The presentation of the “APPLE VISION PRO” by the U.S. technology company Apple Inc. at the WWDC on June 5, 2023 has once again brought the topic of augmented reality into the media spotlight. But what is augmented reality anyway, and what benefits does it have for service in mechanical and plant engineering? It is of great importance to recognize the possibilities and opportunities of a new technology and to make them usable for the user. To ensure this, the Dortmund IT company Innosoft GmbH is involved in the research and development of a future-oriented software solution for maintenance. In this context, Innosoft is looking at how they go about it, what challenges they face in the process, and what innovations we can expect to see in Innosoft’s solution portfolio in the future. Our contributor Alexander Oleksow tried to get this information from Peter Ebbrecht, one of the managing directors of Innosoft GmbH.
A. Oleksow: Hello Mr. Ebbrecht, thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me today. In the past few days, there has been increased public talk about virtual and augmented reality, what exactly do you mean by this?
P. Ebbrecht: Good afternoon, I’m pleased to be here. I’ll try to clarify it quite simply: Virtual Reality is an artificial construct, it is a digital reality detached from reality. The user interacts by means of a tool such as VR goggles. Suitable examples of this are the “Meta Verse” from Facebook or the VR applications around the “Playstation” from Sony. With augmented reality, on the other hand, the user is in reality. Only digital elements are added to the “view”. Suitable examples of this are “Pokemon Go” by Niantic or the “Snapchat filters” by Snap inc.
A. Oleksow: Both are increasingly used in the field of mechanical and plant engineering. What current developments do you see in terms of the use of in the service of this industry?
P. Ebbrecht: VR is certainly well suited for training purposes or development, simulations of machines are certainly useful here; AR, on the other hand, is certainly more suitable as a “field” solution, the service technician is supported during his work on the actual machine, for example, by being shown which element has to be replaced and which steps have to be followed.
A. Oleksow: In recent weeks, there have been several press releases regarding a new Apple product, the Vision Pro, and the associated entry into the VR & AR market. How do you assess the latest developments around Apple and what impact could this have?
P. Ebbrecht: Apple is one of the big players in the field of hardware and software, it should be mentioned that other companies such as Google have also recently become involved in this area. We at Innosoft have also been involved in a research project in this area for some time. Nevertheless, Apple’s entry into this market is interesting and could drive the development of corresponding applications.
A. Oleksow: A current project you are involved in as a leader certainly has interesting aspects. Could you tell us more about this project and the specific use of AR in it?
P. Ebbrecht: We are currently working on a joint research project with Vetter Krantechnik, Evospark GmbH and the University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen. The title of the project is “Augmented Field Service Management for Cranes”, or aFSMCrane for short. The aim is to provide service and operating personnel with a tool for optimum support of service operations. The initiator of the project is the crane manufacturer Vetter Krantechnik. Innosoft is taking care of integrating the AR function and sensor data into an FSMS that provides remote access to the AR functions on site via a cloud service.
A. Oleksow: How is the cooperation with the machine and plant manufacturers in this project? How are they (e.g. service technicians) involved in the use of virtual reality and how do they accept this technology?
P. Ebbrecht: I personally enjoy the collaboration very much; there is open communication. The global service manager of Vetter is involved in the development, we are in constant exchange. In addition, Vetter has created a questionnaire for the service technicians to also evaluate the expertise of the users. We are currently in the first half of the project. It will take quite some time until finalization. The project will be successfully completed in the first quarter of 2025.
A. Oleksow: Can you give us an outlook on the future? How do you see the development of virtual reality in the field of mechanical and plant engineering in the next few years, especially against the background of the current situation and the presence of Apple in the market?
P. Ebbrecht: In general, AR will increase in the coming years. There has been a lot going on for quite some time. It can be assumed that a large number of applications will be available on the market in the future. Whether Apple will replace the smartphone with the Vision Pro in the future, I can’t say at this point. In the end, it’s the user who decides, because it’s the user who has to accept the help. Ultimately, it has to be progress, these can not be stopped, as we all know.
A. Oleksow: Finally, one last question. In your view, what is the greatest benefit that service in mechanical and plant engineering hopes to gain from AR applications in the long term?
P. Ebbrecht: From my point of view, there is a wide range of problems where these applications could provide assistance. For example, in increasing productivity. The targeted retrieval of stored knowledge is useful in many cases and can thus relieve the user of the research work process. This saves the user a lot of time, which in turn can be used for other productive work. But VR applications could also be very helpful in addressing the problem of the shortage of skilled workers. The oldest writing known to us is about 6000 years old, but visual stimuli as such have been perceived by humans since time immemorial, which is about 2 million years. Accordingly, the ability to react to this stimulus is limited. VR applications can help to impart knowledge more quickly by addressing the visual stimulus as such and guiding the user through the process by means of digital images. This could drastically reduce training and education times. It remains to be seen how the topic around Apple will develop; for us, it will probably remain with the tablet or smartphone as the end device for the time being.