By finding innovative solutions to the wider acceptance of MR and VR technologies

Virtual and mixed reality are increasingly changing the way we perceive the world around us. With continuous advances in computer graphics, sensors and interaction, we are witnessing their rapid expansion in all areas of life - not only in the field of entertainment and gaming, which is perhaps the most famous field of use of virtual reality, but also in the fields of education, medicine, architecture and industry.

With their ability to transport us into digital worlds and provide us with experiences that we would not be able to have in real life, virtual and mixed reality have become an indispensable part of our modern society.

We discussed about the introduction of virtual and mixed reality in Hidria with Ale? Bremec , director of digitization and corporate management system at Hidria.

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The digitization team at Hidria deals with, among other things, the introduction of mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR). What is the difference between them?

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Mixed reality adds certain elements and holograms to the real world, such as descriptions, signs, symbols. Devices that support contact with the MR environment are transparent. It is, for example, the same as wearing ordinary glasses or sunglasses, but at the same time we can also see information or objects that are not really there. We interact with objects using our hands. The user can move freely around the room.

Virtual reality, however, moves us to a completely different world. The entire view is filled with virtual images that replace the outside world with a virtual one. In this case, the devices are not transparent, but have various safety measures to prevent the user from getting hurt. In this case, the physical movement of the user is more static, and he moves through the virtual space with the help of the controllers in his hands. The space for the user's movement is usually physically limited for safety reasons, and the device detects his movement with special sensors. These turn off the operation of the virtual application the moment the user leaves the physical space to which he is restricted.

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What was the first reason or the first project in which we used one of the mentioned technologies at Hidria and where do we use it today?

We first started using mixed reality (MR) technology for the purpose of offering remote professional assistance, which enables quick problem solving even remotely.

In the field of MR development, we introduced pilot projects, which we developed in cooperation with our partner Audax. Together, we have prepared an instruction for work on the assembly line, which includes the visualization of process measurements performed on the assembly line.

We also developed a pilot application for visualizing data about individual components that are physically present on the tool. This will enable faster and more efficient insight into item codes and other important information about tool parts for maintenance purposes.

We currently use virtual reality (VR) technology for company presentation and promotion purposes. Together with our partner SiEVA, we produce 3D visualizations of fair machinery with presentations of our flagship products for individual business units. In this way, we offer visitors an interesting experience and a virtual exploration of our premises and products.

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What are the conditions for the successful introduction of MR and VR technologies?

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One of the conditions for the successful introduction of MR and VR technologies is the acquisition of the necessary competences at various levels. In order to create this content, we need to train mainly development engineers and technology engineers. At Hidria, we attach great importance to the key users of applications, and this is also the case with MR and VR.

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Where are the biggest challenges and what is the vision for the future?

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At Hidria, we see the increasing importance of the use of MR and VR technologies, especially in the production environment.

In production, we currently use video instructions, which we produce with the REWO application, and they are available to production workers in the PIMS system. Today we already have 90 such instructions. MR and VR technologies are an upgrade of video instructions.

We currently see the challenge mainly in finding MR and VR use cases for end users that go beyond mere technical solutions and actually solve their operational or everyday needs. With this, we put the user experience and the recognition of real benefits in the foreground, which is the key to the successful integration of these technologies in the production environment. By constantly searching for innovative solutions, we want to influence the wider adoption of MR and VR technologies in the industry and create sustainable value for our company and its users.

Author: Sara Sovdat / Photos: Robert Zabukovec