Augmented reality in the workplace: where it is used, what it requires
An operator works on a machine he is not familiar with. A controller applies a paper guide placed next to the part. A newcomer waits for an experienced worker to become available to show him the gesture. In each case, the useful information exists somewhere, but not in front of the person who is acting. In the workplace, augmented reality places this information in the operator's field of vision, aligned with the machine, at the moment he needs it.
What augmented reality is in the workplace
Augmented reality overlays digital elements onto the real environment: an instruction, a marker, a plan, a sensor value. The operator keeps his hands free and his eyes on his task. In the workplace, it is used to train a newcomer on the job, guide a gesture, inspect a part, transfer expertise from one site to another.
It differs from virtual reality, which replaces the environment with a fully modeled scene: this is where Myxed conducts the training on a rare gesture, outside of production. For the detailed definition and functioning, see what augmented reality is.
Where augmented reality is used in the workplace
Five uses are currently in production.
Training and skill development on the job
Instructions are displayed on the actual equipment while the operator learns the gesture. The newcomer becomes autonomous on a specific task without monopolizing an experienced worker. For rare gestures or those too risky to repeat in production, see instead the virtual reality training of operators.
Guided maintenance and troubleshooting
The operator follows the step-by-step procedure, overlaid on the machine: which screw, what torque, in what order. Rare interventions are carried out without waiting for a specialist. See augmented reality assisted maintenance.
Remote assistance from an expert
An expert sees what the operator sees and annotates in their field of vision. They diagnose without moving. See remote technical assistance in augmented reality and reduce the travel of maintenance experts.
Quality control and inspection
The operator compares the part to the model and tolerances, step by step, hands-free. They leave a timestamped record at each check. See quality control in augmented reality.
Logistics and order preparation
Guided picking displays the location and quantity in the preparer's field of vision. They make fewer picking errors, without paper documents to handle.
For the factory variant, with a summary table by case and equipment selection, see augmented reality for industry.
How to deploy augmented reality: frame, prototype, build, deploy
Frame. Choose a specific and measurable task, where information is lacking at the right moment. Define the value indicator and the integration point into the information system.
Prototype. Place the digital markers on a real machine, have the procedure followed by two or three operators, adjust the display upon their return.
Build. Develop the application, model the 3D markers aligned with the machine, wire the connection to the CMMS and the MES.
Deploy. Open the pilot on a line, connect the intervention feedback, train the referents, then extend headset by headset to other stations.
What augmented reality requires
Before choosing an augmented reality solution, gather four conditions.
- Usable business data. Procedures, plans, tolerances, and specifications must exist in structured form. Augmented reality displays them; it does not create them.
- Integration with the information system. The application connects to the CMMS, MES, PLM, or LMS to read the status of a machine and send back an intervention record.
- Equipment suitable for the environment. Headset, glasses, or tablet depending on noise, dust, duration of wear, and ATEX zones.
- Operator adoption. An adopted application assumes an early field test, a referent on site, and a short learning curve. Without a referent or field test, usage drops off after a few weeks.
In the deployments that Myxed supports, the specific business data is the deciding factor, more often than the choice of headset.
Augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality: what’s the difference?
Augmented reality adds digital elements to the real world, without masking it. Virtual reality replaces the real world with a modeled scene. Mixed reality anchors digital content in physical space.
The choice depends on the task: guiding a gesture on a machine calls for augmented reality; training on a rare gesture or repeating a procedure outside of production calls for the virtual reality. See the difference between virtual reality and augmented reality and the definition of mixed reality.
When augmented reality is not the right answer
- The task is already simple and well documented. A laminated sheet at the station does the job.
- Business information does not exist in an exploitable form. It must first be structured.
- The need is to train an operator on a rare gesture outside of production. The virtual reality training places the operator in a simulated scene, without mobilizing the machine.
- The usage volume is too low to make the development profitable.
Measure the effect
The business chooses the indicator with Myxed: intervention time, error rate in control, skill acquisition time, number of expert trips. In the deployments that Myxed supports, the intervention time and the number of calls to an expert are the first to change. You then compare the position over two periods: without the application, then with.
Frequently asked questions
Count a few weeks to prototype a first case and have it tested. An application integrated into the information system and deployed across multiple sites takes several months. The first step is a framing workshop with the business team and the IT department, focused on a single task.
The development of the application represents the main cost, ahead of the hardware. The number of tasks covered and the level of integration into the information system vary the amount. Myxed provides a quantified scope at the end of the framing, before any commitment.
No. A pilot is conducted with a few devices at one site. The fleet deployment comes after the proof of value, with the hardware selected for the position.
Yes for the embedded part: procedures, references, controls. Functions that read the state of a machine or return a trace require a connection to the information system, synchronized as soon as the network returns.
No. Myxed designs and develops the application and remains agnostic about the headset. The model is chosen with you, according to the environment of the position.
Go further
Augmented reality finds its value in a specific task, where useful information is lacking in the right place. It guides an action, ensures a control, transmits expertise from one site to another. It requires specific business data, a connection to the information system, and the buy-in of the operators.
Describe to us the task to be addressed. Myxed frames with you a first use case: a task, an indicator, a point of integration into the information system.
Discover: augmented reality for industry · virtual reality in business · training in virtual reality · the virtual and augmented reality agency for industry · the landscape of use cases in mixed reality
Myxed frames with you a first use case of augmented reality: a task, an indicator, a point of integration into the information system.