Digitalization is increasingly penetrating manufacturing. However, in some areas - especially when retooling machines and picking orders - employees often still work with printed lists, print labels in stock to identify materials and then laboriously record all the data in the ERP system. For this reason, the extent to which AR could be used in these areas has been under investigation for several years. However, the technological components required for this, such as micro-displays, controller electronics, 3D cameras and sensors, are only now mature enough to be combined into a new type of human-machine interaction and integrated into the IT landscape of a factory.

Opened Glass@Service demonstrator with interface electronics and processor board.

© Siemens

Against this backdrop, the partners in the Glass@Service project have set themselves a common goal: To use smart data glasses as personalized information systems by combining them with novel interaction options such as eye and gesture control as well as innovative IT services. During the three-year project, there were two main work streams - on the one hand, the software integration into the company's IT systems and, on the other, the development of a corresponding prototype demonstrator.

For use in an industrial environment, the data glasses had to be designed for specific requirements. To this end, a comprehensive requirements analysis was first carried out for the scenarios. Aspects such as robustness, use by trained technicians (but not experts) and reliable operation over a period of more than eight hours within a shift were mentioned here as examples. Furthermore, factors such as weight, temperature development, balance, field of vision shielding, eye tracking, etc. also played a role in this context. Although data glasses already existed and still exist on the market, particularly in the consumer sector, they were not suitable for industrial applications. As already mentioned, the reasons range from unsuitable ergonomics, short runtimes and insufficient viewing angles to issues of data protection and data security.

Keyword IT security: Within the project, a concept was developed for integrating the data glasses and their sensors into the local process IT, taking into account the local information security guidelines. In this context, the keywords user acceptance and personal rights must also be taken into account. After all, AR and wearables must not be used to document work performance. For this reason, the entire project was actively supported by the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which also prepared an expert opinion on data protection. The works council at Siemens, for example, was also informed about the project from the outset and is closely involved in the evaluation of the initial results.

The various use cases

Three specific 'use cases' were ultimately selected for the implementation of the project:

1. order picking in the central warehouse at the Siemens Manufacturing site in Fürth

The use of smart glasses can increase efficiency, particularly in warehouse management. In this specific use case, the focus was on enhanced support for material retrieval. The employees were guided through the picking sequence, supported by information that was displayed directly in the AR glasses or on other mobile devices. This includes, among other things, moving to the correct storage location, removing materials, transferring/acknowledging to subsequent processes and printing labels and tracer labels using a mobile printer. The use of AR glasses in combination with other mobile devices (smart watches, mobile handheld scanners and mobile printers) significantly shortens the throughput times for a wide variety of picking processes, while at the same time increasing efficiency and quality.