Augumenta remote collaboration solution wins Industryhack Remote Process Challenge

Augumenta, an Oulu based software company developing industrial AR solutions for enterprises, was selected as the winner of IndustryHack’s FastTrack Kiilto (Remote Process) challenge. The fast-track challenges aim at tackling the effects of COVID-19 and for example, the difficulties caused by social distancing and travel restrictions. The winning solution combines IoT data and live video streaming with video calls via smartglasses. These elements connect personnel located in separate sites and allow remote experts to interact with local contacts as well as see the site that they are supporting almost as if they were personally present.

The Kiilto challenge

Kiilto is a growing Finnish company focusing on chemical industry solutions. Kiilto provides e.g. adhesives, sealants, and waterproofing membranes for industries like construction, paper and packaging, woodworking and furniture amongst others.

Industrial adhesives need to be tested locally when they are sold to new customers. Similarly, in the construction industry, Kiilto products are tested for example during a renovation project or on the construction site. In order to know whether the product is optimal for the process and for gaining wanted outcomes, the quality and results of the trials need to be observed and analyzed carefully. Typically, Kiilto delivers the products for industrial trials and interacts closely with its customers by sending their experts to measure and document the trial and its results. This requires a lot of traveling and physical presence.

Because of the current restrictions, Kiilto needs an alternative way of measuring,documenting and collaborating with customers during the product trials.

The challenge listed a number of requirements for a successful solution, such as:

• easy to set up by customers
• allows interaction between multiple people
• precise to observe and document details
• functional also in difficult conditions
• cost-efficient to implement
• Scalable to multiple cases and usable globally
• considerate for customer confidentiality

The remote collaboration solution

The Augumenta solution addresses all of the requirements. Named SmartEyes, the concept includes easy-to-deploy camera kits that are set up in customer locations. The customer’s local personnel uses smartglasses with Augumenta SmartCall application that provides the handsfree see-what-I-see video call functionality to interact with remote experts. Relevant sensors are used to collect data from the trial process. The solution includes a bandwidth-efficient streamer and a 4G modem so that it can be used and connected from any locations. All data is collected and sent to the supporting site. Remote experts see a dashboard with real-time key sensor values, a high-quality video feed from the camera kits as well as the view and actions of the local personnel they are communicating with. Thus experts can support local sites almost as if they were there and local personnel gets in return accurate and fast information helping them carry out their tasks more efficiently. Once the project is finished and the kit no longer needed, it is easy to pack up and ship to the next location.

SmartEyes supports remote work in any industry

The Augumenta solution can be taken in use in any field of industry where people need to work together regardless that they cannot be close to each other. “Today, many industry areas are facing heavy delays in production, maintenance or installation projects just because an expert needed for the task is not able to travel. Remote collaboration solutions like the Augumenta SmartEyes help companies survive these difficult times but are here to stay also in the long term. Even without the current restrictions, these solutions help companies operate more productively”, says Augumenta CEO Tero Aaltonen.

More information about:

Kiilto Oy: https://www.kiilto.com/en/
Industryhack: https://industryhack.com/