Kognitiv Spark Using MR to Revolutionize Industrial Operations

Cutting-edge technology closes the knowledge gap

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Mixed RealityReviews

Published: February 19, 2021

Joshua Felder

Joshua Felder

Over time XR technology has transformed from a novel add-on to a utility to augment human performance. One of the most significant evolutionary jumps is industrial mixed reality, where exploration of the technology’s potential has shifted to operations professionals that use mixed reality tools daily.

yan simard CEO Kognitive Spark
Yan Simard, Kognitive Spark CEO

Kognitiv Spark is leading the way in focusing on how MR can support a field worker with unique or complex tasks. With their Remote Spark MR headset, a communication grid is created between the worker and the subject matter expert (SME), such as an engineer, anywhere in the world.

For instance, an SME could be at home or the global headquarters on a different continent. When the operations specialist uses Remote Spark, the engineer can watch in real-time on their computer what the worker is doing and can talk to the person while adding 3D or 2D guidance on top of it. A 2D use case may include a PDF that can help the worker. The SME can drag and drop that image into the worker’s field of vision on the headset, and it appears as a 3D hologram.

If the SME has 3D models, they can be directly imported into Remote Spark, and it shows up on the worker’s end as a full-fledged 3D model for the worker to manipulate as needed. Animation can also be embedded to show precisely how the work should be performed.

“Over the last few years is that we’ve moved from the boardroom to the machine room,” explains Kognitiv Spark’s CEO Yan Simard. “The problem we’re solving is that it’s hard for industrial operations to give field workers the access to information and knowledge and expertise they need in real-time when it comes to performing complex troubleshooting or intricate maintenance. Mixed reality helps bridge that gap and empower workers to deal with situations more autonomously, faster, and better.”

“We’re reducing equipment downtime and saving SMEs trips to the field and help facilitate knowledge transfer between experts and field workers”

Enhancing Skilled Labor & Shortening the Learning Curve

Along with great leaps in industrial technology, there are also new challenges to overcome. The new barriers to engagement have shifted from technical validation to change management. As a result, Kognitiv Spark ensures workers can learn how to use their devices and software while also supporting them through the changing dynamic of how they perform work. At times support is figuring out mundane problems such as where to put the device to charge when it’s not needed and find cleaning products for the lenses.

Most importantly, Kognitiv Spark addresses the learning curve that comes with introducing advanced technology into a job that has been executed the same way for the better part of the last century. Typically, in half an hour, workers are up and running with the device and comfortably using it.

“Field workers generally have little patience for things that don’t work, so we make sure to make a good impression the first time and ensure they get positive results quickly, ” says Simard. “We like for customers to do a test maintenance call as an example. When they see the immediate benefit for fieldwork and the financial ROI, they realize that it pays for itself very quickly. Getting to that first successful interaction is critical to keeping workers engaged and wanting to do more, and the best way to spread our footprint throughout industries.”

MR Making Expert Knowledge Accessible to All

One of the major trends Kognitiv Spark has observed is that MR is the gateway for field workers to gain access to organizations’ digital domain. Field workers are traditionally left out of digital transformation. This is the result of working in places with poor connectivity, and both hands are constantly dedicated to the primary task. Mixed reality can serve as an entry to an organization’s digital ecosystem, which means there can be workflows coming from different systems that empower workers to do more.

“It’s all about being worker-centric. We want them to feel good about themselves and be empowered to do meaningful work as autonomously as possible”

Workers will be able to communicate with IoT systems, CRMs, support management, and other enterprise applications relevant to the worker but were previously unavailable to them due to physical constraints. At some point, MR will be embedded into a variety of enterprise applications. Machine learning, AI, and ERP systems will all converge in mixed reality to support workers and their job functions. MR will be involved in more use cases with more industrial workflows and connect more people.

 

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