How AR/VR is taking over the Retail Industry

As we have seen Augment Reality has already reached many industries and has brought incremental changes, Manufacturing Industry is no exception. Augment Reality could be implemented through the eyeglasses or any display device like tabs, phones, etc modifying the experience for the workers, personnel, and others. People might ask why not use VR and only limit to AR. Generally, VR comes with a heavy headset which impedes the movements of the workers in these industries. It obstructs the interaction with the real world and the machinery in the manufacturing industry. AR is a preferred choice because it is more seamless and adds digital information to the existing environment to create a virtual environment and thus building what is known as smart industries

In the manufacturing industry, AR could be used by the workers to identify unsafe conditions, visualize a product or structure, measure changes, locate their co-workers on the factory floor, which machinery is working. It can also be used to improve the production line by streamlining product development, thus making the entire process cost-effective and less time-consuming. AR could be used to show the temperature of the equipment and other relevant information to the current task of the worker..

It will change the way manufacturing units function as one can know everything that is happening in the factory, knowing which parts are off-limit. There are many more ways in which AR revolutionizes manufacturing industry:

Safety Training of Factory Workers

Manufacturing industries usually face issues while training new talent on the floor as they are completely unfamiliar with the equipment, procedures followed. In most of cases, theoretical knowledge does not suffice as it leads to safety issues but with AR applications, the workers can be trained by creating a stimulating environment to prepare them for the working conditions without wasting any resources.

Streamlined Logistics

A worker in a manufacturing unit is trusted with multiple responsibilities and is often required to multitask to manage orders and other regular duties which involves a lot of manual work and is often a tedious task. AR can streamline the process allowing them to work at a faster pace. They can scan the relevant information using AR and locate where products and goods are, update the work done on the system and then all the employees can fetch the same information, work on the product, and the delivery.

Maintenance

AR lets the maintenance team see which equipment needs servicing, operation times, last date of servicing, and any other potential issues. This would undoubtedly remove any guesswork and can avoid last-minute breakdowns thus allowing for quick response, better operations, and faster repairs.

Product Design And Development

Product development comprises of several stages starting from concept note to development and is a long process often consuming a lot of resources. It also requires coordination and cooperation between several parties. After this production and manufacturing take place. With the help of AR, the tedious process can be streamlined as product development could be seen in real-time through AR allowing them to give advice and insights thus removing the delay in communication and boosting the overall productivity and efficiency of the process.

Complex Assembly

AR could be used by the workers to assemble the parts of the products with a visual display of the parts, process, and all the other important information for every stage. One can check the full instruction on the screen and then assemble the product accordingly. AR could give step by step detail or highlight the part to assemble. It also facilitates the worker to work handsfree via smart glasses.

According to a report by Statista, Augmented reality glasses are forecasted to reach around 19.1 million units by 2021, and when combined with VR devices, could hit 59.2 million units. Many companies have already started implementing AR to their day to day operations. Although the concept may sound new, it is the reality we will be living in. AR technology could be used during the complete product life cycle as it is beneficial, and scalable in any kind of production.

Reference:

• Thinkmobiles
• Cerasis
• Thomasnet
• Machinedesign