Keeping up with the latest new product and technological advancements in the electrical industry is hard enough; add in the challenge of staying on top of evolving technologies that have already penetrated other markets but could potentially affect our industry, and things get much more complicated. Considering the number of acronyms (IoT, IIoT, AR, AV, and VR) that were unfamiliar to most of us not so long ago but have now become household names, I expect we’ll see this trend continue. A relatively new acronym you may or may not already know is “XR” or extended reality. This term encompasses all real and virtual combined environments, including: augmented reality (AR), which creates an interactive computer-generated experience (through devices) by putting layers on top of an existing reality; virtual reality (VR), which establishes an interactive experience within a simulated environment usually via a headset; augmented virtuality (AV), which involves merging real-world objects into virtual worlds; and mixed reality, which allows users to interact with virtual objects.
According to estimates by IDC and Statista, the global AR and VR market is expected to reach $20.4 billion in 2019. In just three short years, that number is projected to skyrocket to more than $190 billion. Drilling down a bit, technology research firm CCS estimates the worth of the worldwide VR and AR device market at $1.8 billion in 2018 and expects it to grow by an average of 50% annually over the next five years — if they’re right, that means a total of 121 million units will be sold, putting the value of that market at $9.9 billion in 2022. So far, the gaming industry is definitely leading the charge in exploration and adoption of these grounding-breaking technologies, followed by other sectors like education and health care. But manufacturing and industrial applications may not be too far behind. How close are we to extended reality becoming reality? In this month’s cover story, starting on page 20, Freelance Writer Tom Zind takes a closer look at that notion, examining how industrial and maintenance applications stand to benefit as AR and VR technologies mature, including the possibility of some specific electrical scenarios (such as maintenance workers using video-enabled AR headsets to conduct remote monitoring and assistance training or 3-D lockout-tagout virtual training procedural simulations for utility customers).
“Extended reality platforms are opening new ways for staff tasked with keeping physical plants of all sorts up and running to do their work,” Zind writes. “From electrical motor maintenance and repair to electrical distribution system troubleshooting to lockout/tagout procedures and other precautionary safety tasks, AR/VR could prove a powerful tool for helping technicians safely learn and perfect critical skills in training, allowing them to venture into the field with higher levels of knowledge, confidence, and support.”
Just how techie are EC&M readers? According to our Top 40 Electrical Design Firms survey in 2018, 34% of respondents were already using AR technology, and 39% expected to adopt it in the next five years. When asked what, if anything, was deterring VR or AR adoption, they cited reasons like “cost,” “doubts about its effectiveness,” and the fact that it was “too time consuming.” Respondents to our Top 50 Electrical Contractors survey reported similar deterrents, but also named “pre-construction planning” and “collaboration with others trades, general contractors, and clients” as areas in which they would most likely incorporate AR technology in the next few years. If you’ve already implemented AR, VR, or XR into your business, I’d love to hear about it.
