Right now we are just using it for special projects that are complex and have little margin for error. We'd like to be able to use it for everything but that isn't feasible with where the tech is currently stuck at.
Like, real work modifying sketches and dragging points around in 3D.
When VR first came out (well, around the time HTC Vive was first launched) I searched madly for something to do this but all the apps felt like toys.
Have you used something you would recommend toward this end, on the design portion of things?
Quick question about your use case - is the 3D overlay really that important, or would you get most of the value simply seeing the blueprints in your heads-up display, maybe doing a quick finger swipe or voice command to switch between pages/images?
Then your QC guys are mostly behind computers and rotated to the floor when things are identified.
Ultimately, your VR isn't doing anything more technically accurate than this.
I am curious, what size of clients are you working with and how many contracts has it realistically turned into?
I also believe proper AR hardware/software can revolutionize the QA and inspections industry.
What I am noticing is a chicken/egg problem where companies want proof it works, while also reluctant to put their money where their mouth is and invest in the R&D. Which then leads to Microsoft and similar refusing to fully invest in new AR tech.
As such, it all stays mostly in experimental and drawing board land, never quite fully reaching the market.
Thoughts?
QA is the big sales point of the software we are using, but there are many other potential applications for the same product. It should be possible to overlay the model on the main assembly prefab then use that to quickly mark where holes should be drilled and additional pieces attached. The other potential application that is being explored is using the holographic overlays to construct things out of the usual order, instead of building part 1 then starting part 2 since it needs to be built to conform to the first part you can instead build around the hologram so that your not relying on the previously built parts to ensure your angles are correct.
I agree about the chicken/egg problem. Its an emerging technology where the payoff might be a decade away, customers need software that will actually benefit them, developers need reliable hardware capable of running software that has practical uses, and hardware companies want to know there is a customer base. The issue is AR falls under the category of product that the customer does not know they actually want, so the only way it is going to be developed is if one of the hardware manufactures takes a leap of faith and makes the long term investment. Sadly, I feel like AR is a million dollar idea with practical uses that has to contend with a business climate where you can make billions making some doodad that collects private data then displays ads to the masses.
Companies have put billions into R&D, but still haven't delivered a product that surpasses the hurdle rate.
The world in which capitalism has taken hold is not one that produces incrementally better products for niche markets.
You end up mostly with passionate people improving niche markets, and if it involves hardware, we're just at the beginning of small time custom hardware makers to make a dent into this type of market need.