Challenges and Requirements for Augmented Reality in Industrial Assembly Systems

In industrial assembly, there are still many manual processes with highly complex tasks and processes. In order to ensure quality and performance, informational assistance systems that support workers during the assembly process have been state of the art for decades. Typically, one-dimensional output technologies such as simple screens are used. However, Augmented Reality (AR) offers various opportunities for better, human-centered information provision. Despite these advantages, AR systems are rarely used in industrial assembly. This paper examines therefore the necessary requirements for successful AR implementation and explores current challenges. The results highlight potential AR applications in assembly and outline the conditions that need to be considered for a successful implementation. We identify 10 requirements for information devices, 6 different types of information devices and 5 different assembly system types for an assessment. We rate every device based on the requirements for each assembly system type. Additionally, we weigh all requirements for each assembly system type, and then calculate the summed rating for each device. Results show that displays are superior to AR devices, which aligns with the current industrial usage. Based on our assessment, we identify several requirements that need to improve for AR to be increasingly used in industrial applications.