The news is perhaps more that this is news; that a service like industrial AR for remote inspections is only just, apparently, a part of ta serious-minded enterprise-facing tier-one telco’s service portfolio, but Telefónica Tech has announced just that, partnering with Germany-based remote access and remote control software developer TeamViewer to offer a new augmented reality (AR) facility for field technicians to tap into remote expertise.
A press release says at once that Telefónica Tech, the digital change unit of Spain-based Telefónica, “is developing” and “today announces the launch” of the service in its home market. The AR application works on glasses, phones, tablets, laptops etc. It is “real time”, as per the marketing on all broadband-connected applications. It is being pitched at Industry 4.0 disciplines, nominally manufacturing and logistics.
The service allows remote experts to see what field technicians see on site via a live video call, and provides an AR facility for them to issue AR and non-AR directions on the screen in order to solve the problem, in the form of reference verbal instructions, written instructions, workflows, documents, and diagrams. Telefónica Tech said the service will speed up manufacturing processes by up to 25 percent and reduce errors by up to 50 percent.
As well, it promises to increase productivity, shorten machine downtime, reduce travel costs, and reduce carbon footprint, by all (Telefónica’s and TeamViewer’s) accounts. In logistics, it provides a means to “digitise… order picking processes”. A statement said: “Operators can graphically visualise the instructions to prepare orders (shelf number, location, product images) and be guided through the process.”
The gains for logistics in terms of efficiency and productivity are put at 10 percent and 15 percent respectively; Telefónica Tech is pitching it on an “almost zero error rate” for the order preparation process.
Andrés Escribano, director of new business and Industry 4.0 at Telefónica Tech, said: “Industry needs to implement technological solutions that allow them to obtain real-time responses to minimise machine downtime and the economic impact of downtime. With this new service, based on AR, the sector will be able to optimise its processes, promote constant training between experts and technicians, and contribute to sustainable development.”
