The new incident management with Augmented Reality

The industrial sector is constantly searching for new tools that allow it to be more competitive, generate added value for its customers, eliminate errors and reduce time.

In this sense, remote technical assistance based on Augmented Reality has become the perfect solution for incident management in Industry 4.0, but do we really know all the advantages it can bring?

When faced with a problem with the operation of a machine, the operator must stop his work in order to find a solution to the obstacle. Traditionally, there are several options, but all of them are limited:

The lack of experience of the technicians due to the high turnover of personnel and the lack of a historical record of interventions means not only that the incident is not solved, but also that the work of more operators is paralysed.

The resolution of most technical problems is too complex to be solved by a phone call or an email and without visual support, so even if this option ends up tackling the problem, it does not allow the incident to be solved quickly.

Usually, the existing documentation on technical processes are lengthy manuals that are not easy to interpret. This alternative, therefore, generates a great waste of time and does not ensure that the desired answer is found.

Although a priori we might think that all the existing information is in our hands with just a click, we must bear in mind that experimenting with the machinery, in addition to lengthening the work stoppage, is not safe for the technician. In fact, trial and error can worsen the situation and cause serious consequences.

Augmented Reality, along with streaming technology, allows technicians to connect with qualified experts in real time for efficient incident management. More than just a video call, Augmented Reality optimises communication between users by allowing information to be superimposed on real images, such as drawings, annotations, symbols or graphics.

If even this is not enough, platforms such as ATR allow more experts to be added to the call for collaborative diagnosis and resolution. With an advanced translation system built in, communication can be seamless even between people from different countries.

ATR also stands out for its ability to digitise the knowledge generated during remote assistance through the creation of collaborative reports that allow for the tracking of recurring problems and to have a guide to their resolution at hand.

This tool contributes to achieving the competitiveness objectives of the industrial sector, reducing the knowledge gaps of the company and the delay in decision making by employees.