Augmented Reality (AR) has arrived in the workplace: for the last three years, a consortium of six companies and institutions chaired by Siemens has been researching the use of augmented reality (AR) in industry. The aim of the project – known as Glass@Service – was to be able to use intelligent data glasses as personalised information systems by combining them with new types of interactions, such as eye and gesture control, and innovative IT services. The first practical tests in actual production and logistics processes have now been successfully completed.
Digitalisation is increasingly making its presence felt in manufacturing. In some areas, primarily when retooling machines and picking orders, employees are often still working with printouts, printing stocks of labels for marking material, and laboriously recording all the data in the inventory control system at the end of the process. Investigations have therefore been in place for several years now to assess the extent to which AR could be used in these areas. However, it is only now that the technological components required for this, such as micro-displays, controller electronics, 3D cameras, and sensors, have become sufficiently sophisticated that they can be combined to form an innovative human/machine interface and be integrated into the IT landscape of a manufacturing plant. “Siemens wanted to play an active role in shaping this change to the workplace right from the start,” explains Frank-Peter Schiefelbein from Siemens Corporate Technology, the Siemens arm of the Glass@Service project.
The practical tests took place in the Siemens Electronics Factory in Amberg and at the Fürth manufacturing site. The AR system’s software had to be specially adapted to the demands of each site. In logistics, the primary concern is to provide employees with warehouse orientation aids in the form of wearable devices and to identify, mark, and process the products online without error in the inventory control system. When retooling or maintaining machines, the data glasses can provide invaluable assistance by showing each work step on the display and supporting the employee as he operates the machines. Eye movements are captured with an eye-tracking camera. It is therefore possible to interact with the system through specific control of the line of sight and, for example, to scroll through a data sheet or activate virtual buttons.
Bringing brownfield plants back to life Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Today’s brownfield plants are typically characterised by outdated equipment and processes, and face challenges ranging from inefficient operations to safety hazards. However, all is not lost, as these plants stand to gain a lot from digitalisation and automation.
Read more...Award-winning Gen AI solutions
IT in Manufacturing
Amazon Web Services recently hosted an exclusive event in South Africa on ‘Elevating Possibilities with Partners - a Showcase of GenAI Excellence’. This event brought together ten esteemed partners, including Synthesis Software Technologies, to highlight innovative advancements in the field of Generative AI.
Read more...Siemens to acquire industrial drive technology business of ebm-papst Siemens South Africa
News
Siemens has signed an agreement to acquire the industrial drive technology business of ebm-papst. The business includes intelligent, integrated mechatronic systems in the protective extra-low voltage range and innovative motion control systems.
Read more...AI is driving data centres to the edge Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
The data centre has become the cornerstone that links our digitally interconnected world. At the same time, the rapid growth and application of AI and machine learning (ML) is shaping the design and operation of data centres.
Read more...Full-scale central control room simulator Valmet Automation
IT in Manufacturing
Valmet will deliver a full-scale central control room simulator to Nordic Ren-Gas, the leading Nordic green hydrogen and e-methane developer in Finland.
Read more...Re-imagining business operations with the power of AI
IT in Manufacturing
inq. has introduced a range of artificial intelligence solutions to assist organisations across industry verticals in optimising business operations and improving internal efficiencies.
Read more...Safe, sustainable cycling helmet technology Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Lazer Sport, one of Europe’s leading cycling helmet manufacturers, has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of industry software to bring to market KinetiCore, its new proprietary rotational impact protection technology.
Read more...Defending against modern-day cyber threats
IT in Manufacturing
The anatomy of cyber threats has changed, meaning that organisations can no longer rely on traditional cybersecurity solutions to protect their perimeter, but should instead rethink their data protection strategy and become proactive in their defence against breaches.
Read more...Data centre sector 2024 market outlook
IT in Manufacturing
As the world adapts to the digital transformation of almost every aspect of everyday life, the data centre sector, which plays such a pivotal role in digitalisation, is constantly evolving.
printer friendly version