Mr. Uhl, Visor-Ex 01 are the first intrinsically safe smart glasses of their kind to be certified in accordance with ATEX and IECEx. What technical developments were necessary for this?

Christian Uhl: Although there were already ATEX/IECEX-certified smart glasses before, we completely rethought the concept of smart glasses with the Visor-Ex and created a lightweight smart glass weighing just 180 g by combining a smartphone as the computing and radio unit with the smart glasses. For the first time, the smartphone also enables the Smart Glasses to be connected to the mobile network in potentially explosive areas, thus ensuring better coverage. The smartphone as such can of course also be used separately. The competitor's product combines all components such as the battery, radio and computing unit on the head.

During the development process itself, we worked closely with our cooperation partner Iristick, who already had extensive expertise in industrially used smart glasses. In the next step, our task was to transfer the complex technology to use in harsh environments and to further develop it for the requirements in explosion-protected areas. In other words, we had to ensure the intrinsic safety of the device without having to compromise on the performance of the smart glasses, without increasing the weight of the device or affecting the form factor.

What specific requirements had to be met in detail?

First of all, the relevant requirements in accordance with directives such as ATEX or IECEx had to be met. The biggest challenge here was to ensure intrinsic safety while maintaining high performance and low weight. We achieved this by outsourcing the battery to a pocket unit. Furthermore, the Smart Glasses were designed as a peripheral device for our 'Smart-Ex 02' smartphone, which enabled us to implement full 2G, 3G and 4G functionality without time-consuming and costly radio approvals. At the same time, the smart glasses will be compatible with future generations of our Smart-Ex range. This secures our customers' investment and will also enable 5G applications in the future.

What is the general acceptance of smart glasses among employees?

Smart glasses are a completely new technology in industrial use - for example in the assembly, maintenance or repair of systems or machines. We have worked intensively and in tests with pilot customers to find out what inhibitions and reservations users might have - but ultimately we are convinced that enthusiasm is quickly awakened once mobile workers experience the benefits in daily use: they have their hands free and the display, which they can operate using voice control or the smartphone display, right in front of their eyes. As with any new work tool, it will of course be necessary to change the way you work. But once you get used to it and have the support of an expert at any time, you won't want to do without the new tool.

What does the market for smart glasses look like overall at the moment?

From our perspective, the market for digital devices such as smart glasses is growing continuously. For various reasons: Firstly, users achieve cost savings on several levels with the help of smart glasses - errors or malfunctions can be rectified more quickly, which increases productivity. In addition, travel expenses can be minimized, as remote support means that an expert is always virtually on site or can be called on site.

Secondly, smart glasses technology as a whole is being further promoted by various other solutions and applications, such as remote assistance and virtual and augmented reality. Smart glasses are therefore increasingly becoming a kind of digital tool. More and more companies are relying on them for maintenance and support, but also for plant operation - not least because the availability of a suitable expert can no longer be guaranteed everywhere - and less and less as the generation change progresses. And let's not forget that the coronavirus pandemic has also significantly increased the demand for remote solutions.