Augmented reality technology as a new source of competitive strengths in engineering products

Abstract

The article analyzes opportunities for obtaining additional competitive strengths in engineering products due to the use of augmented reality technology for interactive information provision and support in terms of assembly, operation and maintenance for the products themselves as well as machinery units and production system components employed in the processes listed. The article also provides a short overview of equipment available on the market that can be viewed as a prototype for hardware and software complexes that provide informational support for technical personnel while the latter performs its job functions. It covers prospects of implementing informational systems that provide the operator with visualized supporting content online through the use of AR technology into the life cycle stages, processes of production, maintenance and operation of products and machinery equipment, as well as specialized applications. It also analyzes the necessary functional options and scenarios of using these applications, thus explaining the point of implementing them not as separate software products oriented on separate product units and equipment, but in the context of a unified information service of support for the production process, basically allowing the formation of a new production engineering instrument that goes along with the concept of the fourth technological revolution - reference-informational AR systems, the concept of use for which is universal to all industries and the consumer sector of the national economy. It analyzes the main limitations of the wide use of informational systems based on AR technology and gives grounds for its lessening midterm influence, based on, including but not limited to, the options for implementing new architectural solutions that are supported by the developing wireless data transfer technology (5G standard) as well as video compressing and transfer standards (MPEG-I). Based on the analysis of materials provided, rationale for implementing AR technology into the stages of machinery production and equipment life cycle is given, as well as new opportunities for obtaining their additional competitive strengths and relevance of information security of the corresponding reference-informational systems based on AR technology.