Hitachi’s XR Smart Glasses have been developed for remote site support
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., HMS Co., Ltd. and Holo-Light GmbH have developed new-look XR smart glasses that will be exhibited at the bauma exhibition in Munich.
The watertight and dustproof smart glasses have been developed for technicians to receive remote support from their service desk with a visual aid, using XR technology that enables the combination of real and virtual spaces.
Hitachi says the aim of the smart glasses is to help streamline inspection, repair and other related work. With technicians usually using multiple data sources – such as status reports, service manuals and parts catalogues – on smartphones and tablets it can be difficult to operate mobile devices with their hands full or view multiple data sources when out in the field.
The XR smart glasses has been developed in a collaboration between Hitachi Construction Machinery, which provided the industry expertise, HMS, which developed the product based on the needs of the construction and mining sectors, and Hololight, which provided the technology for streaming large amounts of data. The three companies will continue to work together to enhance remote support functions and other solutions.
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The smart glasses have been awarded an IP65 rating – meaning that they are watertight and dustproof – and created with a robust design for use by technicians at construction sites and mines in all weathers. In addition, they can be attached to a safety helmet and utilise the XR streaming technology to overlay multiple screens on to the surrounding area – making it possible to operate with physical buttons and finger movements.
The footage from the camera on the glasses also enhances the speed and quality of online support available from the service desk in the form of advice, documents and data, Hitachi says.
“We are delighted to be working closely with two of the leading companies in the smart glasses and streaming technology sectors,” Hitachi Construction Machinery executive officer and president of spare parts & service business unit Hiroshi Hosokawa says.
“Our construction and mining machinery is in operation all over the world, and we are constantly developing innovations to support the reliability and efficiency of our excavators, wheel loaders and rigid dump trucks.”
HMS founder and CEO Dr. Hu Zhencheng adds: “Through the collaboration with Hitachi Construction Machinery and Hololight, we will be able to leverage our AR technology and device development capabilities to strongly promote the digital transformation of construction machinery maintenance.
“We are proud of the high accuracy and ease of use of our AR glasses, and we believe that their practicality has been further enhanced by deployment at construction and mining sites. In addition, we intend to further enhance the practicality of AR and XR, and accelerate digital transformation at these locations.”
