Augmented Reality is being used today in many fields, including the power and utility sector. Currently, the utility industry is overburdened with work that puts unnecessary stress on engineers. The risk involved with their work is also very high.
Let's say, for instance, that companies are required to send technicians to the site to install wiring. When they get stuck, they refer to paper instructions. The task is then extended.
To transform and innovate this industry, the industries looked for new ways of doing things. One of the most renowned renewable industries experimented with using augmented Reality.
The AR smart glasses were given to 50% of the team for the installation, while the other 50% used the traditional method. The result was shocking. This group of smart glasses-equipped AR users completes the task two times faster, with greater accuracy, and with fewer errors. Interesting, isn't it?
Applications of Augmented Reality to Energy and Utility
The technology of augmented Reality (AR), which combines digital information with the real world, is cutting-edge.
To improve the workflow and create a more efficient work environment, AR technology has been used in many operations. When used properly, this technology can have a positive impact on the energy and utilities sectors.
The energy and utility industries deal with a growing amount of information. Augmented Reality can assist them in gathering, understanding, and evaluating this data. It ensures that the internal operations of their companies are well-run.
Energy and Utility Uses for AR Cases
The use of augmented reality in energy and utility can simplify, automate and enhance various processes. These are just some of the ways that AR can be used to increase efficiency in energy and utilities:
Workers Training
Energy and utility companies are concerned that they could soon be without specialists. The newcomers do not have the technical knowledge and education to be able to take over this position.
It leads to financial losses and lower productivity. This also limits business growth. Here comes advanced technology, such as augmented Reality. It can be a lifesaver.
Organizations often hold training sessions on-site. It is a common practice for organizations to conduct on-site training. This is made more difficult by the shortage of labor.
The sessions take time and distract the professionals. AR is a very efficient tool for training, and it improves learning. Professional engineers can provide real-time immersive training with AR, and there is no need for on-site visits.
Workers in the energy and utilities sector can also learn to use software and equipment without having to go through an extensive trial-and-error process.
AR in the energy and utilities industry will increase productivity as employees will have more skills and be better equipped to handle any unexpected situations.
Equipment Maintenance
AR technology is successfully used for the maintenance of equipment. AR has an important positive impact on the energy and utilities sector, with a reduction of costs and increased efficiency.
AR is used in the maintenance of equipment to achieve many advantages, including:
Instantly Detects Areas That Require Maintenance: The AR technology allows a 3D machine model to be superimposed on an object in real time, making it possible to resolve certain issues faster and with greater efficiency.
A subject-matter expert could advise a field technician using an AR-equipped device.
Quick Access: In the Energy and Utility Industry using Augmented Reality, field technicians can now easily access step-by-step instructions on their mobile app development devices.
Remote experts can be contacted by on-site workers via video and audio. Experts can provide remote AR assistance to field technicians on-site without having to be present.
They receive instant guidance and can complete tasks efficiently. Experts can also guide field workers who are inexperienced at any time, anywhere, using augmented Reality.
Power Company Connects Technicians in Real-Time
The main task of power companies is to replace and inspect electricity meters. This requires precise data to monitor and bill accurately. This power company was faced with several challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions on travel.
Workers were not permitted to access the meters physically. The result was that smart maintenance for existing equipment became necessary.
Workers were able to perform tasks more efficiently and easily with the aid of digital workflows embedded with photos and videos.
Technicians can also get expert assistance whenever they encounter a problem. Remote assistance has increased worker productivity in the power utilities and reduced travel expenses.
Benefits
- Reduced Maintenance Time: The power company reduced its maintenance time to 50% with AR.
- Reducing Manual Errors: Workers could perform tasks accurately using AR-based digitized work instructions. It reduced the number of manual errors.
Enhance Operational Security
Energy and utility specialists work under extreme conditions. This technology increases operational safety by reducing accidents and enabling better visualization of complex underground components.
Engineers can easily detect mistakes with AR headsets. It reduces injury risk as it solves problems in real-time. AR can provide guidelines and safety measures to technicians, guiding them on the best way to act in dangerous situations. There are fewer accidents.
Often, the workers require urgent assistance to solve a problem. AR allows field workers to connect instantly via video with an expert and receive instant answers. Workers are, therefore, less likely to make errors when operating machinery.
Real-Life Example: Enhancing Worker Safety With AR
Siemens Energy had difficulty with the regular examination and repair of its equipment. The work also took place in hard-to-reach places. In light of this, the company used augmented Reality to link their technicians to experts in real-time.
AR-enabled technicians to maintain, diagnose and inspect their equipment live. The AR system has improved productivity and accelerated time to resolution. It has improved worker safety, as it was able to reduce incidents by 43 percent.
Benefits
- Improved Safety: AR-enabled workers to complete their work efficiently and without danger.
- Injuries Less Serious: By implementing AR, the organization has been able to decrease injuries since workers do not need to travel to difficult-to-reach locations.
Assessing and Repairing Storms and Outages
The energy sector is working to update the infrastructure that they have built over the years. On the other hand, assessing and repairing power outages and storms continues to be a major challenge.
Many utilities use paper instructions in emergencies. With AR-powered Digitized work instructions, your workers can access the latest information anytime.
A further benefit of augmented Reality is that workers can record sessions using AR smart glasses. This information will be useful if they face similar issues in the future. The workers can work more efficiently, while the repair time is also reduced.
Real-Life Example: Reduced Wastage for Water Utility with AR-Powered Remote Visual Assistance
Water service providers faced challenges in response time, increasing regulatory requirements, and heavy penalties for misbehavior found during audits. The industry reduced the time it took to resolve repairs and maintenance using digital solutions.
With AR remote visual support, workers on the field were also able to create a knowledge base that could be used in emergencies, such as storms and power outages. It reduces travel costs, material consumption, and carbon footprints in heavy industry.
Benefits
- Savings in Time: Experts were able to guide water utility technicians using AR.
- Access Expert Knowledge Easily: Using AR-based instructions for work, technicians could access SOPs or manuals step-by-step on their mobile devices.
Data Generation
For applications involving Augmented Reality, multiple data sources are used. Utility workers can then examine new problems and address them effectively. Mobile devices that can record videos and photos are one of the sources.
Video calls or photos can be shared with experts about the accident by workers. This information allows experts to plan repairs and evaluate damaged parts.
Managers on-site can plan for procedures to be executed. The team will also be able to plan the best methods for handling unexpected circumstances. This reduces the downtime of machines.
The more devices that support augmented realities, the more data will be available, and insights will improve. This will lead to further technological advances.
AR in Energy & Utility: Benefits
AR can be used to improve the productivity of your organization and workers. AR can help field technicians connect to remote experts for assistance in solving problems.
It also improves the first-time repair rate and decreases the time for repairs, increasing worker satisfaction. Adoption Of Ar By Energy And Utility Companies Yields Numerous Benefits
Build a Highly Efficient Visitor Space
Utility workers can use pre-visit inspections to accurately assess the problem and send the correct person, parts, and tools to the location. AR visual assistance can also reduce the time it takes to inspect, waste, or even roll a truck.
How to Create and Administer Step-By-Step SOPs
AR-powered software for digital work instructions allows organizations to create and manage SOPs to give work instructions to team members in a systematized way.
The SOPs can also be used to conduct quality audits or inspections. AR solutions also improve maintenance and planning processes through checklists.
Immersive Training Experience
Industry experts can use AR to provide immersive experiences for new frontline professionals and then see what works and what could be improved. Frontline workers will be able to perform tasks more efficiently with AR training.
Lesser Accidental Risk
By adopting AR, energy and utilities can identify mistakes earlier. Regular and effective equipment maintenance is also important for workplace safety.
When Introducing New Technologies In An Organization, The Biggest Risk Is Overpromising And Under Delivering
In the beginning, use cases for emerging technologies will be limited but compelling. To maximize ROI from emerging technologies, companies must balance the excitement of potential benefits and the Reality of current capabilities.
The adoption of augmented Reality and assisted Reality in the energy sector has accelerated over the last few years. This is largely due to the fact that companies have turned to new technologies for monitoring and managing their assets, especially during the COVID-19 epidemic.
The term augmented Reality refers to the computer-generated overlay of real-world objects. Assisted Reality delivers digital content directly into a person's field of vision. The two technologies go beyond wearable headsets to include software and the overall user experience.
The AR/VR implementation in the energy sector has been far from ideal. This challenge has been reflected in our first-hand experiences with connected worker programs, emerging technologies, and global energy clients. Recent AR/VR efforts have not reached their full potential.
Leaders in IT and Innovation made promises and then failed to deliver, causing frontline employees to revert to old ways of working. Frontline workers started to believe that the hype surrounding AR/VR was causing them to be pushed.
It is unfortunate that AR/VR has been relegated to the background. AR/VR does bring many benefits, especially when it comes down to maintaining and monitoring assets on site. AR/VR delivers several benefits:
- Subject matter experts can provide remote assistance from their subject area expertise to help frontline engineers on-site who are working on complex procedures.
- Automated workflows allow on-site operators to create interactive audit trails for other users to follow and replicate.
- Reduce travel costs and carbon emissions by reducing the need for physical inspections.
For the industry to fully reap these benefits and ensure wide adoption, it is important that technology leaders ensure all AR/VR plans are designed to solve problems faced by frontline workers rather than executives looking to claim credit for innovative new technology.
What are the Causes of Adoption Challenges in AR/VR?
Our experience has shown that most of the problems we have encountered with AR/VR were caused by IT teams or innovation teams who did not understand the specifics of the assets, the sites, and the frontline team.
AR/VR enhanced inspections have unique needs for each site or asset. Frontline workers will experience these unique requirements, especially if they do not feel they were consulted during the implementation of AR/VR.
Users reported connectivity problems while working on assets onshore surrounded by metal structures. Users have reported experiencing motion sickness while using AR/VR in the context of ship offloading and floating storage.
The workers were concerned by the lack of a "hey, you while you are here ..." conversation during remote inspections. They found that the task-oriented nature of a remote examination via a headset did not provide a broad view of the condition of the asset/site.
The last obstacle was not caused by the limitations inherent in remote inspections but due to a lack of training about how to use the new tool.
All of these examples were meant to convey to field workers that the technology team pushing the new solution had not taken the time to learn the basics of what they do.
The AR/VR Transition: How to Smooth it Out
If you are launching an AR/VR product, and especially if a previous effort failed, the technology team and leaders need to consider their blind spots as well as how they will be perceived.
They should emphasize value for the user and tailor the solution to each site. Frontline workers must also be involved to ensure business readiness.
1. Value to End Users Should be Highlighted
When IT teams and innovators become excited by the possibilities of new technology, it is easy to fall into the mistake of thinking that all people are interested in new technologies. They often overlook the importance of explaining the "why" when deploying new technologies and describing their many features.
They aren't immersed in the future and are unlikely to adopt a new technology just because it's innovative. The frontline workers want to be sure that the solution will help them solve their challenges more effectively than existing solutions.
Technology teams often focus on hardware alone: "We're deploying an Augmented Reality wearable headset to enable hands-free voice-activated work assistance and remote assist functionality."
This emphasis on new hardware may seem like a burden to a worker on the front line of a refinery with high stress. Descriptions and explanations should instead focus on the benefits of AR/VR to asset managers and end-users. An AR/VR is more than just a hardware piece. It's a combination between hardware and software which delivers value to users.
The technology teams could highlight how AR/VR reduces operational costs and requires fewer helicopters for remote support. The team can describe how the technology will allow for faster response times while also reducing the risk to frontline workers. They could even explain that the solution can accommodate offshore assets.
2. Customize Solutions for Individual Sites
Forcing an asset to be fitted with a standardization feature is one of the best ways to undermine adoption. Testing on the ground is necessary to discover such subtleties.
For example, an AR headset which may be perfect for refinery workers, could cause motion sickness in oil rig employees. Technology leaders must conduct POCs and trials for various assets and locations to determine context-specific issues and challenges before launching a company-wide implementation.
The best method to deploy the right solution for any asset, be it upstream, downstream, fixed platforms, or FPSO, is by testing and failing quickly, then testing again with real users.
The standardization of products and services can be beneficial to the organization. It also provides economies of scale. However, customization is likely to provide a better return on investment if it doesn't benefit users.
3. Early and Constant Involvement of Frontline Workers
Although it's important to communicate with employees (see 1), the deployment process is two-way. It is vital to include frontline workers as part of decision-making before any deployment takes place.
Organizations should make users "sponsors" of the solution rather than simply users to enlist their help. Active participation sets the baseline for success, helps to identify limitations, and, most importantly, creates a community that will promote and advocate for the solution among their peers.
In a carefully designed communication plan, targeted messages can be created to share by site managers and promote the benefits of AR/VR in varying contexts.
Posters/stickers can be used to effectively share pre-deployment messages on assets like terminals, laptops, and desktops.
To ensure no problems or drawbacks are missed, training that teaches how to adapt seamlessly to a headset, for instance, must provide ample feedback opportunities.
To extend this feedback loop, it is important to have clear channels to resolve technical problems and to know who to call for help.
A part of adoption that is often overlooked is the need to ensure the continued use of the product. The continuous improvement process will be aided by the long-term involvement of the Operations Landscape Managers or the Operations Team to gather data about the new services and devices.
VR Offers Effective Solutions to the Energy Industry
Business people are constantly looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency. AR and VR development can be part of that solution. Digital technologies have multiple advantages for the energy industry.
These digital technologies can ensure companies extract more energy and keep costs down. AR can be used to provide remote consultations. Experts at the company's home office can advise field staff in real time.
This allows the company to save on travel costs and keep highly experienced experts in-house. Virtual reality software can help companies reduce their carbon footprint.
In the past, energy companies would send their representatives to view large machinery. Virtual reality software allows purchasing managers to get an idea about how the machine works.
This technology helps companies make better purchasing decisions while minimizing their environmental impact.
The Following Are Some Ways That Virtual Reality Can Help The Energy Industry
1. Get More Effective Training
For employee safety programs, employers use VR/AR helmets. The software can be run on the headsets to show workers how they can escape and identify hazardous areas. The software can be used to simulate "real-life" emergencies and show employees what they would face.
Virtual Reality can be used by employers to train employees in the energy sector. It is cheaper and easier to use than traditional training methods.
Technology can be used to create realistic training scenarios. The technology allows employees to practice their skills or update them on expensive or complex equipment.
2. Reducing Maintenance Costs
The AR headsets allow technicians to access service manuals and documents on tablets. Technicians can highlight defective parts by overlaying 3-D models with real-time instructions for maintenance on-site. The strategy is designed to reduce the time and costs spent on maintenance.
3. Increase Overall Operational Effectiveness
In the current energy sector, reducing operational costs is a key consideration. VR allows you to accurately decide where drill sites should be placed without having to visit the area.
A technical expert can monitor multiple sites virtually and provide simultaneous support. The strategy can save companies a lot of money and time.
Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality deliver accurate information to the correct person at the right time. This allows the business to make better decisions faster. It will help the company to grow, not just stagnate.
Cyber Infrastructure Inc. Solutions for the Energy Industry
1. Visualize Complex Data
A picture can be worth more than a thousand written words. This idea can be applied to the visualization of complex data. When interpreting airflow patterns and weather patterns for the energy sector, it can be difficult to understand a flat rendering.
In the energy industry, technicians must also visualize how molecules interrelate to do their jobs. These concepts are easier to understand with our simulation tools. This allows the team to "get on the same page" faster and solve problems more effectively.
2. The Ability to "See" Remotely
Our client in Qatar ingeniously uses technology. Data from rocks is viewed by the company to see if oil can be found. This is how it works: the company cuts up the stone into smaller pieces.
The stone is then examined by an MRI machine. Cyber Infrastructure Inc. then displays the visualization software in virtual Reality to scan and analyze the rock. Our client will then be able to determine if oil is present within each rock "slice" using the 3D visualization software.
3. Design
What makes industrial design require blueprints? Designers in the energy sector can visualize their nuclear power plants, machines, and other equipment in real-time.
4. Both Remote and On-Site Collaboration
The software is used by a consulting company in the energy industry to validate and update its designs. A team is responsible for the design and validation, while another group handles the setup on-site.
Cyber Infrastructure Inc.'s technology allows team members to review designs on a digital virtual mockup. This technology lets the team share ideas and notes on a 3D model. This technology is easy to use and navigate.
5. Training
Cyber Infrastructure Inc. VR is a great choice for training employees. Our finger-tracking devices allow you to experience the virtual world "hands-on."
They will have the ability to touch the virtual items they see and feel the actual equipment that they will use. The training they receive will stick with them for a long time after the class.
Conclusion
The recent challenges in AR/VR implementation are not the fault of the technology. AR/VR will transform asset monitoring and asset management.
Many of the problems have so far been caused by poor planning and communication, as well as a failure to consider how site-specific variables like motion and connectivity might affect the efficiency of AR/VR.
Energy companies will be able to impress their frontline employees by focusing on their needs and adapting AR/VR solutions for individual assets and sites. The energy sector will benefit from the emergence of augmented Reality.
Industrial enterprises can make their workflows safer and more efficient with augmented Reality. There are many benefits to implementing AR today.
Some implemented AR to offer immersive training to their workforce on the frontline, and others to standardize processes to minimize errors.
Cyber Infrastructure Inc. can help you if you plan to use Augmented Reality to increase your productivity, workplace safety, and efficiency. Contact one of our specialists to learn how we can help you explore your industrial enterprise.
Cyber Infrastructure Inc.'s implementation of AR in energy and utilities will help industries overcome the many challenges that prevent them from achieving continuous growth.
