Narrowing Down the Use Case

Realities

You think reality is straightforward? Think again. There are tons of them! Terminology might vary across different sources, but for the sake of clarity (and our sanity), let’s establish some kind of nomenclature. So, let’s dive in.

But before we start sorting out these realities, let’s introduce some criteria. It all boils down to the kind of awareness each reality has. Here’s the lineup:

• Contextual Awareness: This is what any screen application has. The app knows your routine and changes its state according to events triggered by you.
• Spatial Awareness: This one stands out for our case. An app (through your device) scans the physical environment and constructs its own version of it. Every action in the real world reflects in that constructed one.
• Object Awareness: A subclass of the previous one, where not all space is recognized, but specific object(s) are.
• Self-Awareness: Where the constructed reality has nothing to do with actual reality. It’s like your own personal dream world, but with some fuzziness.
• Instant Awareness: Just a fancy term for normal eyesight, a.k.a. the good old real reality.

Now, let’s break down the realities:

Augmented Reality (AR)

This is what smartphones and tablets use. Overlaying info and functions are spatially aware as well as contextual. It’s like giving your phone X-ray vision, but without the creepy factor.

Assistant Reality (AsR)

Think smart glasses with a tiny screen next to your eye. It might understand context but has no clue about space. And it’s instantly aware — because, you know, eyes.

Mixed Reality (MR)

Goggles with an app layer over the real world. Spatial awareness, contextual awareness, instant awareness — they come standard. Object and self-awareness can be added.

Virtual Reality (VR)

Pure self-awareness with its own context, of course. It’s like stepping into another world, where the laws of physics are optional but the dizziness is inevitable.

Messed Up Reality (MuR)

When real reality is translated into virtual reality. Devices like Apple Vision Pro and Quest 3 have this “looking through” mode. It’s spatially and partially instantly aware — that’s why it’s messed up.

Shitty Reality (ShR)

All those face filters and masks. It’s object-aware (mostly your head). It’s fun until it’s not.

Real Reality (RR)

Don’t forget this one! At the end of the day, it’s where all the others exist. Kinda.

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For industrial applications, there’s only one choice — Mixed Reality. That’s why we at Spiral went down this rabbit hole.

Stereotypical Use Cases for MR (Industrial Apps)

Since day one, the go-to cases for MR devices (there are plenty, but HoloLens 2 is the MVP) have been:

Documentation, Visual Guidance, and Step-by-Step Instructions

Reading big chunks of text in MR glasses is like trying to read a novel through a keyhole. Navigation through pages and sections? Equally challenging. Sure, if all instructions were converted into 3D interactive guides, it could work. But that’s a huge “if.” Plus, there are mountains of legacy papers and PDFs constantly updating. Keeping all that in order? A separate industry on its own.

Real-Time Data Overlay and Virtual Dashboards

Having all the sensor data right next to the items seemed like a game-changer back in those days. Imagine an engineer inspecting complex facilities with a range of indicators. With MR, you can track and adjust states with just a flick of your wrist. The main hiccup? Integration and the need to overhaul existing workflows. And let’s be real, workers aren’t thrilled about strapping gadgets to their heads.

See-Through

Pipes behind walls, wires under floors, vents — you can see it all in MR. BIM (Building Information Modeling) is already a thing, and MR takes it to the next level.

Spatial Data Input

The previous cases are about showing data; this one is about entering it. The idea is to tap into MR’s unbeatable feature — spatial awareness. Virtual objects you create have coordinates, sizes, and distances. Spector, the app we’re cooking up, links spatial data with context. Why is this useful? Stick around; we’ll get to that. But first, let’s talk about the hurdles we need to jump.

Restrictions and Requirements

Safety

The work environment shouldn’t demand constant full-vision awareness. Yes, MR is easy on the eyes, but there’s still some interference. On the plus side, HoloLens is certified for use as safety glasses. Fashionable and functional!

Time

Battery life is roughly 100 minutes. You could swap devices when one dies, but that’s a hassle. And don’t forget, you’re wearing this thing on your head — it’s like a workout you didn’t sign up for. Then again, many industrial jobs require helmets anyway, so two birds, one stone.

Lighting Conditions

Two things here. First, hologram brightness is decent, but direct sunlight can wash it out — much like my hopes of winning the lottery. Second, spatial awareness needs feature-rich surfaces to scan. Too much or too little light can throw a wrench in the works.

Accuracy

Accuracy tops out at about 5 meters and bottoms out at 5 centimeters, thanks to sensor limitations. If you don’t need real-time response, you can push the lower limit to 1 cm or even 1 mm using photogrammetry.

Temperature

We haven’t tested it below 15°C, but above 30°C, it starts lagging.

What Makes MR Irreplaceable

Spatial Awareness

In MR, anything with coordinates becomes an object you can manipulate. Place a virtual cube on a real table, and suddenly they’re linked. The cube isn’t just eye candy; it can mark something on the table, be a target for placing items, or even serve as a reminder to finally take that coffee mug back to the kitchen.

Wearing a chunky device on your head needs a good reason. Sure, AR on smartphones can handle virtual objects, but there’s a disconnect — you manipulate objects on a screen, not in a space.

Hands-Free and Hands-Dirt-Don’t-Care

You need both hands, all the time. Technology should help, not be a nuisance. MR lets you work hands-free, and since interactions are virtual, you don’t need to scrub your hands before tapping buttons or swiping screens. No screens, no smudges!

The Case

Considering all the requirements and specs, we at Spiral zeroed in on a viable use case. After several POC projects, tests, and a lot of back-and-forth, we found our groove.

NDT — Non-Destructive Testing. This is where MR technology shines brightest. Gathering spatial data while providing location-based contextual information is what Spector, our app, is all about. In complex manufacturing like composites, quality inspections still rely heavily on hand measurements and location-specific repair instructions.

As mentioned, the device’s limitations fit this use case: typical inspection sessions last about an hour, required accuracy is around a centimeter, and technicians are already familiar with HoloLens. Plus, the device can attach to a helmet and double as safety glasses.

We’re still testing on the floor, and we’ll be tweaking features and usage over the next couple of months.

The Future

Last year saw several AR/MR devices hit the market, ranging from the ultra-fancy (and ultra-expensive) Apple Vision Pro to smart glasses that cost about the same as regular ones. But here’s the rub: they’re all aimed at consumers. HoloLens 2 remains the last proper industrial-ready device, and Microsoft has pretty much left it by the wayside.

So, what should the next enterprise-focused MR device be? Here’s our wishlist:

• More Accurate Space Recognition (~1–5mm)
• Basic 3D Object Recognition/Positioning (walls, floors, furniture — you know, the stuff we trip over)
• Lighter Weight (it can be wired, but let’s save our necks some strain)
• Faster Performance
• Better Cameras

But if we really want to shoot for the stars, the next-gen MR device could feature a richer AI-driven 3D engine. Real objects should be distinguishable 3D entities with automatic relational and semantic analysis. Infrared depth sensors could add another layer to spatial awareness. And, of course, the ability to instantly determine other people’s clothing sizes.