Augmented Reality: More Than Fun and Games

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many organizations to reconsider how well-equipped they are to deal with business disruptions that require more remote work. Many enterprises are pursuing Digital Transformation initiatives focused on delivering technology strategies that drive innovation. Enterprise Augmented Reality (AR) offers just that. It provides countless opportunities for companies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their business. 

The real power of AR comes when it complements and supports other technology and business strategies to be part of a larger and holistic strategic technology arsenal to transform specific business areas.A common place for AR to really shine is at the intersection of Collaboration, Remote Assistant, Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), the Internet of Things (IoT) and, often, Service Lifecycle Management solutions.

Companies like Microsoft, Upskill , and Magic Leap  have been developing mixed reality solutions specifically designed for business use cases. Below are a few examples:

• Remote Assistance - an inexperienced field service employee out in the field, with a more experienced worker back at the office. The experienced worker can see what the employee is seeing and can walk that person through the repair process, circling, or pointing to parts as they explain what needs to happen next.
• Visualisation -  a sales person using a smartphone or tablet to show customers what a car might look like with different colors, wheel covers, or furniture with different fabrics. You can project a three dimensional representation of the car or couch using a phone or tablet, and give a more realistic presentation of the different options.
• Modeling - This is often used during the design process for items such as homes and cars. AR can also be used as an aid to early-stage product design and development, giving designers a precise view of product form and function.
• Training - Using AR to train employees or students at any level of education provides an immersive, multisensory experience that's often more effective than traditional methods such as lectures, flashcards and textbooks.

While these are obvious use cases, the range of AR Enterprise Use Cases will likely expand over time. The fact that you can use a common smartphone instead of investing in an expensive headset means you could be using this technology sooner than later. As such, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the value proposition of advanced technologies that may be on the horizon for your clients. 

Augmented reality and mixed reality (a combination of augmented and virtual reality) can be a helpful adjunct. Microsoft HoloLens 2 is an example of a wearable computing solution that is an ergonomic, untethered self-contained holographic device. There’s also the RealWear HMT-1, the world’s first hands-free Android™ tablet class wearable computer for industrial workers. 

While the HoloLens and similar devices, like the HMT-1 have the advantage of allowing employees to work hands-free, the cost of the device could be problematic and hold companies back from adopting this technology. That's where we can help define the business case and technology roadmap by bringing together helping organizations navigate the diverse ecosystem. 

There's not a one-formula-fits-all solution for AR driven digital transformation. Every company has different and diverse needs. INFRASI takes a highly personalized approach with each client to develop a digital transformation strategy that makes sense for their business. We listen and learn about the customer's needs and requirements, simultaneously creating a balance between experience, user-friendly digital products, data-centric architecture and design at a high-security level. Schedule your consultation today.