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).

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

Earlier this week, an article on IoT Agenda focuses on how Augmented Reality technology is being utilized in areas of the enterprise such as maintenance, field service, and marketing.
Significant points mentioned in the article include:

• AR technology provides essential information to workers that improves productivity, delivers optimal maintenance, and streamlines customer interactions
• The increase of AR is mostly due to the rise of smartphones, smart sensors, and improved 3D graphics
• According to Digi-Capital, ARVR revenues is expected to reach $120 billion by 2020, $90 billion of which will come from AR applications
• A PWC report has claimed that AR is on the increase due to field workers requiring hands-free devices that provide information such as instructions, charts, schematics, lists, etc., which enables them to diagnose problems and repair equipment remotely
• Currently, the main use of AR applications is in marketing
• Jay Wright, the president and general manager at Vuforia, is quoted to have said that AR is a valuable selling tool for both industrial and consumer products
• However, AR applications are also very useful for training and maintenance in the enterprise
• AR can provide real-time data, instructions, and blueprints on the plant floor; this enables workers to address downtime issues
• AR devices also allow remote communication between engineers and plant floor workers
• AR improves efficiency and makes a safer environment for warehouse workers
• The technology can direct workers to the correct location, and facilitate packing and shipping
• Lisa Woodley, vice president of experience design at NTT Data, has said that AR can also potentially be used for quality and inspection

A recent article on SearchCIO discusses how Augmented and Virtual Reality devices are transforming the workplace and production.
Important points in the article include:

• Black and Veatch have begun using Microsoft HoloLens to view data on the infrastructure being analysed, and have identified various potential uses for the technology
• ARVR technology is expected to drive productivity and improve quality to bring significant ROIs to companies
• In the manufacturing industry, AR tech provides workers with information and instructions that is layered onto the physical workspace, so they device is hands-free
• Engineering and construction companies also use AR in a similar way; it also enables remote expertise as professionals can remotely guide employees
• International Data Corp. have predicted that ARVR worldwide revenues will increase by at least $156.8 billion from 2016 to 2020
• AR is currently more applicable than VR
• Forrester Research has also predicted that AR tech will become commonplace in the next five years
• Accenture Digital have designed and built an AR application that allows consumers to choose different colours for a car using a tablet and view it in the physical space before them
• Ford Motor Co. has been working with ARVR tech since 1999, which it uses to solve ergonomic issues and review engineering and design specs
• Companies can work with different tech organisations for software and hardware relevant to ARVR applications
• IT departments still need to develop content to feed into ARVR systems and create integration
• Black and Veatch found that using mobile version of applications is better in an AR environment because the content is designed for smaller screens
• As ARVR enterprise tools are merging with other new tech such as artificial intelligence, more specialist skills will be required

A blog on forbes.com has stated that the future of work will dramatically change due to new technologies, one of which is Augmented Reality. Writer Maribel Lopez explains how in her research where she asks companies which technologies they are evaluating, and what new workplace experiences they are exploring, last year, most companies considered AR as a consumer gaming technology. Today, according to Lopez, companies are investigating AR as a way to make data more accessible and easier to understand; Augmented Reality in the workplace has the potential to deliver collaboration improvements and make hands-free data access easier.

A multitude of organizations and roles may trial and implement AR into the workplace, the article says, from knowledge workers viewing digital dashboards to a factory manager having equipment health displayed via a digital overlay.

Leaders are experiencing the benefits of Augmented Reality in the workplace and to improve product designs. Two enterprise examples quoted in the article are:

• Elevator manufacturer ThysenKrupp is using Microsoft’s HoloLens so that technicians can visualize the elevator repair before arriving on site. When the technician reaches the site, they can use AR to view repair guides and digital overlays of manuals while fixing the elevator.
• Augmented Reality is used by Bechtel via tablets to advance construction by replacing paper documents. It also lets engineers visualize walls and other items onsite.

There have been many reports this week that Apple is combining their iPhone’s camera app with Augmented Reality technology. (For example, on Business Insider).

Apple wants the addition of AR into the iPhone’s camera software to enable consumers to point their phones at a real-world object and have the iPhone recognize it. Another potential feature to be implemented with the use of AR within the camera app could be recognition and manipulation of people’s faces; in the most recent version of its iOS software, Apple incorporated facial recognition technology into the photos app.

Employees from Metaio and Flyby Media, AR technology companies acquired by Apple over recent years, are working in Apple’s camera group. When the Augmented Reality features are built into the iPhone camera app, the technology will be released by Apple as an SDK for app developers; the same way the Touch ID fingerprint sensor was released.

According to sources, Apple is working on a pair of smart glasses in order to pair them to an iPhone, and have employed John Border, previously Chief Engineer at Osterhout Design Group. The Business Insider article claims that Border is potentially moving Apple’s smart glasses project out of the exploration labs and into a more advanced stage.

Israeli Augmented Reality company Infinity AR is raising an $18 million round of finance, reports e27. This will bring the company’s valuation up to US $60 million. Investment is said to come from Alibaba and Sun Corporation. The post also reports that Infinity AR has left the public market.

Working in the field of AR, Infinity is developing an SDK to help incorporate virtual images over physical objects with uses in training and remote assistance.