Our focus at NewForge is helping industries do more with less. And the main tool in our arsenal is Augmented Reality (AR) software and hardware.
AR software is a powerful tool for industries looking to fight back against the ever-growing lack of resources. And while it can be used on almost any smart device, smart glasses are the number one choice for any hands-on industry.
How are smart glasses changing the game?
You’re Hands-Free!
While we love smartphones and tablets for being an easy and convenient way to get information, they’re always going to be hands-on.
Smart glasses introduce an even simpler way of receiving information.
They allow for a screen to sit in your line of view. That combined with voice-activated software means that you’re getting all the benefits of a tablet or phone without ever having to shift your focus.
Instead of stopping what you’re doing to fumble with your phone, you’re hands-free to complete the task at hand.
But what does hands-free mean to me?
Being hands-free brings its own set of benefits, which can be simplified into the 3 S’s:
Safety
When wearing smart glasses correctly, the view screen is used like a rear-view mirror. Users keep their heads up focusing on the task at hand. Only glancing at their view screen to gather the information they need. This keeps a user more aware of their surroundings than other ways of getting information.
Many smart glasses are also designed with the frontline environment in mind. Most devices are built ruggedized and allow users to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) with them.
Simplicity
Smart glasses make things easy and simple for the end user. Instead of fumbling with a printed set of instructions, now their instructions are in their line of view. And vocal commands are used to easily continue through the steps.
A common misconception about new technology is that it’s difficult for new users.
However, the vocal commands of smart glasses prove to be very intuitive. We find that most people get used to wearing a device within an hour or less.
Speed
Enhanced speed is another benefit of using smart glasses. Getting direct instructions in your line of view takes away the guesswork of “What do I do next?” Meaning time is spent more productively.
For example, one of our customers brought their task completion time down by 41% after introducing smart glasses.
Not only is the speed of getting tasks done enhanced but so is the speed of training. Normally, training new employees can take weeks. But with the intuitive learn-by-doing approach smart glasses provides, that time gets cut down exponentially.
Bridging the skills gap!
We all know that resources are dwindling. There’s less time, people, and skills in the world right now. Skilled laborers are retiring at an alarming rate and their years of expert knowledge are going with them.
How can we bridge the skills gap between the person with years of industry knowledge that’s leaving the workplace and the person just starting out?
The answer is smart glasses. Smart glasses allow for the easy transfer of knowledge in an effective way.
When an expert wears a pair, their processes can be recorded and documented, and then used to create instructions that others can follow.
Instead of getting an expert to sit down and write out their processes, they can take pictures, videos, or notes while doing their task. You no longer have to rely on someone’s memory or handwritten notes when creating instructions.
Smart glasses mean more effective training.
Another issue has arisen from the lack of industry resources: training. Many people are left asking: how can you effectively and quickly train with such a high turnover rate?
The solution is, once again, smart glasses. Smart glasses allow your trainers to spend less time devoted to training and give your workforce being trained a more interactive and inclusive learning experience.
Smart glasses uniquely allow for a guided learn-by-doing approach. The hands-free nature means that people can do a task while, at the same time, being taken through step-by-step instructions.
Instead of helping one person at a time, trainers can remotely monitor all the people they’re training at the same time. Then give extra help where it’s needed. Trainers can use their time more effectively.
What also makes training with smart glasses unique is the digital nature of the instructions. Digital workflows are more interactive and inclusive than other training options.
Voice control and interactive workflow elements, like checklists, keep users engaged in their tasks. Thanks to their digital nature, workflows can also be quickly changed and customized. For example, if your workforce mostly speaks Spanish, a digital workflow can easily be translated to accommodate your needs.
Introducing a whole new world of maintenance
Maintenance has become a struggle for many industries. There are fewer people with expert knowledge to help when things go wrong.
Not only that, but maintenance is a hassle. Having to get vendors to travel to you, waiting on parts, or being put on a waitlist all means wasted time and lost money.
But smart glasses allow for a new approach to maintenance. They let expert help be there without physically being there.
For example, if you have a robot arm go down mid-shift, a worker can put on a pair of smart glasses and use them to call your vendor in a different country. The vendor can see what the worker sees through the camera and give remote help right away.
No more waiting around or paying extreme fees to get someone to travel to you.
Traditional video calls on smartphones and tablets can have a similar effect; however, they aren’t specialized to the industry like many smart glasses and their software are.
Many times, when getting help over a video call, you have to set down whatever device you’re taking the call on to fix the issue. The other person on the line can no longer see what you’re doing thus defeating the whole point of having a video call.
But when you’re hands-free taking the call, that never happens. The person on the other line can watch what you’re doing the entire time.
However, getting help over a traditional video call can still be hard. You get a lot of “Wait, what?”, “It’s too dark”, and “Where?”
Specialized software, designed for smart glasses with the frontline in mind, has taken away all those typical issues you get.
Our software, NewForge Knowledge Place, gives you valuable tools for calls. Like the ability to remotely turn on the flashlight of the device, give a hazard warning, and take screenshots of what the camera sees. Frontline lets you make annotations on the screen, so the other party sees what’s most important. With software like this, you can also pull up schematics, manuals, and PDFs. Making, “What are you talking about?” A question of the past.
Smart glasses and their specialized software provide clarity to maintenance in ways other video calls just can’t. Experts can provide direct help at any time from anywhere, saving you time and money.
Why Smart glasses?
So, when we get asked, “Why smart glasses?” We could give you an exhaustive list of the benefits they’re bringing to the table. But the short answer is they bring clarity, speed, and directness to industries in dire need of it, helping to solve an ever-growing lack of time, people, and skills. (And save you money, on top of that.)