Hitachi, HMS & Holo-Light develop New-look Durable XR Smart Glasses for Remote Site Support

Hitachi Construction Machinery, HMS and Holo-Light have developed new-look XR smart glasses that will be unveiled on 7-13 April at the Bauma Exhibition in Munich. The highly durable – watertight and dustproof – and advanced accessory allows 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; and deliver fast and high-quality onsite service.

The current shortage of trained personnel to conduct service and maintenance work on construction and mining machinery is one of the main challenges facing the industry, and therefore the streamlining of inspection, repair and other related work is a priority. Technicians usually use multiple data sources – such as status reports, service manuals and parts catalogues – on smartphones and tablets. However, they face difficulties in operating mobile devices with their hands full, viewing multiple data sources and communicating with expert technicians through online calls.



XR smart glasses

The XR smart glasses are the solution to meet these challenges, despite previously being used mainly indoors, and with other issues concerning onsite durability and operational stability. The latest innovation has been developed in collaboration by: Hitachi Construction Machinery to provide the industry expertise; HMS to develop the product based on the needs of the construction and mining sectors; and Hololight to provide the technology for streaming large amounts of data in a stable manner for long periods of time. The three companies will continue to work together to enhance remote support functions and other solutions, as well as strengthen partnerships to supply the market.

The smart glasses have been awarded an IP65 rating – meaning that they are watertight and dustproof – and created with a robust design that can be used with confidence 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.

www.hitachicm.com