In Q3, our teams connected with scores of companies exploring ways to use RealWear’s head-mounted tablet (HMT) to meet safety and efficiency goals by making frontline processes hands-free. This post looks at the leading use cases we’ve seen and which industries have been leading the assisted reality movement.
#1 – Inspections
- A worker conducting an inspection while wearing a RealWear device (Image source: RealWear).
Examples
We’ve seen inspection use cases for processes as diverse as grading drill bits to OSHA inspections on industrial ovens. Inspection processes typically focus on the safety and condition of equipment used at industrial or manufacturing sites.
RealWear becomes valuable where inspections require expert knowledge not available on site, or where inspectors need to use their hands for inspection tasks.
Business impact
- Less expert time required — codifying inspections through RealWear apps allows frontline workers to do more before having to involve experts. Complicated inspection procedures can be broken up into bite-sized chunks with reference diagrams, images or videos available at each step.
- Faster time to complete inspections — customers generally report a 40-60% efficiency gain when using RealWear devices to run through inspection processes that require the use of inspectors’ hands.
- Safer frontline workers — you’ll hear us saying this again: hands-free + head up = freer movements + better situational awareness = safer workers.
Leading Industries
Industries leading the charge to make their inspections digital and hands-free:
- Manufacturing and distribution
- Energy
- Engineering and construction
- Standards bodies
#2 – Training
- A worker going through training steps while wearing a RealWear device (Image source: RealWear).
Examples
We’ve seen two main examples of training use cases:
- Where RealWear devices are used to enable training while executing procedures.
- As an educational tool for standalone training programs.
Example 1 leverages the ability of JourneyApps to intelligently build up procedures based on what needs to be delivered. Workers can then execute steps as they are shown on RealWear devices. Take the example of ordering a pumpkin-spiced latte with oat milk substituted and extra chocolate syrup. An app running on the RealWear device worn by a barista can generate a unique set of steps based on that order which the barista references as they make the order.
Example 2 often uses the 3D model viewing capabilities of JourneyApps. A trainee learning how to disassemble a component would consult their RealWear device to see a 3D model of that component with animations showing how to physically interact with the component at every step of the disassembly process.
Business impact
- Less trainer time required — trainers can cut down on time spent with trainees as apps can guide trainees through the steps required to deliver orders without a trainer having to be present.
- Training processes are faster, offer more flexibility — decoupling training instruction from trainers allows trainees to train when most convenient for them and opens more options to train while executing work as opposed to covering everything before trainees can start work.
Leading Industries
Unsurprisingly, the fast food industry industry has been leading the implementation of smart wearable training apps, the full list of industries we’ve seen pursue RealWear training apps includes:
- Fast food
- Manufacturing and distribution
- Transport
- Utilities
#3 – Guided Work Instructions
Examples
Some of these examples are similar to what we’ve seen in the training space where companies seek to allow frontline workers access to maintenance or operating procedures in a convenient way. RealWear devices are an excellent way to do this for industrial companies: once they’re attached to a hardhat, workers simply have to lower the display arm to access work instructions on the job.
- A worker wearing a RealWear device attached to their hardhat with the display arm folded away (Image source: RealWear).
Business impact
- Better access to work instructions leads to safer operations — as more employees can locate relevant work instructions, compliance is increased. Built-in warnings and validations ensure that the right steps are followed in the right order.
- Faster time to complete jobs — there are two major areas of time reduction here: time taken to find the right procedure through voice commands, and the time taken to complete the procedure when the process is not interrupted by referring to procedures located in three-ring binders or on handheld devices.
- Safer frontline workers — RealWear devices can replace mobile devices or paper. We said we’d say this again: hands-free + head up = freer movements + better situational awareness = safer workers.
Leading Industries
Industries leading the charge to make their procedures digital and hands-free:
- Manufacturing and distribution
- Automotive
- Energy
- Engineering and construction
- Aerospace
There’s a long tail of use cases that companies are looking to address with RealWear® and JourneyApps, stay tuned for more info on these and updates to this post in the coming months.
JourneyApps provides a rapid way to build custom apps for RealWear® HMT, mobile and desktop. Auto voice commands are simple to set up and manage, we provide offline support out of the box, and deploying apps happens with a single click. Comes with prebuilt ERP integrations. If you are interested, please contact us to schedule a demo. You can also visit our RealWear page to learn more and subscribe for notifications about new blog posts.
