Earlier this year, Westbase.io added Vuzix’ leading Assisted and Augmented Reality solutions to our portfolio. Now we take a look at some of the key use cases and applications we’re seeing for this exciting technology.

Organisations are actively reviewing Extended Reality (XR) technologies and how they can improve their operations, communications and education. In fact, spending in the commercial sector is expected to surpass consumer AR/VR spending with a forecasted CAGR of 93.4% between 2021 and 2025.

Key adoption industries (according to McKinsey research) include manufacturing, healthcare, retail, education, construction and transportation/logistics – essentially, those industries which have a higher proportion of deskless workers who need to keep their heads’ up and hands’ free, while still accessing information and support.

With a diverse portfolio of Assisted and Augmented Reality smart glasses, the Vuzix range offers lightweight form factors which suit a range of industries, environments and other requirements:

And with many software applications already compatible with Vuzix devices, organisations can create an XR platform that directly meets their core needs.

Remote support, also referred to as “see-what-I-see”, enables frontline workers to conduct a two-way video call with a remote colleague using Vuzix’ onboard camera and microphones to share what they are seeing and hearing. The remote colleague can then offer guidance and provide instruction where needed, even annotating the frontline worker’s view to help. This offers many benefits such as improved first time fix rate and accuracy, as well as reduced time to resolution and associated costs of downtime. It can also be used to support trainees or students, enabling them to get into the field sooner while still being able to access their mentors if and when needed.

Document viewer enables workers to access documentation they need to support them, while keeping their hands free to continue with the task at hand. This could be an instruction manual, training video or technical diagram for example. By digitising resources and making them more accessible while still working, accuracy and productivity can both be improved.

Workflows or SOPs can be digitised, with many software applications supporting this on Vuzix AR glasses. Providing step-by-step instructions while keeping the worker’s hands free, digital workflows can also help to drive accuracy and productivity. Additionally, organisations can improve compliance by forcing workers to capture evidence that certain steps have been followed as expected, for example by capturing photographic or video proof.

Telemedicine is similar to remote support but focused on healthcare applications such as remote GP, specialist, and surgical requirements. Being able to disseminate knowledge quickly and broadly by sharing a first-person view of a new procedure or technique, for example, is immensely valuable to ensuring best patient care is available to all. Similarly, student or junior doctors can observe practitioners without needing to be physically present – allowing more individuals to observe remotely than you could accommodate in-person. Furthermore, when a consult is required, specialists no longer have to travel to help with diagnoses or treatment recommendations as they can observe the patient remotely via the in-situ doctor.

While applications per industry are diverse and wide reaching, the above summarises key use cases which we consistently see. To find out more, you can browse our “XR for Industry” web page which provides more specific information by vertical.

Part of a NetCloud Mobile or IoT Package, the solution provides connectivity, network, security, location and IoT services to connect everything in the vehicle or IoT deployment. It also provides remote access for IT teams to monitor, manage and troubleshoot devices. Key features include:

• CAT 7 LTE modem
• IP64 ruggedised metal casing
• 2x GigE, 1x USB, 1x 4-pin GPIO plus RP-SMA BLE connector for additional extensibility
• WiFi 6 (2×2 MU-MIMO)
• IoT package comes with AC power supply and antennas included