👓 AR/VR for Industry
Straight facts for factories — Practical guidance for confident investment
This page explains what AR/VR/MR (XR) can realistically do in industrial environments—no hype, just practical guidance and clear guardrails.
1) What AR/VR/MR Is — สรุปคืออะไร
🔍 AR (Augmented Reality)
overlays digital info on the real world via smart glasses/tablets/phones.
🥽 VR (Virtual Reality)
fully simulated environment—best for training and rare/emergency drills.
🌐 MR (Mixed Reality)
digital objects interact with the real scene (anchor/collide/occlude).
💡 Key Point: Most factory use cases favor hands-free AR and tablet/phone AR; VR fits training/simulation.
2) Use Cases That Actually Work — กรณีใช้งานที่เวิร์กจริง
1. Remote Assist
live video with markup from experts; boosts First-Time-Fix and cuts travel.
2. AR Work Instructions (SOP)
step-by-step visuals, torque/measure prompts, checklists & sign-off.
3. Quality & Meter Reading
overlay CV results—defect flags, gauge/digital meter readings, OK/NG.
4. Pick-by-Vision (Warehouse)
guided picks by aisle/bin; fewer mis-picks, higher throughput.
5. Safety/Operations Training (VR/AR)
rehearse high-risk/low-frequency scenarios.
6. Layout & Planning
life-size equipment models in the real space before moving/installing.
3) Core Technologies — เทคโนโลยีหลักที่เกี่ยวข้อง
🎯 Tracking
SLAM/VIO, markers (ArUco/AprilTag), spatial anchors; add RTLS/UWB where needed.
📷 Sensors
RGB, Depth/ToF, IMU; consider glare, dust, heat, vibration.
🎨 3D Content
Unity/Unreal/WebXR; glTF/GLB, USD; CAD → mesh; polygon reduction & PBR materials.
🔗 Factory Integration
MQTT/REST/OPC UA/Modbus (via gateway) to pull machine/quality data.
⚡ Edge & Network
Wi-Fi 6/6E or private 5G; edge boxes for low-latency vision inference.
4) Choosing Devices — เลือกอุปกรณ์ให้ตรงงาน
👓 Smart Glasses (hands-free)
check FOV, weight, battery, heat, PPE compatibility (helmet/goggles/masks), IP/drop ratings.
📱 Tablet/Phone AR
lower cost, high image quality; less ideal when two hands are needed.
🥽 VR HMD
training only; ensure safe space and manage motion sickness.
⚠️ Hazardous Zones
Hazardous zones (explosive/flammable): require certified devices (ATEX/IECEx) — otherwise do not use.
5) Real-World Limits — ข้อจำกัด/ความจริงที่ควรรู้
Registration accuracy
typically mm–cm; micro-level alignment is not a general AR use today.
Light/heat/battery
outdoor glare and hot zones can exceed device limits; typical battery 1.5–3h.
Ergonomics
long wear causes neck/eye fatigue—pilot with real users.
Content is the real cost
building/maintaining 3D/SOP content is ongoing work; assign owners.
Data security
video from shop-floor is sensitive; enforce on-prem/edge storage and access control.
6) Safe Starting Roadmap — วิธีเริ่มอย่างปลอดภัย
Pick one measurable use case
(e.g., Remote Assist on Line A).
Capture real SOP/video
and create a minimal AR-SOP (steps, short clips, checklist).
Choose devices by environment
(light/dust/noise/gloves/PPE); pilot with 3–5 users for 1–2 weeks.
Integrate only necessary data
first; add CMMS/MES later.
Define KPIs and baseline
(FTF, MTTR, Error Rate, Training Time) and baseline before rollout.
Scale out when ROI is shown
; assign content/device owners.
7) Decision Checklist — เช็กลิสต์อนุมัติลงทุน
Clear business KPIs (e.g., −25% MTTR)?
Who owns content and update cycles?
Device fits PPE/environment?
Enterprise controls: MDM, SSO, Roles, Audit trail?
Offline/edge mode and data-classification policy defined?
8) GaugeSnap Integration — การผสานกับ GaugeSnap
🔍 Edge AI-Vision
live gauge/digital meter reading, defect detection, go/no-go overlays in AR.
📋 AR Work-Instruction Builder
convert SOP/video into guided steps with checklists and sign-off.
🔗 System Hooks
OPC UA/MQTT/REST to SCADA, MES/ERP, CMMS; evidence logging (photos/signatures/time).
🔒 OT Security
OT-DMZ/edge-gateway patterns; encryption and role-based access.
9) Expected Outcomes (Realistic) — ตัวชี้วัดผลลัพธ์ที่คาดหวังได้
📚 Training time
↓ 20–40% for step-based tasks
🔧 First-Time-Fix
↑ 10–30% with scripted Remote Assist
📦 Picking errors
↓ 30–60% with pick-by-vision + barcode/weight checks
🗂️ Scrap/Rework
↓ when AR highlights critical points + CV verification
💡 Note: Actual gains depend on task complexity, user discipline, content quality, and environment.
10) Red Flags — สัญญาณแดงอย่าเพิ่งเชื่อ
"Micron-perfect overlay anywhere with no calibration."
"No real-world videos/KPIs; no field pilot access."
"Closed content formats → vendor lock-in."
"No enterprise features (MDM/SSO/roles/audit)."
Get Started with GaugeSnap — เริ่มต้นกับเรา
Send a 2–3-minute shop-floor video and the latest SOP for one task you want to improve. We'll:
recommend hardware for your environment
build a trial AR-SOP
define KPIs and a low-risk scale-out plan
🎯 Principle: Prove with data before big spend.