Augmented Reality

In recent years, the decreasing cost and improved usability of immersive hardware and software have made extended reality (XR) increasingly attractive for industrial applications. Stand-alone systems with inside-out tracking and camera-based pass-through enable accessible mixed reality (MR) solutions. At the same time, emerging no-code software platforms allow engineers to create XR environments without programming expertise, broadening adoption across production settings. This paper explores key industrial application areas of immersive technologies through selected commercially available XR software solutions for product and process training, spatial instructions and guides, collaborative design review, and assembly and production planning.

The increasing complexity of industrial environments demands new competencies from workers, particularly the ability to interact with advanced digital systems. Traditional training methods often fall short in supporting the effective transfer of applied knowledge to such contexts, and the effectiveness of this transfer, as measured by performance-based outcomes, remains to be investigated. To address this gap, the present study employed a between-subjects experimental design comparing augmented reality- and paper-based instructions within a realistic production training scenario. The results show that participants who learned with augmented reality completed the production process significantly faster and with fewer errors than those using paper instructions. In addition, learners using augmented reality reported higher usability and experienced lower cognitive load during training. These findings suggest that augmented reality can enhance the transfer of practical skills in industrial ...

Companies face a variety of challenges when optimizing global supply chains. Economic interests must be balanced with legal requirements, such as the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (SCDDA) and the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). A digital supply chain twin (DSCT) enables the visualization of value creation networks and supports key business functions, such as purchasing, supply chain management, distribution, service, and sales. By leveraging immersive technologies, the DSCT helps generate sustainable competitive advantages across the entire supply network.

Assistance systems improve work processes, shorten learning times and increase flexibility in the workplace. Human-centered, resilient and sustainable production approaches where user acceptance is of the utmost importance play a crucial role in the digitized Industry 5.0. Two user studies investigate how useful the support of technologies like augmented reality and AI chat actually is. In the context of cognitive assistance systems in intralogistics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality have a great potential and can contribute to an improvement in process performance. The usability of these systems in terms of human-centricity of Industry 5.0 is crucial. This article describes the results and findings of two user studies conducted in the laboratory for intralogistics work processes (picking and packing). The assistance systems used were evaluated using the System Usability Scale.   Cognitive assistance systems in intralogistics Assistance systems make a ...