Scenario 1 Scenario Title
4.4 Idea Generation
Now the way of working of the technicians at the factory of Apollo Vredestein is described with scenarios, concept ideas can be developed. These ideas have a potential for improving the technicians efficiency during their work. First, four ideas are described below. These are based on both the user needs and the information found during the state of the art of this study. Second, these ideas are shortly evaluated. As a result of this evaluation, one idea is chosen to examine in this research.
4.4.1 Augmented Reality Concept Ideas
Training
According to [18] “augmented reality […] has large potential to provide learners with a new type of learning material.” Promising about this technology in the domain of maintenance in industrial context is the necessity for proper education of technicians and the large amount of available documentation in this domain [19]. A product using augmented reality that is training technicians can be designed in three ways:
• A system that recognizes the environment, the equipment and the target machine. While performing a task, the augmented reality device explains what to do next to the technician with text, visual content or speech, and displays virtual objects on the technician’s view in order to clarify the explanation. The virtual objects can be a full “hologram” of an arm or equipment virtually completing the task, or can be clarifying figures like arrows and circles.
• A second way to implement an augmented reality training is described in [18] using a fusion between the traditional explanation on paper, enhanced with additional information. The additional information is then displayed with augmented reality on the paper, and can include small virtual objects in 3D, videos or live information.
• Third, an illusion can be created in which a learning object, like an engine, is floating in front of the technician that can interact with this object by turning and moving it in all directions. In addition, it can be possible that the technician removes parts of the object in order to look at the inside of it.
Part finder
A product helping the technician to find the part of the machine where the technician is looking for can has a positive effect on the efficiency of the technician’s work. Especially for young workers or for workers that are repairing a machine area that is unknown for them such a product can save time.
Task instruction
The experiment described in [3] researched the comparative effectiveness of an augmented reality instruction. This instruction is providing the user with an additional 3D overlay guiding the user what to do step-by-step. The researchers found that this reduced the error rate while performing the task with 82%, concluding that a similar augmented reality instruction could increase users effectivity with large numbers. A task instruction can also help the user in the domain of maintenance, especially when completing complex or infrequent tasks. In addition to a decrease of the error rate, an augmented reality instruction can increase the efficiency of the technicians' work. Other products in the related work that involve task instruction can be divided into three categories:
• The most simple way of using augmented reality in a task instruction product is with textual information. Text can be aligned to the corresponding real world objects, or can be placed statically in the users view. Since such textual information mostly already exists in the domain of machine maintenance in the form of documentation, implementation of this technology will not become expensive or time consuming. Additional to textual information, static images or videos can be displayed to the user.
• A more developed stage of augmented reality is the use of virtual objects like arrows, circles and lines to guide the users attention to the right point and to provide textual information with
clarifying visuals. Since this technology should involve tracking of the users environment, and the software should recognize targets around the user, creation of such a product will become more expensive and time costing.
• Existing augmented reality products mostly involves customized virtual 3D objects that are displayed on top of the real world object. An example of this in the domain of maintenance can be found in the result of Inglobe Technologies’ case study [9], which involves virtual wires in different colors and a virtual tool to attach these wires in order to show the technician how these wires should be attached to the device and what tool should be used. Since this technology requires to design customized 3D objects and tracking of the users environment, such a product will be the most expensive and time consuming option.
Specialistic help
As seen in the examples of Fieldbit’s service [12] and CN2Tech’s product ‘Assist’ [13], another way to include augmented reality in a product is with involving a human being as specialist into the product instead of the software doing all the work. Within such a product, the user having problems with performing a task is able to share its view with a specialist that can be located anywhere else in the world. The specialist uses its deep knowledge about a device, machine or other object to help the user performing the task, preventing making mistakes. In order to make such a product more efficient and effective, the specialist is able to draw virtual objects and text on the view of the user. Since these objects will automatically align with the real world objects in the users environment, it guides the user through the steps more easily than with only information over speech. In addition, since it can reduce the possibility of miscommunications which will increase effectivity. No costs are involved for creating customized 3D models. Although this will safe costs at the development of the software, it should be noticed that constant costs are involved for paying the specialists during the usage of such a product.
4.4.2 Evaluating the Concept Ideas
In order to gain a quick insight in the opportunities for the four technologies, the advantages and disadvantages of each augmented reality solution are given in table 4.4. This evaluation is based on the hypothetical situations that the ideas would be used in the factory of Apollo Vredestein. An overall score is given by the researcher to each technology by outweighing the disadvantages to the advantages. Explanation of these scores are given below the table.
Table 4.4 - Advantages and disadvantages to four augmented reality solutions
Solution Advantages Disadvantaged Score
Training + Learning more efficient & effective
-
Constantly new costs for developing additional training+/-
Part Finder + Increase efficiency of technician’s work
-
Constantly new updates required for new machines-
Mostly necessary for starting technicians-
Task Instruction + Increase efficiency and effectivity of technician’s work
+ Costs and time will be saved for the use of specialists
-
High costs for developing instructions for all machines+
Specialistic Help + Increase efficiency and effectivity of technician’s work
+ It will save the specialist time + After launch of product, only small
updates are required
-
Costs for developing software and specialistsWhen looking to the results displayed in table 4.4, it can be found that a ‘specialistic help’ or ‘task instruction’ potentially are strong tools for Apollo Vredestein. While the maintenance expert tells that communication between the technicians is a topic that asks for improvement, ‘specialistic help’ is expected to be a tool that strengthen this communication. The largest advantage of the ‘specialistic help’ compared to other solutions is that, next to costs for developing software, there are no additional costs for creating content involved. The technicians are creating content themselves, instead of developers creating 3D models and task instructions on forehand. Since the experts are mostly already available within the factory, no additional costs are involved for them too. The advantage of a ‘task instruction’ is the increased efficiency of the technicians, which should be a goal of the concept idea. Disadvantage of the ‘task instruction’ is the costs for creating content, like 3D models and task descriptions. Therefore, the concept idea should include the already existing work documents, so that no 3D models are required. The concept idea should be an extension of the Tip4Support application. Within this application it is possible for technicians to check off tasks that they performed and it is possible to reject tasks that could not be executed for some reason. A concept in which the technicians could visually show other technicians what the reason of rejection is, would be a fitting extension. This is verified with Innovadis. All aspects taken into account, it can be concluded that an augmented reality tool for specialistic help has most potential to successfully be implemented and used in Apollo Vredestein’s factory. Therefore this idea is chosen to be developed further and examined in this research. The next section will describe the product idea in more detail.