The application guides mechanics, who wear AR goggles that project text and images superimposed on what is in front of the their eyes (much like the heads-up-displays in some aircraft cockpits) as they do repairs to military vehicles. Information that can be projected includes “diagnostic tips, step-by-step instructions, labels, and even safety warnings.”


Photo: Steven Henderson and Steven Feiner, Computer Graphics and User Interfaces Lab, Columbia University

Obviously there is a lot of work (and cost) involved in developing the content that will be projected onto these “AR views.” High value and repetitive processes will undoubtedly be the first to get the AR treatment, which is probably why the American military, with its need to service large fleets of very expensive equipment using marginally skilled workers, was an obvious pilot client.

Like everything that involves IT, eventually hardware costs will drop and the development of modularized training software should make use of AR technology cost effective in a multitude of industries.

And like any significant technological development, AR use in technical training will probably produce unforeseen, dramatic changes while other facets of training will remain relatively untouched.

One thing that probably won’t change dramatically will be the need for mechanics involved in trouble shooting to understand the basics about the technologies that they are working on.

For example, an HVAC technician who is investigating a ventilation unit that is shutting down because the fan motor is overloading needs to understand the performance characteristics of different types of fans and how, for example, higher or lower system pressure drops affect their performance. Familiarity with how the overload protection on a motor starter would also be helpful.

But that doesn’t mean that troubleshooting won’t be affected by AR and other technological developments – in fact, it already has been. Decision trees developed by experts and available in paper and online manuals are available to guide troubleshooting for many applications.

The net result is that even troubleshooting has become deskilled in many areas – think about the cable company technical support people you talk to when your internet connection crashes. These people don’t have to have a deep understanding of how the internet works – they just follow a script that starts with the most likely cause of the problem.

In this way, IT will lead to continued and more profound stratification in industry between “master mechanics” and their recipe-following colleagues. The losers in this trend will be some highly-paid mechanics as their routine task as reassigned to less highly trained and lower paid workers. The winners will be the junior mechanics who will, with the assistance of AR be able to perform these simpler duties effectively. This should make it easier to fill some of the maintenance jobs that industry is trying to fill.

The reduction in master mechanics will be offset to some extent with jobs in software and hardware development, and given the rapid obsolescence of modern hardware this sector will continue to grow.

Canadian industry doesn’t need to wait for AR to become cost-effective for their applications. Already iPads are being used in the boardroom with a frequency and fervour that has surprised even Apple. These kinds of tablet devices can be used today on industrial sites to put expert systems in the hands of technicians.

John Bachmann, P.Eng. ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), is past-chairman of the Canadian Fluid Power Association (www.cfpa.ca) and instructor, Industrial Distribution Leadership, Mohawk College (www.mohawkcollege.ca).