Fujitsu today announced the development of FUJITSU IoT Solution UBIQUITOUSWARE Head Mounted Display, a wearable device for enterprises. Fujitsu begins sales of the HMD to enterprises in Japan today.
The Head Mounted Display product consists of a 0.4-inch display (854 x 480 dots), a camera, two microphones, and various sensors, with a non-see-through extension positioned in front of one eye. It can be operated with the included wearable keyboard or by voice. Constructed to be tough and for use with confidence in challenging environments such as precarious heights, the product is water-resistant (IPX5/7) and dust-resistant (IP5X) for outdoor use.
For infrastructure inspections or factory assembly work, the display allows for safe and accurate hands-free task support in the form of images, video, and audio. In addition, this product will help make it possible to have fewer on-site staff as it allows for remote support from skilled operators, enabling higher work quality regardless of experience.
Background
When conducting infrastructure inspections at precarious heights or performing a complex assembly with both hands in manufacturing, less-experienced operators may either need to stop what they are doing to look up the procedure in a manual or confer with a more skilled counterpart, making it difficult to work efficiently. But with experienced workers getting older and the time needed for training considerable, securing well-trained staff is becoming a problem. This has created a demand for an ICT-based form of task support that can be used in a variety of environments and that allows for safe, efficient work.
To meet that need, Fujitsu combined the high level of expertise in head mounted display (HMD) development of US-based Kopin Corporation with its own human-centric technologies cultivated through PC and mobile device development to create an HMD designed to support a wide range of field work.
Usage Scenarios for the Head Mounted Display
Combining an HMD with middleware such as FUJITSU Software Interstage AR Processing Server, an augmented-reality platform product, and operational-support services such as FUJITSU Business Application AZCLOUD SaaS teraSpection allows for task support using still pictures, video, and audio. The operator wears the Head Mounted Display and views the display for information pertaining to the tasks being performed, such as inspection check lists or work procedures, while using both hands for the task. This dramatically improves operational efficiency and avoids problems of overlooking steps or doing them out of order. The unit can be used with the attached wearable keyboard or the audio command function to carry out a variety of operations, including turning pages in a work manual, entering numbers or taking images with a camera.
Key Features of the Head Mounted Display
1. Designed for safety, even in challenging environments
The Head Mounted Display product is constructed to be tough, water-resistant (IPX5/7), and dust-resistant (IP5X), survivable at drops from a height of 1.5 meters. A built-in light sensor automatically adjusts display brightness for the surroundings to ensure good visibility indoors or out. The unit includes a high-capacity battery that can last for up to about four hours, and allows for easy battery swaps.
The position of the display can be adjusted, and it can be worn with glasses, directly on the head, or attached to typically used helmets. The built-in accelerometer detects changes in the operator’s movements, and can notify a manager with an alarm if the operator falls, making it an effective way to quickly discover accidents.
2. Robust support for tasks in the field with a wide range of functions
The product can communicate with smart devices through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and any problems discovered in the field can be relayed in real time with sound and video using the built-in camera and microphone, to give managers a fast and accurate report on the situation. In addition, more experienced operators can give support remotely while watching the video feed from the scene. This reduces the number of skilled operators that need to be in the field and allows the operator on the scene to receive instructions hands-free for safer and more accurate task performance.
3. Connects to business systems, enabling know-how to be accumulated
Photos and video captured with the built-in camera can be stamped with time and location data collected with a smart device, and stored as an activity log. These logs can be centrally stored on business systems or the management servers of cloud services, and spots that involve heavy workloads or procedures that are prone to be performed incorrectly can be identified so that manuals can be created, to promote safer and more accurate task performance.
The Head Mounted Display is available with a software development kit that includes developer documentation and libraries, so that companies can develop solutions that work with their business systems, and the product can be adapted to specific purposes.
By utilizing ICT with wearable devices, Fujitsu aims to increase the safety and efficiency of work sites.
The Head Mounted Display will be exhibited at Fujitsu Forum 2015, running May 14-15 at Tokyo International Forum.
Comment from Dr. John C.C. Fan, CEO, Kopin Corporation
We at Kopin are extremely pleased to have contributed to the industrial HMD Fujitsu has developed with our advanced display, optics, audio and software technologies. The device brings advanced HMD technology to a wide range of potential business applications, such as equipment maintenance. We believe that the combination of Kopin’s advanced HMD technology and Fujitsu’s own human-centric technology has enabled a revolutionary HMD that will continue to lead the market for years to come.
