AR assistance Seeing the future: Augmented reality in logistics

Related Vendors

PTC Marketing Parametric Technology GmbH

EXTEND3D GmbH

Audi AG

FAULHABER Drive Systems

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

AR optimizes logistics processes through real-time visual information. With AR glasses or mobile devices, staff receive relevant data on storage locations, inventory, and orders. Where do we stand technically, and how is the potential already being utilized?

Of all the digital technologies that can be significant for Industry 4.0, augmented reality, or AR, is one of the most well-known. This is probably because the technology has become familiar to many people in their personal lives—for example, through head-up displays in cars. Many drivers today do not want to miss the ability to merge information such as texts, images, or three-dimensional animations into their direct field of vision with reality.

And also with regard to the industry, there are numerous potentials for the use of AR. However, to distinguish the actual benefits from promising advertising claims, a realistic view of the current state of development is needed first.

AR has reached the next stage of development

According to Dr. Peter Keitler, Managing Director at Extend 3D – Part of Atlas Copco Group, augmented reality has now reached two major milestones on the path to industrial maturity with new tracking technology and the availability of 3D data.

On the one hand, the traceability of the dynamic movements of the viewer and object has become far more robust in recent years. This now makes it possible, for example, to reliably project assembly data onto moving parts on the assembly line. Additionally, it is now possible to walk around a component with a tablet without having to worry about constant tracking interruptions. On the other hand, the availability of 3D data has evolved. According to experts, traditional 2D design drawings are, for example, on the decline. More and more, it is becoming standard to carry out the complete design of products in a 3D master. Relevant content, such as assembly positions and complex sections, can be fully present without further authoring effort. However, these 3D data require relatively high computing power from the devices. Thanks to increasing internet and WiFi availability on the shop floor, seamless data supply can be better ensured. Moreover, the dynamic visualization of data is becoming increasingly easier despite the powerful computational processes required for this purpose. The complex calculations take place in the cloud. When only the results are streamed to the device, the limitations of low-power AR devices like tablets and glasses are eliminated. The automotive industry has been benefiting from this for several years.

Augmented Reality in the industry

How AR glasses can support businesses

AR supports the establishment of new logistics structures at Audi

At Audi, the planning of complex logistics processes has been carried out using augmented reality since 2020. The technology is used, for example, when setting up new logistics structures in an existing production hall. The underlying software accesses already existing CAD data of various objects, such as shelves, containers, or components. Audi's logistics planners use these digital representations of physical objects as digital twins. The software then visualizes them as a three-dimensional hologram in the AR glasses, which finally projects the digital objects in their original size into the real environment.

According to Audi, this increases speed and ensures efficiency gains. The technology allows experts in Ingolstadt's body construction to plan the system technology for the use of driverless transport systems even before the first AGVs are delivered.

"Previously, we used self-built prototypes of containers and shelves and laboriously glued lines on the floor to illustrate structures and proportions," describes project manager Tobias Brigl of the former approach. "It requires a lot of imagination. Augmented reality is an ideal tool to bridge the gap between the real and virtual world."

Further AR applications in logistics

AR also proves to be a useful tool in navigation. For example, IoT-connected systems by Dematic automatically send alarms to service personnel in case of problems. However, spacious production halls can make it difficult to quickly locate the affected system.

Dematic uses AR-supported indoor navigation here, allowing technicians to find the most efficient and safest route to the faulty asset. Upon arrival, they have access to KPIs, status information, and situation-appropriate service instructions.

The AR software Vuforia Expert Capture from PTC now presents step-by-step instructions to the professional and guides them to the components to be inspected. An integrated step-check function controls the exact execution of each work step with automatic pass/fail information. Should the person on-site still not know what to do despite the instructions, they receive help from an experienced service technician via another software module of the Vuforia AR platform. This technician is involved through AR-based audiovisual communication and can make digital annotations that are projected onto 3D objects in the real world at the appropriate spot. This allows them to remotely guide their colleague through the process. In both cases, the documentation is generated automatically in the background, ensuring that every step is precisely recorded.

And the potential of this information visualization technology seems not yet exhausted. For instance, gesture control, image processing, and special cameras could enable process data to be directly recognized during various machining processes and automatically fed back into digital models.