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Wearable technology products, such as smart glasses, offer great potential in enhancing productivity and turning the manufacturing environment into a fully interactive system. These devices can “augment reality” by providing store managers and factory workers with real-time information about machine performance and conditions in the plant.
However, although these devices present exciting prospects for the future, engineers are also exploring applications in areas such as maintenance, field services, and warehouse management.
Research firm Gartner, based in Stamford, reports that very few companies—less than 1% in the U.S.—have implemented or are deploying smart glasses. However, analysts believe this number could rise to 10% within the next five years.
Gartner indicates that the field service sector is likely to benefit the most from smart glasses in the near future. In fact, research director Angela McIntyre estimates that companies in this sector could increase profits by up to $1 billion per year through performance and cost efficiency gains enabled by wearable technology used by technicians and inspectors.
The on-screen guidance and visualization provided by smart glasses allow workers to perform tasks even if they do not remember all the procedures. Collaborating with remote experts via video makes repairs faster and more cost-effective than bringing a specialist on-site. These collaborations can be recorded and stored as references for future work or as video evidence for disputes or investigations.
Hubert Selvanathan, head of Waterstone Management Group, a technology-focused consulting firm, sees significant opportunities in maintenance functionality. He told ThomasNet News in an interview: “Many devices are very complex. Occasionally, maintenance staff have schematics at hand, but sometimes they rely on intuition, which carries many risks.”
Wearable technology products such as smart glasses can provide on-the-spot insights to technicians. Technicians can display schematics on a head-up display (HUD) in the user’s line of sight, avoiding the need to look at control panels. Selvanathan said, “If they don’t know how to connect or interpret sensors, they can connect directly with a maintenance supervisor or consult with a colleague for guidance.”
Metso Corp., headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, a diversified company operating in mining, construction, energy, and pulp & paper industries, recognizes the potential value of smart glasses technology due to its considerable investment in maintenance and facility repair. According to the company’s research, smart glasses can be used to carry out field service calls much more efficiently.
Mika Karaila, research program director at Metso Automation, told ThomasNet News that the company built a smart glasses prototype for maintenance and service tasks using Vuzix M100 smart glasses.
The prototype can access cloud resources to display a task list, pull in sensor data, and visualize trends from that data as charts. The device can be controlled by gestures, using the index finger as a “mouse.”
A Metso video demonstrates how a service technician visits a facility, and the smart glasses display a list of tasks and equipment to monitor. An application provides directions, guides the technician to the machinery needing repair, and provides step-by-step instructions. The glasses offer a direct data source and operational information for the equipment.
When additional assistance is needed, the technician uses hand gestures to call the company on the HUD and initiate a video call with a technical support representative, sharing live video with the remote expert for guidance.
Selvanathan of Waterstone notes several barriers to the adoption of wearable devices, such as workers rejecting new products or difficulties in spreading innovation within organizations. However, he says, “The biggest question now is: what are the use cases for this device? Then, what is the ROI, and what economic benefits can be realized from using it?”
Source: engineering.com
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