INDUSTRY 4.0/IIoT
REALITY-FIRST, DIGITAL-SECOND: THE BENEFITSOFASSISTEDREALITY
encompasses a multitude of products, such as wrist worn devices, accessories or even technology embedded within clothing. In 2020, global shipments for wearable devices reached half a billion, highlighting the demand for the technology from consumers and businesses alike; and this is set to grow, as the wearables market is far from saturation point. Underpinning many ‘wearables’ are
technologies including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR). However, those Extended-Reality technologies aren’t always practical when used in manufacturing or as frontline tools, and can be unsafe for workers operating in hazardous environments as they can distract from the dangers in the physical world. Another issue when using AR and VR in
industrial settings is that many companies don’t have the large quantities of immersive and interactive content needed to deliver IoT data visualisation, maintenance instructions, training and reference materials to users of those devices. There is, however, another more scalable
Jon Arnold, VP of sales, EMEA, RealWear, explains how assisted reality is helping companies go above and beyond their digital transformation goals
$64.9 billion in 2021 to $165.5 billion by 2026 (
https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Market-Reports/industry-4-market-
102536746.html). Recent technological advancements - such as 5G, AI/machine learning and Internet of Things (IoT) devices - have all played a role in supporting the vision of Industry 4.0. After years of testing and deploying these digital transformation technologies, they are beginning to show a host of benefits. These include increased productivity, improved efficiency, greater flexibility and agility, and reductions in overall costs and CO2 emissions. Through the digitisation of traditional manufacturing and industrial processes there have been significant changes to the way in which frontline workers go about their day-to-day operations. The wearables market is another related
T 18 NOVEMBER 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL
he Industry 4.0 sector has seen rapid expansion in recent years and is projected to grow even further, from
area that is drawing attention from a number of companies looking to embrace the fourth industrial revolution and bring their work processes into the 21st century. The term ‘wearables’ is, of course, very broad, and
technology driving industry 4.0: assisted reality. This technology is differentiated from AR or VR in a key way. Assisted reality is non- immersive, for glancing quickly down, as though on a dashboard, then back to the real world. Thus, assisted reality is a “reality- first, digital-second" experience. Information is not digitally overlaid with the real-world view, or if it is, it is strictly limited to ‘digital snacks.’ Wearable assisted reality devices can be
used for content creation, or for content sharing. In the former case, when the device is equipped with a front-facing camera, workers can capture walk-through videos or instructional content that can be shared with other staff (‘how-to guides’ for training, etc.) Alternatively, the front-facing camera can show a worker’s field of vision to a remote expert, enabling the remote expert to provide advice and guidance on what he sees, ensuring far quicker on-site problem resolution. This technology presents a middle ground
that can help company’s bridge the gap between their broader digital transformation goals and the challenges of the factory floor. With solutions such as this in place, we predict that the factory of the future - one that embraces industry 4.0, and the technology used in it - will look very different than it does today. But we may not even have to wait that
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