Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) have been used to enhance operational efficiency and save millions of dollars in procurement fees at a US DoE Facility.
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Specifically, these technologies are being deployed to upgrade pit production operations (PPO) at The Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility (SRPPF), located within a 310 square mile Department of Energy site in South Carolina.
According to the one of the local newspapers to the region, Aiken Standard, teams are using the latest AR and VR solutions to streamline equipment design.
Shakeel Khan, Director of Information Services at Savannah River Nuclear Solutions,
explained what has made the modernisation initiative possible:
“The SRPPF and PPO organisations are not only harvesting AR and VR technology but also continuing to explore innovative ways to leverage this technology in the creation of a digital and modern manufacturing facility.
“The success of this venture has largely been a result of collaboration between Operations, Design Agencies, Training and Knowledge Preservation.”
AR and VR-Powered Innovation
Over the past two years, the SRPPF team began the Model Based Design project that enables stakeholders to go on a virtual tour of the SRPPF Main Process Building (MPB).
As a result, there have been enhancements to the MPB’s design, users can be given a demonstration of the operational processes within the facility, and it makes it can be utilised for isolating possible design improvements.
The technology can also be implemented to assist in the safe navigation of the facility by lowering the total number of visitors that require in-person access to the site.
AR and VR technology has also led to updates in the design review process, reducing risk of delays, evaluating future projects within the organisation, and increasing cost savings.
The SRNS team took part in the Second Annual Extended Reality (XR) Symposium at the Oak Ridge Enhanced Tech and Training Centre.
The Symposium was set up to foster collaboration related to XR technologies between industry vendors, academia, and other DoE sites.
Talks at the Symposium centred on sharing insights into the potential applications of AR, VR, and XR, and artificial intelligence across various industries. A broad swathe of technology was under the spotlight, Aiken Standard reported, from headset improvements to tabletop holographs for command and control.
Khan spoke about its approach to security, reflecting on the progress that has been made at the SRPPF and PPO: “The challenge of security concerns continues to be echoed across the DOE complex.
“As risks are identified, a collaborative effort to mitigate them will speed the adoption of these various technologies across the board.
“In an age where technology is changing the way we work and collaborate, SRPPF and PPO are at the forefront of embracing these advancements, ensuring that the pit production operations effort progresses with the highest levels of safety and efficiency.”
Last month, XR Today also explored whether spatial computing was the future of automotive safety, following Basemark’s €22 million acquisition announcement enabling original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to create custom automotive XR applications.
