Cobham SATCOM is working with custom software house Kanda and Osterhout Design Group (ODG) smartglasses to build an Augmented Reality (AR) wearable solution for maritime service technicians.
With AR already established as an efficiency-enhancing tool for business and industrial applications, the project is a proof of concept that will show the potential for AR to support professionals installing and servicing equipment on ships.
By enabling AR within its product offerings, Cobham is exploring how the digital and physical world can be blended together to create even better user experiences. In addition to the AR smartglasses project, Cobham SATCOM also released a 3D catalogue app this September, which enables its products to be viewed in Augmented Reality on Apple and Android devices.
The AR smartglasses team is working with ODG’s award-winning R-7 smartglasses to develop a solution for installation technicians in the field who are tasked with in-situ ‘conversions’ of sophisticated SAILOR VSAT antennas from Ku to Ka-band, using field conversion kits. The smartglasses provide step-by-step guidance to their wearer during conversion installations, making paper manuals obsolete and greatly speeding up and simplifying the process.
The AR smartglasses solution can reduce costs for vessels and fleets when they are switching to a different satcom service but keeping the same antenna on board. The technician wearing the glasses will receive all the information required in their line of sight; ensuring that strict quality and technical guidelines are followed. By making sure the antennas are installed correctly during the conversion process, the satellite service provider and the end-user can be sure that the antenna will perform more reliably so that the vessel gets the best connection to the satellites and therefore the most reliable broadband and voice services.
ODG smartglasses are changing the way people view the world. Shipping to specialized customers since 2011, ODG has seen rapidly growing demand from a broad base of industries for its fully self-contained, computerized glasses with their photo-realistic, transparent, 3D displays. All ODG models are fully integrated, small, light and sleek. They feature on board GPS/IMU-based navigation, giving users the ability to experience telepresence, tele-maintenance and telerepair everywhere, including ships navigating the oceans.
