A Collaborative Augmented Reality Application for Training and Assistance during Shipbuilding Assembly Processes

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a novel Microsoft HoloLens collaborative application that allows shipyard operators to interact with a virtual clutch during its assembly in a real Turbine workshop. Such an Augmented Reality (AR) experience acts as a virtual guide while assembling different parts of a ship. In particular, the proposed application allows operators to position the clutch on a real environment and interact with it. The application also provides information about the documentation of each part of the clutch, showing its blueprints and physical measurements. The proposed AR application enables collaborative AR experiences, allowing users to visualize the same content and animations at the same time and interact simultaneously with 3D objects from multiple devices. Furthermore, the application is integrated with an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) framework, resulting on an AR-IIoT application that is able to receive and display real-time sensor data on information panels, as well as to trigger actions through actuators by making use of virtual user interfaces.

Keywords

• Industry 4.0
• augmented reality
• industrial augmented reality
• internet of things
• training
• collaborative application