A post on the PwC Emerging Technology blog suggests that companies that can provide consumers with in-demand wearables may be able to secure competitive advantage.

The blog article highlights a number of remarkable shifts in consumer attitudes towards wearable technology since the last survey on wearables trends was conducted in 2014, such as:

• Adoption of wearable tech devices has doubled
• Concerns over privacy issues have decreased
• Trust in security has increased
• Consumers are excited about the future of wearable technology as a part of everyday life

The positive shift overall in consumer sentiment has significant implications for wearable technology, from new workplace applications to opportunities for companies to connect better with customers. The spin offs of these positive attitudes towards wearables is that there is a more welcoming attitude within the workplace to wearable technology:

• Almost 8 in 10 people say wearables make them more efficient at work and feel time companies adopted wearables on the job
• 2 in 3 people believe their companies should fund the purchase of wearable tech devices
• 49% of respondents said wearables will increase workplace efficiency
• 37% of respondents expect their company to adopt the latest technology, even if it doesn’t directly influence their work
• Examples such as fitness tracking at work with company reward schemes would be welcomed
• Companies should provide smart watches to help employees test a new app
• 3D smart glasses should be provided to help shop floor workers identify and track inventory to reduce cycle time and improve productivity and performance
• Respondents were excited about applications in the doctor’s office and within banks, mobile providers, cable providers and car producers.

There is still some way to go with trusting wearables that may be provided by companies to consumers. However, consumer excitement has certainly soared. Consumers want something to fit their lifestyles and budgets but are ready to adopt. The report has significant competitive advantage implications for companies that can provide wearables to better communicate with their customers.

Gartner, Inc. has released their Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies 2016 report (see image). This reveals three distinct technology trends set to be the highest priority for rapidly accelerating innovation within the organization. A summary of the three main technology trends for creating experiences to connect with new business ecosystems can be accessed here.

Those three main technology trends are:

• Transparently immersive experiences
• Perceptual smart machine age
• The platform revolution

The report would be of great interest to business strategists, CIOs, R&D leaders, entrepreneurs, global market developers and emerging-technology teams when considering developing their emerging-technology portfolios.

The report distills insights from more than 2,000 technologies into a small collection of emerging technologies and trends to inform strategic planning, and provides competitive advantage across the next five to ten years. Augmented Reality is also predicted to go mainstream during this interval. Further information can be found in the following article which summarizes key takeaways: Gartner Hype Cycle Report on Forbes.

Augmented Reality gets the following mention: “immersive experiences will become more intelligent and contextually aware, enabling greater productivity.” Other technologies enabling transparently immersive experiences include 4D printing, brain-computer interface, human augmentation, volumetric displays, affective computing, connected home, nanotube electronics, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and gesture control devices.

 An article published by Engineering.com covers a cross section of Augmented Reality headsets with a specific focus on the ones that the author believes shows the most promise for engineering applications, particularly in the areas of training, maintenance, visualization and collaboration.

The article explores the different types of devices making use of AR technology: tablet, smartphone, Head Mounted Displays (HMDs), smart glasses, visors, helmets and AR contact lenses. The point is made that the most immersive experiences can only be achieved with the larger displays which is the reason so many devices are large.

The article explores some key terminology such as Field of View (FoV), frame rate refresh rate and virtual retinal display (VRD) before going on to look at the potential uses for engineers of the headsets featured in the article.

Customers and potential customers looking to find out detailed information about what’s currently on the market will find useful technical comparative information in this article.

The DAQRI Smart Helmet is first up, manufactured by AREA member DAQRI. The helmet has its own battery and docking station and weighs only as much as a normal industrial hard hat. The smart helmet varies in price, since its features are custom built. Autodesk, GE and Hyperloop are currently testing the smart helmet in situ. The other headsets featured on the list include Metavisions’ Meta 2 and Microsoft HoloLens, a mixed reality headset or holographic computer.

Features of all the HMDs are explored in detail before the article goes on to provide a cross section comparison of alternate AR headsets, including Google Glass, R-7 Smartglasses, Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses and Moverio Pro BT-2000.

The following information is taken from an article on Newsweek by Anthony Cuthbertson.

A patent has been published in August by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, depicting a device very similar to the original Google Glass. It includes an Augmented Reality lens and camera. In addition, the new version has removable AA batteries, which would not need to be removed for charging.

Google Glass sales stopped in 2015. Limited applications and the invasive head-mounted camera were said to be responsible for its failure. According to Robert Scoble, a notable tech blogger who was one of the first to try Google Glass, this was due to various issues that include:

• Not enough utility to withstand the cost at $1500
• Inadequate camera
• Short battery life
• Small, low-resolution display

Through its “Glass at Work” program, Google has maintained research on the device. The scheme aims to promote its application in the education and healthcare sectors, so this is one for enterprise clients to keep an eye on.

At the AREA we continually sift through industry publications and blogs on the topic of enterprise Augmented Reality. Some news contains product developments as well as historical and background information about AR. Recently, many have focused on Pokémon Go; here is a roundup of articles we thought may interest our readers:

1. On the Metavision blog, an interactive history timeline of AR development is shared.
2. “Enterprise to Drive Augmented Reality Growth,” by Channel News Australia.
3. Prepare for the AR Workplace: The Tech behind Pokemon Go Will Be in Offices Sooner Than You Think.
4. AREA member DAQRI gets a mention in this article about their smart helmet for industrial use.
5. The following article explores how Apple will use technology in the future to secure its long-term growth. Augmented Reality gets a significant mention in its potential to increase iPhone sales. In addition, wearable technology such as smart glasses, which will shape the AR space, will drive further potential for Apple in the future.

A video on the Next Gov website shows how the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Augmented Reality diving helmet can be used to help salvage operations and rescue missions, especially in water that has very poor visibility.

Although the AREA had previously reported this technology, this video is a great visual reminder of how the technology works and is a good introduction for those who had not previously seen the Divers Augmented Vision Display, or DAVD.

The system includes a see-through device that makes use of smart glasses technology. Divers get real time visual display with items such as sonar, text messages, diagrams and photos. The video shows the diver helmet cam showing how poor visibility can make some dives very difficult.

The built-in prototype smart glasses create a transparent heads-up display. Crews on the above the water can send diagrams to assist in salvage and rescue missions. Sonar imaging shows divers their exact position, as well as the location of any missing underwater objectives for which they might be searching.

Advantages of the helmet include increased visibility, decreased amount of time taken to complete the mission and the fact that the advent of smart glasses technology is making devices such as this more affordable.

This is another example of how Augmented Reality is being used in workplace settings, particularly field service, to improve efficiency and outcomes for enterprises and organizations. In-water testing will begin in October 2016.

An interesting article on EE News website uses Pokémon Go as a springboard to look at how Augmented Reality technology is being used in enterprise, specifically in the energy industry.

Examples quoted include:

• Oak Ridge National Laboratory shows in a video how researchers use the same Geographic Information System (GIS) as in Pokémon Go, to assess water and energy demand.
• NextGen Climate is targeting Pokémon hotspots to find new supporters and hosting events with solar-powered charging stations.
• Eric Abbruzzese, a senior analyst at ABI Research is quoted as saying there is a lot of interest in the energy space. Oil and gas companies are making use of Augmented Reality and according to ABI research, the industrial sector is expected to comprise 44% of smart glasses revenue within five years<./li>

Notably, AREA Member Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has been testing similar technology to boost efficiencies in the electricity industry. Detailed information on their work is given in the article and summarized below:

• John Simmins of EPRI, who is leading their augmented reality testing, gives a number of detailed examples of how AR technology can be used for energy savings in the field.
• For example, after a major storm, workers dispatched to assess damage may not have as much expertise as usual line workers. By using a smart helmet or glasses, they can find hard-to-find power lines or transformers. The information can be sent to HQ with voice command, meaning increased speed, reduced outage time and error reduction.
• Other applications include malfunction detection, training and dramatically reducing the need for experts to travel long distances to make repairs and solve problems, when AR technology means this could be done remotely.
• The DAQRI Smart Helmet is mentioned in the article as being particularly useful in the oil and gas industry where workers require both a hard hat and free hands.

There is also a link to an EPRI video demonstrating inspection equipment with a smart helmet, shown below.

Links to the member company profiles can be accessed here: EPRI profile and DAQRI profile.

Commuter rail is a new industry to also be taking advantage of Augmented Reality. The Keolis Commuter Services (KCS) will provide the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) workers with smart glasses in order to aid communications, increase repair speed, and lower disruptions, according to an article on TechnologyReview.com. The start-up company was incorporated in January, and the new technology is set to be released in September 2016.

The software that will be used is called AMA XpertEye, which buys the smart glasses from companies such as Epson and Google, and adds its own operating system onto them. This allows the wearer to hold conversations and video chats from the field with colleagues situated in other locations, for example an office.

Technological features:
• Image annotations can be made
• Screenshots of the video can be taken
• The video can be saved for future replay
• Encrypted connection that can use 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, or Ethernet cable
• Enhances people’s vision via image processing
• Useful for companies in maintenance, monitoring, and training

Benefits to the company of the technology:
• Will help keep more trains in service
• Will save mechanics a 30 minute walk
• KCS would not have to transport trains to the main facility if damage occurred
• Workers could easily fix a problem if they can consult experts (efficient communication)
• Workers will learn more through a visual experience—ease of use and training
• Drivers may be able to make emergency repairs

In addition, there are other uses for AMA XpertEyes’ technology; car manufacturers can oversee auto repairs, security guards and factory managers can survey buildings, and insurance companies can observe property damage. Ultimately, ease of use for existing employees will be the most important factor in the investment decision-making process.