Augmented Reality Makes A Mark On Field Service
By Brian Albright, Field Technologies
Field service is already feeling the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT), and there are a few companies experimenting with augmented reality (AR) technology. Now there’s an AR-enabled code that can bring these two technologies together for field service operations.
You are likely familiar with QR codes, the 2D barcodes placed on products and advertisements that consumers can scan with their phones to access videos, coupons, and other online content. PTC has released similar technology called VuMark, which is a customizable augmented reality code that allows AR experiences to be linked to physical objects. Users can also easily encode data such as a URL or a product serial number. The codes are part of PTC’s Vuforia 6 AR development platform.
The presence of the code will alert users that an AR experience is available, and those augmented reality apps can include assembly instructions, or repair and inspection information – functionality that has a clear impact on the field service market.
“Today’s announcement leverages two transformational technology trends, the Internet of Things and Augmented Reality, to deliver a new class of products that will fundamentally change the way people interact with products,” said Vernon Turner, senior vice president and research fellow (IoT), IDC, in a press release. “The Vuforia augmented reality platform will provide an opportunity for organizations to seamlessly overlay digital data on the physical world. This is a game changer because it offers a richer interface to the person who operates the product, and delivers deeper insight into how to service those products.”
The field service industry faces a staffing crisis, which a significant number of experienced technicians already retiring or on the verge of doing so. With fewer younger workers entering the field, service organizations are going to encounter a training and knowledge gap that will be difficult to bridge.
Knowledge management solutions will help, but using AR in the field to guide new technicians through repair processes could help streamline training and ensure better service outcomes.
Using AR can help visually highlight components that require a repair, and provide step-by-step instructions on removing, repairing, and replacing those components.
VuMark is interesting because it would allow companies to label specific components and link technicians directly to relevant AR content without requiring them to search through a library or potentially access the wrong content.
At PTC’s ThingWorx ThingEvent earlier this year, ServiceMax explained how AR and its own service management technology could be used together. Schneider Electric is already using ServiceMax, VuMarks, and Vuforia AR to access repair instructions in the field. ServiceMax Connected Field Service software and PTC’s ThingWorx IoT platform link the remote equipment to PTC’s product data management (PDM) and other software that Schneider uses to design its products. In addition to providing repair schematics, the system also sends reports back to the PDM system so design engineers can access the data to improve the products.
Two end users were also at the show explaining how they have used the VuMark in their own maintenance operations. KTM Motorbikes uses the mark on the side of an engineer to pull up 3D CAD parts on an iPad, which helps dealership technicians diagnose and repair problems. Blood analyzer manufacturer Sysmex, meanwhile, uses a code so that users can see how reagent canisters are properly removed.
If you think augmented reality might have a place in your own service operations, you can check out our augmented reality coverage here and in a feature in the upcoming November issue.