Page 26: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (November 2017)

Augmented Reality Technology

About the Author

AUGMENTED REALITY

Alexander Buchmann was inspired by

How Augmented Reality Technology Could Transform the Shipping Industry the release of the ? rst iPhone to devel- op a software that would facilitate the complex processes managed by ship-

Augmented Reality (AR) is predict- content now available for consumers table in front of them. They could look ping companies. He founded Hanseat- ed to be the next technology game- and business users, according to IDC. at it from all angles, virtually highlight icsoft in 2009 and developed Cloud changer to improve business processes We believe AR will have a revolution- certain areas or display the main en-

Fleet Manager. Since March 2017, and employee performance and it’s no ary impact on the shipping industry gine making the interaction feel more

Lloyd’s Register one of the world’s larg- wonder many companies are getting and that it will be the next step on the natural instead of looking at a screen.

est ship classi? cation societies, holds a excited about its potential. industry’s digitalization journey. Using AR-devices means screens share in the software company.

While virtual reality completely im- While shipping companies have tra- and monitors could also become ob- merses people in a computer-generated ditionally been slow adopters of tech- solete, with employees able to access world, AR overlays computer-generat- nology many are now embracing tech- cloud-based data wherever they are ed images on the real world. nology to optimize ? eet management, working. Additionally, it will render

A great example of how AR combines automate their processes and improve the imaginary with the real world is in communication between staff on ships the hugely popular AR game Pokémon and on shore.

Go, where people search for and catch Shipping companies won’t want to

Using AR-devices means screens and pocket monsters in the real world. This be left behind as AR becomes the lat- monitors could also become obsolete, with is one of the most downloaded games est must-have technology to transform ever and analysts predict AR has the business. But what bene? ts can com- employees able to access cloud-based data potential to have a similarly dramatic panies expect?

wherever they are working. Additionally, impact on businesses too.

According to PwC’s 2017 Global Bene? ts of Augmented Reality it will render a lot of hardware redundant.

Digital IQ survey 24% of executives Augmented reality, like any other will make a signi? cant investment in cutting-edge technology, can help

Just as the smart phone included the

AR in the next three years. shipping companies to accelerate and functionality of a lot of gadgets such as

According to PwC, the bene? ts to simplify their processes. It is compa- be derived are the real-time delivery rable to switching from pen and paper camera, telephone, calendar or calculator, of relevant information to employees to a computer and will provide new

AR devices are one more step forward.

regardless of location, the fact it will tools to execute tasks faster and more enable greater ? exibility, increased intelligently. operational mobility and improved ef- It will also improve the performance ? ciencies. of workers. For example, in the avia-

AR has multiple uses for businesses tion industry it was reported that the across virtually any industry. These in- use of an AR headset to help a techni- clude the ability to connect employees cian wire a wind turbine’s control box in different global locations, deliver improved a worker’s performance by training and education or for compa- 34% on ? rst use. nies to use the technology to increase Rather than immersing us in an al- the ef? ciency of product repairs or do ternate universe as virtual reality does, demonstrations. devices that use augmented reality

The appetite for AR technology is enhance our actual surroundings by growing. Data from the International adding holograms into our ? eld of vi-

Data Corporation (IDC) estimated that sion to interact with. Augmented real- augmented and virtual reality headset ity makes it possible to merge the real device shipments will reach almost and the digital world, creating a mixed 100 million units in 2021, up nearly reality.

10-fold from the 10.1 million units There are nearly unlimited possibili- shipped in 2016. ties, especially as the technology pro-

Fuelling this demand are the new de- gresses. For example, instead of look- vices being launched, the lower price ing at a GA plan on a screen, workers points for devices and the expanding could look at the entire ship in 3D on a

Image: Hanseaticsoft 26 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • NOVEMBER 2017

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