Imagine a technician at a manufacturing site who discovers a need for troubleshooting support for the electrical system. The technician pulls out Augmented Reality (AR) goggles and sees the work environment with relevant information digitally overlayed. The overlay enables the technician to diagnose the issue and gives step-by-step instructions on how to fix it, all while maintaining hands-free operation.
Any complications? The technician can immediately connect with an ABB expert who is just a click away, ready to provide real-time, issue-specific AR remote support.
This isn’t a glimpse into the future of service, it’s part of how ABB has been investing in technology to safely complete maintenance tasks and repairs faster to minimize downtime, operational costs, and environmental impact.
The Service Assist app offers the first line of remote support with self-guided standard service tasks. Users can easily access immersive guides with voice control and intent recognition technologies.
Remote Assistance for Electrical Systems (RAISE) is the second level of support, with real-time translation in more than 60 languages. It offers real-time guidance where an ABB service specialist can place more specific AR instructions in the operator’s field of view, allowing customized visual information to enhance voice instructions.
David Barragan from SAICA, a European leader in the development and production of recycled paper for corrugated cardboard, uses ABB AR Service technology.
Giada Volpin, Global Product Manager for RAISE and Technical Support Services explains how it all started: "Our investment in AR began during COVID-19 to help our customers maintain their operations despite travel restrictions. The success of remote assistance and the positive feedback we received from customers encouraged us to continue with our investment. AR is now a major enhancement to our service offering.”
ABB is constantly building on its AR capabilities through strategic partnerships with start-ups, such as ViewAR, winners of a recent ABB Electrification start-up challenge. Through these partnerships ABB continues to improve ease of use, safety and ensure our customers have access to cutting edge AR service capabilities.
