Augmented Reality (AR) has arrived in the workplace: for the last three years, a consortium of six companies and institutions chaired by Siemens has been researching the use of augmented reality (AR) in industry. The aim of the project – known as Glass@Service – was to be able to use intelligent data glasses as personalised information systems by combining them with new types of interactions, such as eye and gesture control, and innovative IT services. The first practical tests in actual production and logistics processes have now been successfully completed.
Digitalisation is increasingly making its presence felt in manufacturing. In some areas, primarily when retooling machines and picking orders, employees are often still working with printouts, printing stocks of labels for marking material, and laboriously recording all the data in the inventory control system at the end of the process. Investigations have therefore been in place for several years now to assess the extent to which AR could be used in these areas. However, it is only now that the technological components required for this, such as micro-displays, controller electronics, 3D cameras, and sensors, have become sufficiently sophisticated that they can be combined to form an innovative human/machine interface and be integrated into the IT landscape of a manufacturing plant. “Siemens wanted to play an active role in shaping this change to the workplace right from the start,” explains Frank-Peter Schiefelbein from Siemens Corporate Technology, the Siemens arm of the Glass@Service project.
The practical tests took place in the Siemens Electronics Factory in Amberg and at the Fürth manufacturing site. The AR system’s software had to be specially adapted to the demands of each site. In logistics, the primary concern is to provide employees with warehouse orientation aids in the form of wearable devices and to identify, mark, and process the products online without error in the inventory control system. When retooling or maintaining machines, the data glasses can provide invaluable assistance by showing each work step on the display and supporting the employee as he operates the machines. Eye movements are captured with an eye-tracking camera. It is therefore possible to interact with the system through specific control of the line of sight and, for example, to scroll through a data sheet or activate virtual buttons.
How to navigate the high-stakes economics of AI infrastructure
IT in Manufacturing
Nearly 60% of data centre operators are expected to adopt liquid cooling within five years as AI workloads drive demand for higher rack densities. Understanding the full financial picture of liquid cooling, from capital investment to long-term operational savings, is now essential.
Read more...Sinamics G210X for advanced pump, fan and compressor applications Siemens South Africa
Motion Control & Drives
Siemens has introduced the Sinamics G210X, a frequency converter for pump, fan and compressor applications combining easy engineering, IP55 protection and integrated S2 system redundancy for reliable operation in demanding infrastructure environments.
Read more...Protecting the digital mine RJ Connect
IT in Manufacturing
As mining becomes increasingly connected and automated, cyber threats are emerging alongside the benefits of digitalisation. RJ Connect and provides rugged networking, edge computing and cybersecurity technologies from MOXA to help protect critical mining operations from evolving attacks.
Read more...Predictive maintenance is the critical enabler for AI data centre liquid cooling systems
IT in Manufacturing
As liquid cooling becomes essential for AI data centres, predictive and condition-based maintenance are emerging as critical enablers of thermal stability. Schneider Electric argues that the infrastructure is already generating the data needed and the question is whether operators are equipped to use it.
Read more...Siemens software scales with Simple Energy EV development Siemens South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
: Simple Energy, an Indian electric two-wheeler manufacturer, has expanded its use of Siemens Xcelerator software to manage complex vehicle variants and enterprise-level bills of materials, accelerating product development as its EV portfolio scales.
Read more...ESG as a growth lever RS South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Leading organisations are treating ESG not as a compliance obligation but as a practical tool for operational efficiency, supply chain resilience and business performance, with data and collaboration central to unlocking its value.
Read more...Preparing Africa’s data centres for the demands of autonomous AI Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Africa’s data centre infrastructure must evolve significantly to support agentic AI workloads, with GPU-intensive computing, advanced cooling and reliable power demanding a fundamentally different approach to facility design and investment.
Read more...Virtualising the control room to reshape building management systems Schneider Electric South Africa
IT in Manufacturing
Schneider Electric explains how virtualising building management systems frees facilities teams from ageing hardware, delivers stronger cybersecurity and enables portfolio-wide control from a single interface.
While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, the publisher and its agents cannot be held responsible for any errors contained, or any loss incurred as a result. Articles published do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. The editor reserves the right to alter or cut copy. Articles submitted are deemed to have been cleared for publication. Advertisements and company contact details are published as provided by the advertiser. Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd cannot be held responsible for the accuracy or veracity of supplied material.
printer friendly version