The Rise of AR Technology in Field Service

Recently we wrote about the new Vuzix AR glasses and how they are going to help power the rising need for field service work. The development of AR glasses has not only made these indispensable in a growing number of engineering and service applications, but have also started to become essential in a number of other technical fields.

Many industries have had to adapt to changes in working practices that have manifested as a result of technological developments and global issues such as COVID 19. Working practices in many industries are not as well-defined as they were just a couple of decades ago, and workers are now more likely to be operating remotely rather than as part of a large-scale operation within a single factory. 

Our industries now have a more decentralised infrastructure that needs to be maintained and kept trouble free at all times, requiring human operators to attend what may be remote locations to affect repairs and to carry out upgrades. The term “decentralised infrastructure” refers to a growing trend in which traditional, centralised systems for managing physical infrastructure such as energy grids, data storage, manufacturing bases, and communication networks are being replaced by decentralised and increasingly autonomous models. This concept is commonly referred to simply as “DePIN,” short for decentralised physical infrastructure networks. 

Decentralised systems and networks can be anything that does not have or need a large-scale workforce immediately available. There is a growing incidence of automated factories where advanced robotic systems take in components from sub-supplier and assemble them into the products that we want. Our infrastructure projects from electrical power supply to rail networks are increasingly automated capable of operating without human intervention. All new Amazon warehouses are designed around decentralised automation, developed under the Sequoia program, which has seen over 750,000 autonomous robotic devices installed in their facilities worldwide, leaving a few humans to simply oversee operations.

Technology is Key

However, even though there have been great strides in developing self-sustaining and autonomous systems, there is still a need to carry out both routine and emergency repairs and upgrades to hardware. Software patches and upgrades can usually be applied remotely, but hardware is a different story. To repair or replace a piece of hardware typically requires a service engineer to attend a site and carry out the work. 

If that work is routine, then there is little problem, but if it is repair-orientated or has any unknown aspect, then it becomes trickier, and that is where technology can be of huge advantage. Increasingly, work of this nature requires tech to help understand the issues and possible repairs, and to communicate with a decentralised team. Luckily, AR glasses are one of the big growth areas in connected technology and are stepping up to the mark.

Why AR Glasses?

A growing number of business users are investigating the advantages of augmented reality, and field service experts stand to gain much from using these AR tools. From negotiating communication barriers to obtaining real-time insights that guide important decision-making processes, today’s field workers have several difficulties in their daily activities.

For field service employees, AR glasses help with solving these problems. They provide field workers easy access to contextual, relevant information from inside their surroundings. Using AR devices, field service professionals are able to rapidly connect with specialists by running Remote Assistance applications.

All of the currently available AR glasses also include built-in high-end cameras so staff members can easily communicate visual data with colleagues wherever they may be in the world. More significantly, these technologies let field engineers and technicians make quick and insightful judgements on the situation they are facing, backed up by information from their remote team. AR interactions of this type will become increasingly important in a number of business areas including:

• Manufacturing. As factories become not only larger but also rely less on human intervention, AR-driven field services devices help workers in the manufacturing business by superimposing digital instructions onto genuine equipment and enabling real-time communication with colleagues. As a case in point, Mitsubishi equips many of its employees with AR glasses that interface with TeamViewer software, which enables them to remotely collaborate with customers and coworkers on problem resolution.
• Aerospace. Regarded as one of the most complex industries in the world, any device that can help workers assemble and check built parts via overlays is welcomed. Lockheed Martin’s employees routinely use smart glasses to help them assemble components for aerospace vehicles, and check that a build has been carried out properly.
• Sales. Understanding whether some new furniture or background systems will fit in a home is often a huge aspect of the sales process, but AR can help with that. Recently, Japanese manufacturing giant Mitsubishi (again) developed an AR App that shows how their new Heat Pump range can be incorporated into a home. This can go a long way towards securing a sale since the homeowner can see a detailed model of the pump system and understand how it will fit into their home.
• Healthcare. This is an obvious one, since AR gives healthcare professionals the ability to diagnose and give expert advice to patients. In this exacting discipline, specialists working in the healthcare field can access AR glasses to gain guidance when performing life-saving procedures. Large organisations like the NHS use the RealWear Navigator 500 system to streamline surgical procedures and access real-time training and support from subject matter experts.

AR systems have become invaluable because of their flexibility and the ease with which Apps can be developed for them. They make remote working easy and stress free and offer a level of accuracy that increases the productivity of remote workers.

If you have an XR project or App that you need expert help with, why not contact our team of professionals and see how we can help you.