A recent article by Karl Guttag discusses waveguides, which are optical devices involved in the components in devices such as the Microsoft HoloLens. Light enters the thin piece of glass, projecting a small image on one side of it; using total internal reflection inside the piece of glass, the image exits in a different place.

The article discusses a major disadvantage of waveguides; the light that enters the glass has to be at 45 degrees, then at 45 degrees again when it leaves. This means that the image is often of a worse quality, as not all of the light makes the correct turns. ‘Waveguide glow’, as Karl Guttag calls it, is another issue that can occur, which causes a glow around high contrast objects or text.

The conclusions made by the article are:

• The waveguide did not significantly decrease the size of the HoloLens
• Waveguides worsen the image quality compared to simpler combiner designs
• HoloLens’ use of waveguide restricted them to only using certain display devices that are compatible; they are unable to use OLED or tech which emits a broader spectrum of light
• Even if the device was smaller, getting more SDKs in developers is important sooner rather than later

Readers can read the full article here.

Readers may be interested in a perspective article on High Tech Forum about Augmented Reality in Business.

The article draws on other articles and includes historical information about user interfaces, and moves onto AR interaction and how AR technology can relieve constraints, representing the first real change in the way information age people interact with their information infrastructure.

The article moves onto discuss how AR is being used in the enterprise, mentioning industries such as agriculture and aviation. AREA members Boeing and DAQRI are mentioned.

Topics discussed in the article are:

• The use of holograms in AR
• Networked holograms
• Creating holographic content
• AR communications infrastructure

The article can be read in full here.

Worth a read is a section on Augmented Reality on the Wall Street Journal’s Morning Download, December 13 2016.

The article mentions AGCO Corp, manufacturer of agricultural equipment, whose factory workers are equipped with AR glasses to improve logging of quality checks (use of the wearables made the checks 20% faster).  The firm has plans to use AR technology headsets to guide workers through welding 30-foot booms to chemical sprayers.

The summary draws upon another article, written by Sara Castellanos, which can be read here (for subscribers to WSJ) which sets out research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology predicting that AR has the potential to transform the way workers interact with large amounts of data, specifically in the supply chain.

Context is provided for the global 3-D imaging market, which includes holograms.  The market is expected to grow from $4.9 billion in 2015 to $16.6 billion by 2020 (Markets and Markets Research, India).

Lockheed Martin Joins Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance Board

Lockheed Martin Brings Industry Expertise to AREA Board of Directors to Help Build Augmented Reality Ecosystem and Best Practices

WAKEFIELD, Mass., USA – December 13, 2016 — The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) announced today that Lockheed Martin has joined AREA at the Sponsor level and accepted a seat on its Board of Directors.  According to AREA Executive Director Mark Sage, Lockheed Martin, along with other AREA Enterprise members Bosch, Boeing, Huawei, and Newport News Shipbuilding and many others, have pledged support to drive ecosystem development and best practices for Augmented Reality (AR).

With over 30 members, the AREA is the only global membership funded alliance, helping to accelerate the adoption of Enterprise AR by creating a comprehensive ecosystem for enterprises, providers, and non-commercial institutes.  It supports innovative companies, aspiring to invest in AR who need a better understanding of the tools available, application possibilities, methods of implementation and return on investment.

The AREA provides a free and open exchange of best practices, lessons learned, and technological insights which can help enterprises effectively implement AR technology, boost operational efficiency and create long term benefit.

“Lockheed Martin is another strong and significant addition to the AREA Board of Directors,” said Sage. “They bring long experience with and a keen understanding of the tools, applications, and implementations of AR in the enterprise.  Their collaboration with AREA members in defining this emerging industry through research, networking, education and best practice is a welcome addition.”

The AREA’s membership benefits include access to high-quality, vendor-neutral content and participation in various programs, a research framework to address key challenges shared by all members, discounts for fee-based events, and more. Sponsor members have a direct role in shaping the rapidly expanding AR industry and demonstrate their companies’ leadership and commitment to improving workplace performance.

About the AREA

The Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA) the AREA is the only global membership funded alliance, helping to accelerate the adoption of Enterprise AR by creating a comprehensive ecosystem. The organization provides high-quality, vendor-neutral content and programs. Discover the benefits of joining the AREA by visiting our membership information page.

A recent article on Tech Vibes addresses that, despite an increase in the awareness of Augmented Reality technology this year, adoption rates are still low for the enterprises. The information presented in the article is from a new study by ISACA, global business technology and cybersecurity association.
Significant points from the study include:

• In North America, 15% of IT professionals believe that the benefits of AR outweigh the risks
• AR leads to: better collaboration, increased efficiency, better marketing, and new business models / offerings
• The main issues with adopting AR are: insufficient ROI, insufficient budget, security concerns, and lack of skills / knowledge
• 38% of companies have no plans to utilise AR within a year
• 69% of US respondents believe that using AR in workplace training could make their jobs easier to do, and 69% also believe training guides using AR could be useful in everyday life
• Christos Dimitriadis, Ph.D, chair of ISACA’s Board of Directors, is quoted to have said that enterprises should apply sound measures around security and risk management so that they can focus on the benefits of AR and other advanced technology

The AREA can help with the integration of AR in the enterprise by providing companies with the support they need to assess, plan, and manage their AR projects. See our membership page for more information or browse our website for the wealth of free information and resources available.

Last week, MS Power User posted an article discussing General Electric’s use of the Microsoft Hololens, which was announced at the recent 2016 GE Minds and Machines conference. The technology is being used to help the company service equipment which is malfunctioning, for example, industrial steam turbines.

GE uses a technology device called “digital twins”; these are virtual duplications of machines, but with an added data overlay including information such as potential parts breakdowns. These can use operational data to determine which parts require a service. Consumers can address the digital twin by asking it questions about potential issues, and it will reply with answers.

The vice president of GE Software Research, Colin Parris, has said that the Hololens has a wide range of applications such as factory design, and can also help to train workers to repair and assemble parts without physically being on the plant floor.

Two recent articles on SAT Press Releases discuss two different research reports involving analysis of the smart glass market and the wearable technology market respectively.
‘Smart Glass Market for Construction, Mining, and Other Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015 – 2021’ was released by Zion Market Research, which includes:

• In 2015, the global demand for the smart glass market was valued at $2.1 billion. This is expected to increase to $6.56 billion by 2021, and grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 19% from 2016 to 2021.
• Drivers for the market include: increased demand for energy efficient and eco-friendly products, government support, and large investment for innovative products in the automobile industry.
• Challenges of the market include: limited commercialisation and inadequate awareness.
• Smart glasses reduce maintenance cost and cost efficiency.
• North America is the largest market in terms of smart glass production and consumption, although is it predicted that Europe will have significant growth from 2016 to 2021. China also has high growth due to advanced tech and government support.

‘Wearable Technology Market – Top Players (Medtronic, Adidas, Nike, Abbott, Eurotech, Sony, Suunto, Google); Worldwide Scenario, Trends, Manufacturing Future Estimate 2024’ was released by Transparency Market Research, which includes:

• In 2012, the global wearable technology market was worth $750 million. This is expected to reach $5.8 billion by 2018, making a compound annual growth rate of 40.8%.
• The market is categorised into: fitness and wellness, the infotainment sector, the healthcare and medical sector, and the industrial and military category, all of which are further subcategorised.
• In 2012, the medical and healthcare sector had a 35.1% share of the market.
• The healthcare sector was the largest user of wearables, followed by fitness and wellness.
• North America is the leading region due to tech awareness, affluence, and health-consciousness in the population; it is predicted to have a 43% share by 2019.

Recently, some new market reports have been released concerning Augmented Reality and Smart Glasses markets. Three have been rounded up here:

The first report was by Zion Market Research, which included:

• Augmented Reality (Sensor, Display and Software) Market for Aerospace & Defense, Industrial, Consumer, Commercial, E-Commerce, Retail and Other Applications: Global Industry Perspective, Comprehensive Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Segment, Trends and Forecast, 2015 – 2021’
• In 2015, global demand for the AR market was valued at approximately $3.33 billion
• It is predicted that the AR market global demand will reach around $133.78 billion in 2021
• This means the global demand for the AR market will increase at a compound annual growth rate of over 85.2% from 2016 to 2021

The second report was by Future Market Insights, which included:

• ‘Smart Glass Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2015-2025’
• The global smart glasses market is expected to grow significantly up to 2025
• Driving factors for the market include: increased adoption of ‘green’ initiatives (e.g. eco-friendly buildings), and increased demand for smart tech in the automobile and aviation industries

The third report was by 360 Market Updates, which included:

• ‘Global Smart Glasses Market 2016 – 2020’
• The smart glasses market is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 19.88% from 2016 to 2020
• Market drivers include: increased awareness of AR tech, increased developer interest, and proliferation of AR mobile applications

A recent article on Consumer Electronics Net discusses the Augmented Reality Market Analysis to 2024 report by Grand View Research that has been released.
Significant points from the report include:

• The global AR market is predicted to reach $100.24 billion by 2024
• The hardware segment is expected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 90% by 2024
• The software segment is expected to increase at a CAGR of more than 55% from 2016 to 2024
• The head-mounted display segment is predicted to increase at a CAGR of almost 70% from 2016 to 2024, dominating the market
• It is anticipated that smart glasses adoption by consumers will significantly increase
• The automotive segment is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 70% by 2024
• In the automotive sector, virtual technology is being utilised more and more due to increased model and equipment variants in design and development of vehicles
• Volkswagen have used AR to save time and cost in product development; virtual data is overlaid onto design models so that components can be analysed

The AR market in Asia Pacific is predicted to reach more than $44.30 billion by 2024, and China is expected to drive regional growth due to increased AR devices and mobile apps adoption.

Engineering firm Costain has announcement that they will be using Augmented Reality to assess radioactive pipelines. EDF Energy has chosen the company to participate in an innovation project, which involves building a miniature infrared pipe camera which uses AR to check for damage.

The technology was developed as part of a challenge from EDF and Innovate UK, sponsored by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. It was designed to detect cracks in pipelines that are over 40 years old; images of the pipes are overlaid using AR to give an indication of the extent of damage.

The EDF account manager at Costain, Loretta Brown, is quoted to have said that merging technology with innovation in the energy industry will increase efficiency and reduce costs. It is thought that millions will be saved. The nuclear business development director at Costain, Tony Davies, is also quoted to have said that the technology will have a long-term impact on EDF.

A summary of this announcement can be read on Energy Voice.