Imagine that you are in the market for a new equipment, but instead of looking into catalogues or websites, you want to see how it fits in your workplace. Layering virtual objects and other digital mediums into our daily lives can sound like something out of a Science Fiction movie. But with smartphones and other devices becoming a huge part of our daily lives, Augmented Reality (AR) has already changed our daily lives, and our businesses.
Augmented Reality has yet to reach its full bloom, but according to Digi-Capital’s recent report, AR software can reach up to $90 billion within 5 years. AR for business offers many possibilities to industries, far more than just enhanced customer-relationship, as it revolutionizes the way you interact with suppliers, coworkers and prospects.
From having a better collaboration to improve processes on product development, to hiring and training workers remotely, , AR will get everywhere. So, how about your business?
Augmented reality is the integration of digital information in the real world. Through display devices such as virtual and augmented headsets, or simply with a smartphone, AR technologies blends your perception of the real world with digital content that was computer-generated. Unlike Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality does not create whole virtual worlds, but appears in an existing environment: ours.
Augmented Reality has 3 characteristics:
People and objects are always surrounded by data. Augmented Reality can display collected data to the user through graphics, sounds, haptics… and bring you added value. For instance, when targeting the equipment in a factory, they can get information about how much they are used, or if they should schedule for a maintenance soon. Or by layering the “real” object with the virtual one, you can check whether a product complies with the specifications (size, design, shape…). By providing new information, AR applications enhance your experience of the real world.
Augmented Reality can be displayed in a lot of devices: smartphone, tablets, glasses, AR/VR headsets… For industrial use, we recommend the use of augmented reality headsets, such as Microsoft Hololens, as you can use your 3D visualization software with your hands free, which is crucial for precise interaction such as designing a product or performing an AR VR maintenance.
There are different methods to create an AR system in a professional environment:
Aeronautics is a complex and demanding field, from both the design-to-market and maintenance processes. A great use case for augmented reality in aeronautics is maintenance. Nowadays, technicians need to be highly specialized, depending on the specific aircraft and system to maintain, as well as their bespoke adaptations. AR can provide operators with AR VR Maintenance Manuals that can:
All these elements can also be repurposed as a mean to train the operators in real time.
This use case can be used in B2B as well as B2C scenarios. The idea is to use an AR remote assistance software to track the surroundings of a vehicle, and display important information to the driver’s windshield:
At TechViz, we already worked on a similar project involving the use of VR finger tracking to track the movements of a driver on a virtual dashboard, in order to check accessibility. Users can look at their virtual hands to react as they do in reality. It also provides means to ‘touch’ and interact with virtual objects more easily – while being immersed in AR or VR.
The benefits of the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) data by viewing CAD models in AR/VR have been widely publicized. But how about taking it a step further by mixing the virtual information with the real environment? By using an AR display device (most likely a smartphone, a tablet or a HMD) on site can help the workers visualize:
AR and VR have similar positive effects on the learning process: courses are more interactive and fun, the learners are more attentive and motivated by the courses and they can experiment with the materials and learn at their own pace.
TechViz AR and VR software is already used in many universities, for instance to address different kind of audiences and solve many issues related to knowledge transfer by:
An augmented reality system provides the medical personnel (doctors, surgeons, nurses…) with a computer-processed imaging data in real time. For example, it can superimpose a CG image on a patient to track where the veins and muscles are located, to make the medical intervention easier. Several AR VR collaboration platforms using an HMD have already been developed with success, one of the current limits being that not enough data was collected to create most of the 3D reconstruction of medical images needed by practicians.
We presented 5 main use case, but there are many other sectors that can benefit from Augmented Reality. If you have identified a way in which AR can benefit your business: you have made a giant step. The next one is to find the best approach to start using augmented reality in your company. Depending on your use case, the choice of AR hardware (AR glasses, HMD or just a smartphone) and software (CATIA, Creo, PTC, NX…) can be tough to make. Our commercial team is always available to discuss such opportunities with you. Don’t hesitate to contact us!
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