Logistics are driving the need for data glasses, hints Fraunhofer FEP
The scientists at Fraunhofer FEP in Dresden specialize in the development of custom microdisplays for AR and VR data glasses. The microdisplays take advantage of OLED-on-silicon technology. In contrast to other display types, no supplementary illumination is required for OLED microdisplays, as they are themselves luminescent. Thanks to that, they facilitate the design of simplified optics, a more compact design, and considerably higher contrast ratios. In addition, a camera can be integrated directly onto the microdisplay, facilitating control by tracking the eye‘s position and motion.
Display design and parameters such as resolution, pixel size, and supplementary functions can be varied and combined depending on the application, such as for monitoring manufacturing processes or in logistics. The range of displays runs from high-resolution microdisplays in extended full HD for AR/VR applications to variants with ultra-low power consumption for consumer wearables. The research institute provides evaluation kits as development tools.
Industry 4.0 is defined by intelligent factories, known as “Smart Factories”. It is anticipated that future production and logistical processes will be intelligently interlinked in order to make these processes more efficient and adaptable. Augmented and virtual reality (AR, VR) will allow workers to monitor machine data and processes, accessing relevant machine data in real-time as they walk along a production line.
Currently Fraunhofer FEP is working together with partners in the joint project “Glass@Service“, which include Siemens, UVEX, and Ubimax among others, on use cases for data glasses in Industry 4.0.. Logistics represents one of the major fields of application. Thanks to data glasses, a warehouse clerk can have both hands free for activities and is continuously guided through individual processes via the display in the glasses. The clerk can be dedicated entirely to the primary task at hand, while all the data – what has been picked, packed, and where it goes next – is simultaneously transferred.
Set-up can also be considerably simplified with the aid of data glasses. The AR application displays the machine in its completed set-up state, with the parts to be installed in the machine blended directly into the field of vision. Differences between machine parts that have already been installed and those still needing to be replaced can likewise be displayed.
Fraunhofer FEP – www.fep.fraunhofer.de
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