be used confidently in the field. Paul Travers, President and CEO of Vuzix, said “The Z100 smart glasses are an ideal platform for AugmentOS. “Our close collaboration with Mentra will accelerate developer adoption and innovation in the smart glasses industry, positioning Vuzix at the forefront of the AI-enabled wearable revolution.”

Certainly, the Z100’s are remarkable, and are the state-of-the-art in field work and remote communications. With the launch of AugmentOS, Vuzix and Mentra are making AI-powered smart glasses more accessible, functional, and developer-friendly than ever before, paving the way for the next generation of augmented reality experiences.

Unity Developers are dedicated to creating XR experiences that truly amaze. If you have a project that you need help with, why not contact our team of professionals and see how we can get it going, and turn it into a real product.