The world of industry is changing. To survive, companies must be willing to invest in the ongoing automation of traditional industrial practices, using smart technology.

Augmented Reality in industry and AR Remote Support is revolutionizing the way site inspections are carried out. Referred to as the “see-what-I-see” remote collaboration, the AR solution has emerged as the preferred way to have specialized expertise on-site anywhere, anytime.

Whenever a new or complex problem arises, field service technicians can easily connect with experts to get a faster diagnosis and solution. This can decrease repair downtime. Plus, the AR Remote Support solution is cost-effective and it is simple to use. As a result, it can contribute to a more effective and more efficient way of working.

Among our practical, enterprise-focused use cases of Edge Realities are solutions for remote assistance. In this case, PGE Energia Odnawialna was interested in exploring how to improve on the efficiency and accuracy of inspections of their wind turbine and power infrastructure.

The company wanted faster, easier and more precise maintenance solutions. In particular, for operators who carry out vital inspections of equipment, repairs, degradation, faults, and other situations.

There aim was to provide support for their operators at the remote Kisielice Windfarm, PGE wanted to determine to what extent AR technology and the Edge Realities system can streamline maintenance services.

To support operators and optimize operations at the PGE Kisielice Windfarm we implemented Edge Realities.

Next, to substantially increase potential to access our innovative system we equipped PGE’s maintenance services with Vuzix M400 Smart Glasses. Powered by Edge Realities, the AR eyewear can provide operators with real-time guidance and system diagnostic information—when and where they need it.

Augmented Reality Remote Support combines live video streaming, where images and videos are broadcast in real-time, with AR technology. The technology can superimpose a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the physical environment. Indeed, the combination of these two technologies creates a powerful collaborative solution for remote guidance.

Remote support is more efficient than auditory communication. This is because it visually demonstrates an action that enables a worker out-in-the-field to understand and execute the instructions faster.

Our remote support solution can be used for two primary cases: remote troubleshooting and remote inspection. Subsequently, PGE was able to receive numerous highly valuable added values. To help the company close the information loop between contact experts and maintenance operators, our solution provided remote support and maintenance to their offsite assets.

In practice, an operator servicing a wind turbine can send an image or a video from his glasses to headquarters in real-time. The operator can then communicate with headquarters about what to do in each situation, thus bringing expertise and situational awareness to the field.

Remote communication helps an engineer to precisely diagnose a possible failure, mark on the digital picture the symptoms, and provide the service team with specific instructions on how to proceed.

The general benefits of Edge Realities and remote troubleshooting are that our solution not only increases the speed of inspections, but whenever a problem arises PGE’s teams have real-time access to diagnose, communicate, and solve any issue.

Another benefit garnered by the company from our solution was to effectively streamline workflow and enhance efficiency by allowing maintenance operators to complete an inspection card digitally thanks to the AR Checklist feature. The prominent feature of Edge Realities is it’s easy to map and add overlays to complicated, large-scale environments.

This AR features, in collaboration with smart glasses like Vuzix Blade, Vuzix M400, Vuzix M4000, or RealWear, the Edge Realities system allows an operator to fill in a virtual checklist which reduces errors, increases efficiency, and the valuable digital data can be accessed hands-free—no pencil and paper needed.

Operators can easily submit their reports by a simple tap on the touchpad of the eyewear. For more information about the Edge Realities AR Checklist solution, please refer to our AR checklist Case Study.

Overall, the general benefits of Edge Realities and remote inspection are that maintenance inspections are made substantially easier, more precise, and enable faster problem-solving. With greater accuracy, workers can “work smarter”, and it helps the company promote operator safety.

Our solution and AR Remote Support can be deployed across many industries. For instance, communication service providers, utility companies, machinery manufacturing companies, IT companies, retailers, insurance and financial organizations, and many more.

Ultimately, Edge Realities can help create a more holistic and better-connected ecosystem for any industry. We see many sectors being able to benefit from our innovative software.