Industrial applications of AR headsets: a review of the devices and experience

Augmented Reality (AR) is a valuable tool in work environments, offering employees a new level of support by providing ready access to digital services and remote expert assistance, and significantly improving operational efficiency. Technological integration will become more widespread in production processes as we transition to Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. It is therefore crucial to identify its applications and uses, as well as to develop and refine the hardware.

 

In a new paper published in Light: Advanced Manufacturing, a team of scientists from Bauman University and ITMO University, and industry representatives from INLINE GROUP JSC and N. L. Dukhov VNIIA have published the results of the industry transformation analysis by implementing AR-headsets in manufacturing.

 

The team presented a in-depth study of the industry's most popular devices, drawing on technical parameters and operator interviews. The study's primary outcome is a comparative analysis of existing AR headsets in terms of image quality, functionality, ease of operation and other ergonomic factors. These factors are assessed in the context of specific industry scenarios, including assembly, repair, maintenance, remote assistance, training, monitoring and quality control. When selecting an AR device, it is important to consider ease of software development, as well as the potential for seamless integration into the company's information network. The authors outline the practical value of the work:

 

“This review enabled us to establish precise requirements for AR devices utilised in the industrial sector, considering the specific use cases and conditions of their operation within the workshop or outdoors. It also facilitated the identification of the most promising technologies for their implementation, which, in our opinion, will be beneficial for both developers and companies that intend to incorporate augmented reality into their processes.”

 

The scientists propose a metric for device comparison that will allow industrial companies to select the most appropriate product by objectively assessing the effectiveness of headsets for specific application scenarios.

 

“In addition to a fairly detailed comparative analysis of the major solutions existing on the market, a universal system for evaluating AR headsets for industry was created. Instead of subjective comparisons, we have proposed an objective methodology that can be flexibly customised to meet the challenges of any industry, like a ‘digital filter’. Importantly, the metric is not static — it will evolve with technology. The emergence of new types of sensors or tasks will not require its revision. Thus, our work should remain in demand even after the model range of devices is updated.” they forecast.

---

---