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Using Virtual Technologies to Harness the Power of Industry 4.0


By Dijam Panigrahi, Co-Founder and COO, Gridraster I


ndustry 4.0 is drastically re- shaping the way businesses produce, improve and fulfill


their products. Manufacturers across multiple industries like aerospace, automotive, medical, energy, technology and construc- tion are developing and integrat- ing new technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), cloud computing and analytics, AR/VR, and AI and machine learning in- to their production facilities and throughout their operations.


Benefits of Industry 4.0 Dubbed “smart factories,”


these facilities are equipped to- day with sophisticated sensors, embedded software and AI-pow- ered robotics that collect and an- alyze data and allow for better decision making. Additional effi- ciencies are being realized when inputs from production opera- tions are combined with opera- tional data from ERP, supply chain, customer service and oth- er enterprise systems to gener- ate even more visibility and in- sight from previously siloed in- formation. This digital-intensive ap- proach has resulted in increased


automation, better predictive maintenance, self-optimization of process improvements, and im- proved customer service levels. All of this has translated into


what is today known as the fourth industrial revolution for manu- facturers, engineers, design firms and businesses across vertical markets. Everything revolves around the collection of large amounts of data from sensors on the factory floor, which provides real-time visibility of production assets. This also allows for ma- chines and tools to perform pre- dictive maintenance to minimize equipment downtime and scale efficiencies further. The use of advanced IoT de-


vices in these smart factories leads to improved productivity and better overall quality. AI- driven visualization combined with AR/VR virtual technologies have replaced manual inspection procedures in many cases, which in turn has reduced manufactur- ing errors resulting in a reduction of losses toward the bottom line. A lot of this is made possible


with minimal investments, where quality control representatives set up mobile devices to the cloud


to observe manufacturing proces - ses from virtually anywhere. By applying machine learning algo- rithms, manufacturers can detect errors immediately, rather than at later stages when repair work is more expensive.


Augmented and Virtual Reality


The real advantage comes


from more virtualized AR/VR im- mersive technologies. Virtual re- ality allows an engineer to wear a headset that fully delves into a new world or environment, some that even mimic the real world. The user is given both a visual and audible experience that is meant to replicate a real-world setting in a manufacturing envi- ronment. Augmented reality is similar


in concept, but it also displays digital content in the real world. Imagine an automotive manufac- turer whereby an engineer holds up an iPad in front of a car being designed to see virtual specs of a vehicle’s design layout or various engine spec options. The right immersive mixed


reality experience for Industry 4.0 requires a precise and persist-


ent fusion of the real and virtual worlds. This means rendering complex models and scenes in photorealistic detail, rendered at the correct physical location (with respect to both the real and virtu- al worlds) with the correct scale, and accurate pose. Think of the accuracy and precise nature re- quired in leveraging AR/VR to de- sign, build or repair components of an aircraft engine, or an ad- vanced surgical device used in medical applications. This is achieved today by us-


ing discrete GPUs from one or more servers and delivering the rendered frames wirelessly or re- motely to the head mounted dis- plays (HMDs) such as the Mi- crosoft HoloLens and the Oculus Quest.


One of the key requirements


for Industry 4.0 mixed reality ap- plications is to precisely overlay on an object its model or a digital twin. This helps in providing work instructions for assembly and training, and to catch any errors or defects in manufactur- ing. The user can also track the object and adjust the rendering as the work progresses.


Cloud Environments Even though technologies


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like AR/VR have been in use for several years, many manufactur- ers have deployed virtual solu- tions that are built upon an on- premise environment, where all the technology data is stored lo- cally.


Industry 4.0 manufacturers


today are overcoming these limi- tations by leveraging cloud- based AR/VR platforms powered by distributed network architec- ture and 3D vision-based AI. These cloud platforms provide the desired performance and scalability to drive innovation in the industry at speed and scale. The world of manufacturing


is rapidly changing before our eyes. Technologies powering in- dustry 4.0 seem limitless, with exceptional results already show- ing in higher customer satisfac-


tion and a stronger bottom line. Contact: Gridraster, Inc.,


1931 Old Middlefield Way, Suite G, Mountain View, CA 94043 % 858-357-5355 E-mail: info@gridraster.com Web: www.gridraster.com r


Nov/Dec, 2022


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