Transforming Training and Repairs with AR

Image Source: Zapp2Photo/Getty Images

By Darshan Pandya for Mouser Electronics

Published November 8, 2022

Introduction

Manufacturing is among the growing list of industries embracing augmented reality (AR), using it to replace old-school ways of training its workforce as well as troubleshooting and repairing equipment. Industrywide, AR is gaining a stronghold in these application areas by reducing manufacturing timelines, enabling virtual collaboration, empowering the human workforce, and providing better results than previous-era methods.

The AR Landscape

AR is somewhat unique in the spectrum of Industry 4.0 technologies. Whereas much attention is paid to automating processing and making machines more intelligent, AR focuses more on providing human workers with the right information at the right time; it's a communication tool that superimposes needed information—step-by-step instructions, CAD models, directional cues, and so forth—on top of the physical environment within the user's field of view in real time.

AR in Industrial Training

Training in manufacturing environments includes many different delivery methods, such as hardcopy documents, CDs, videos provided on YouTube or intranets, traditional classroom training, or a combination of these. AR is a logical next step in the evolution of training because it provides the information offered by traditional training methods and incorporates it into the workers’ processes as they complete their work. 

Compared to classroom or video options, real-time, hands-on experience offers the potential for better knowledge retention over shorter periods of time. Rather than sitting through a class, reading a manual, or watching a video, human workers are diving in and learning as they go. Training time is often reduced because training and hands-on experience are combined into a single process.

The benefits go further. While working with equipment providers or integrators, workers can benefit from using AR during the equipment’s development phase. Suppose a company has one machine currently in operation but is having another built in a different location. Rather than waiting for the new machine to be completed, workers can access the CAD files from their workstation—or home coffee table—see how it will look in real life, and start following step-by-step training instructions even before it's completed. In this scenario, human workers can gain knowledge and skills on installing, calibrating, using, and maintaining equipment even before manufacturing is complete. This process not only drastically reduces implementation time; it also contributes to more savings as companies do not require additional equipment dedicated for training purposes.

AR also provides training benefits for production and manufacturing environments with high human turnover. Instead of having new workers sit through in-person classes, read manuals, or watch videos, employers can use AR to provide step-by-step instructions with digital overlays of annotations such as arrows, highlight spheres, texts, and markers, along with all kinds of 3D CAD data being superimposed on the physical equipment. The AR can walk workers through the steps as often as needed for them to become proficient and comfortable with processes.

AR in Industrial Troubleshooting and Repair

In troubleshooting scenarios, AR helps overcome one of the biggest challenges: Remote communication. Oftentimes, the company who provided the manufacturing system sits on the other side of the world, and until recently, video calls between the company and expert engineers were the best-case troubleshooting scenario. This is far from ideal in industrial environments where problems crop up in tight spots or in areas that aren't visible to the naked eye. Using AR, multiple people can view the problem area and annotate or provide instructions right there in view as the technician is working. The ability to overlay such information in real time provides benefits never before available.

For the person working directly with the physical equipment, the experience is also potentially empowering. Rather than a single person having eyes on the problem, an entire group of experts—engineers, parts manufacturers, operators, and anyone else needed—can have eyes on it, too. The human worker is empowered with collective knowledge from human experts and with CAD models in real time as work is being completed. The AR highlights what needs to be removed, what needs to be put back, what needs to be adjusted, and so on. The data is right there at the technician's fingertips, meaning they are no longer waiting for someone in a different time zone to help. This can save a huge amount of time and affords much better communication than, say, showing errors or talking to someone via video conference.

AR Adoption in Industrial Environments

As augmented reality technologies advance, more and more types of viewing devices are becoming available, including headsets, 3D glasses, and mixed-reality glasses. Most manufacturers interested in AR often want to see benefits without investing a lot of time, money, or resources, so they often start with devices that already exist: iPhones and tablets. Newer phones like the iPhone 12, for example, have the Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensor on the back of the camera module, which enables the spatial representation and accurate depth perception needed for accurate digital overlay on physical objects.

Using such tools, these manufacturers start with identifiable goals and implement proof-of-concepts. Once they're confident in the potential value of AR to solve a particular need, they then move to variable devices. Using monocular glasses, the augmented information is displayed in 2D, with the augmented information displayed in front of the physical information. Mixed-reality glasses like Microsoft Hololens enable 3D overlays on the physical world. Which viewing tools manufacturers employ depends on where they are in adopting AR to solve issues. For instance, for applications that require the operator to have both hands free, devices like glasses would make more sense than an iPhone or iPad.

Conclusion

Training, troubleshooting, and repair have emerged as three areas where AR is making a difference. With AR, training has moved out of the classroom and onto the manufacturing floor, troubleshooting and repair have shed bulky materials and the need for onsite experts, and human workers are learning and doing things faster and more precisely than ever before using real-time processes and data to complete tasks and processes. As a result, AR is helping reduce manufacturing timelines, enable virtual collaboration, empower the human workforce, and provide better results than previous-era methods.