A new reality: how augmented reality is transforming industries and electrification
Digital transformation
04 November 2024
5 min
Augmented reality is transforming industries and electrification

Augmented reality (AR) has moved from science fiction into reality, becoming a powerful tool that bridges the digital and physical worlds. Across sectors like healthcare, logistics, and manufacturing, AR is bringing unprecedented precision, efficiency, and safety to operations.

But one of the most exciting applications is its emerging role in electrification – a field where small errors can lead to costly consequences. How is AR transforming various industries? And how is it unlocking a new future for the electrification industry?

Let’s explore these questions and uncover a groundbreaking innovation in cable management.

4 Sectors Where Augmented Reality is A Game-Changer

Imagine having digital information at your fingertips, layered over your physical surroundings. That’s the power of AR. With real-time data enhancing human capabilities, AR offers a seamless integration of the virtual and physical, and companies across industries are already reaping the rewards.

  1. Manufacturing: At Boeing, AR transforms the complex assembly of aircraft by overlaying wiring schematics onto real components, guiding engineers through intricate processes. This reduces assembly time and significantly cuts error rates. Lockheed Martin takes a different approach, using AR in training programs, allowing workers to practice with complex machinery before they ever step onto the factory floor.
  2. Healthcare: Precision is critical in the healthcare industry, where a single error can have life-or-death consequences. Medtronic has integrated AR into surgeries, giving doctors real-time data and imaging as they operate, enhancing surgical accuracy. Osso VR has revolutionized medical training, enabling surgeons to practice procedures in virtual environments before performing them on real patients, ensuring greater skill and confidence.
  3. Construction Industry: Saint Gobain offers augmented reality headsets that help installers locate and position studs in the correct order. No need to say this is a huge time-saver.
  4. Logistics: DHL uses AR glasses to optimize warehouse operations. Workers are guided step-by-step through picking processes, ensuring that items are packed quickly and accurately. This AR-guided workflow has resulted in fewer mistakes, greater efficiency, and faster delivery times – an innovation with massive implications for the global supply chain.

These are just a few examples of how AR is revolutionizing entire industries, but what about its application to electrification? This sector – where even minor mistakes can lead to significant consequences – holds immense potential for AR-driven change.

Electrification: Where Precision Meets Augmented Reality

Electrification: Where Precision Meets Augmented Reality

Now, envision the same AR technology applied to the electrification industry. The stakes here are high. From cable installation to maintenance of vast energy grids, the electrification sector depends on flawless execution. A single error can disrupt power supply, lead to costly repairs, or pose serious safety risks. In such a high-stakes environment, AR can provide technicians with the tools they need to ensure precision and efficiency in real-time.

Here are 4 areas where AR is poised to make an impact:

  1. Error Prevention: By overlaying digital data on physical environments, AR can prevent human errors in cable installation and maintenance. It ensures that each task is performed with exacting precision, avoiding costly mistakes and rework.
  2. Real-Time Problem Solving: Field technicians can use AR for immediate assessments of critical infrastructure. Whether it’s identifying faulty connections or conducting routine maintenance, AR provides real-time insights, minimizing downtime and improving overall reliability.
  3. Remote Assistance: AR could allow experts to guide field workers remotely, offering live feedback as they troubleshoot issues on-site. This could drastically reduce response times and the need for expert travel, particularly in rural or hard-to-reach locations.
  4. Enhanced quality and durability of installations: AR allows connections to be systematically checked. Furthermore, documentation is digitized, which improves maintenance. Digital assistance can also be systematically provided, fundamentally changing how installers are trained to use connectors and cables.

Given these potential applications, it’s clear that AR could change the game for electrification. And one innovation leading this charge is Infracheck – a solution that promises to revolutionize how cable management is handled.

Infracheck: Redefining Cable Management

Infracheck, developed by Nexans, marks a significant advancement in cable management through AR technology. This innovative tool allows technicians to verify cable connections instantly using a smartphone or tablet. By capturing images of cable installations, Infracheck overlays real-time data, offering immediate assessment of conformity with technical and safety standards.

The solution’s user-friendly interface makes it accessible for technicians at all experience levels, reducing human error and ensuring precise results. Infracheck not only streamlines the verification process but also minimizes the need for rework, ultimately saving time and resources while enhancing the reliability of critical infrastructure.

With Infracheck, technicians gain the ability to resolve issues on the spot, ensuring high performance and reducing system downtime – a crucial benefit in the electrification industry.

The Future of Electrification: Powered by AR

As AR continues to gain traction across industries, its impact on electrification is becoming more evident. The blend of real-time digital data with physical infrastructure is transforming how we think about everything from cable management to grid maintenance. In a sector where reliability and precision are paramount, AR is providing the tools needed to meet these challenges head-on.

The implications for the future are vast:

  • Enhanced Training: AR could revolutionize how technicians are trained, offering immersive simulations that allow them to practice installations and repairs in a safe, controlled virtual environment.
  • Improved Safety: AR can also enhance safety by providing technicians with real-time alerts and warnings about potential hazards during installations or repairs, reducing the risk of accidents.
  • Faster Maintenance: With AR-guided systems, maintenance work can be carried out more quickly and accurately, minimizing downtime for critical infrastructure and keeping systems running smoothly.

The electrification industry is on the cusp of a digital transformation. With tools like Infracheck paving the way, AR is set to become an indispensable part of ensuring that our power grids remain efficient, reliable, and future-proof.

A New Era for Electrification

AR is no longer a futuristic concept. It’s here, making industries more efficient, safer, and smarter. From improving the assembly of aircraft to enhancing medical procedures, AR is transforming the way we work across the board. In electrification, the potential for AR is immense, offering real-time precision and reliability where it’s needed most. With innovations like Infracheck leading the charge, augmented reality is unlocking the future of electrification—one where infrastructure is not only reliable but also smarter, safer, and more efficient.

The digital and physical worlds are merging, and AR is at the heart of this revolution. Electrification, as we know it, is entering a new era – one where augmented reality drives the future of how we power the world.

Rémi Lancry

Author

Rémi Lancry, Head of Digital Product & Services at Nexans, is a seasoned digital product and services expert with a strong background in both corporate and startup environments. Combining a strong technical background in software development with a deep understanding of business needs, he has successfully led multiple digital transformation initiatives. His expertise in data analytics, digital marketing, and emerging technologies enables him to develop and implement cutting-edge solutions that enhance customer experience and drive business growth.