Why the industrial world is increasing the investment on AR solutions
Augmented reality is a recent technology that enriches our world through the overlaying of digital content on the reality framework.
What is really great about it, is that it requires only a simple camera (also the one in your smartphone or tablet) and it is often developed in easy Apps, making it possible to apply AR to basically any kind of activities, including the industrial production.
In fact, this is where augmented reality has the widest potential scope. Let’s now consider 5 ways in which AR is already successfully applied into industrial processes.
AR as a solution for complex assembly tasks
When it comes to put together thousands of components to create complex products (e.g. cars, smartphones etc.) augmented reality can be the solution to cut the possibility of human errors and to simplify the processes.
Companies have now started to introduce AR devices that can assist technicians in their daily tasks, suggesting them step-by-step instructions and the instruments required by the job.
This system, such as the one involved in our product (Kiber 3), proved to be successful in the reduction of error risks and in the improvement of workers’ efficiency.
AR in product design
Traditionally, the design and development processes are based on the visualization of products that are the closest to operating conditions.
In this scenario, augmented reality can be an incredible asset: it helps technicians to model the project they have in mind, and it assist teams in the evaluation steps that every new item must pass before its production.
Read Also: 3 ways to apply augmented reality for the industrial enterprise
Logistic
The mismanagement of warehouses is the number one cause of delays. If operators spend a good portion of their work time looking for something, they will certainly produce less in terms of efficiency.
Augmented reality can create a connected system that is designed to provide workers with all the information about the items’ placements, reducing the time they spend on this process and boosting their performance instead.
DHL, one of the world top courier, is already using a mobile AR system for object recognition, navigation, barcode reading and more.
Data management
Companies have also started to use augmented reality technology to improve their current solution of data management.
If we consider the huge amounts of data that manufacturing industry is implying today, it’s clear how AR can be a great solution to the ever-growing problem of big data.
It is common to see a warehouse using AR in tandem with machine learning and advanced artificial intelligence to locate products, scan them into the system and even determine if they have the right item.
AR allows them to complete this process much faster and more efficiently than previous methods.
Quality assurance
Quality checks remain the post-production channel through which companies may control the quality of the items produced before their distribution.
This involves keeping an eye on hundreds of small details, increasing the possibility of a human mistake.
Augmented reality adds another layer of checks of which the human eye is incapable, allowing companies to bring down to a minimum the costs related to system failures.
Through the adoption of AR technologies, companies may also send an important message to customers, showing that they pay attention to details in an unprecedented way.
This is now perceived in the market as one of the main values that clients take under consideration, when doing a purchase.
In conclusion
AR technology is not perceived anymore as the new horizon of gaming and entertainment. Its huge potential has been discovered also by small and medium-sized businesses in different type of industries.
In the next five years, it will be interesting to see which kind of other multiple improvements of the industrial process will be reached thanks to the application of augmented reality.
