MA²RA - Manual Assembly Augmented Reality Assistant

Abstract

Cyber-physical systems and automation play a major role in Industry 4.0. However, due to its flexibility and high responsiveness to short-term changes in the assembly of complex and varied products, manual work cannot be neglected. Cognitive assistance systems relieve the mental stress of a worker and thus help prevent mistakes during the assembly process. Systems utilizing augmented reality (AR) technologies are suitable for manual operations. In order to motivate the development needs of industrial augmented reality (IAR) applications, a prototype is described below. This paper focuses on the conceptual development and the implementation of a prototype assistance system. By using AR glasses and a data glove, an inexperienced worker is guided through a demonstrative assembly process where each assembly step is documented by the system. Finally, a user test is performed to evaluate the prototype.