Scope AR WorkLink for HoloLens Scope AR Tech Trends Lockheed Martin
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Building Spaceships with Mixed Reality

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Lockheed Martin’s space division has partnered with Scope AR to support the manufacturing of spacecraft, including NASA’s Orion.

Lockheed Martin’s space division is now using Mixed Reality headsets and software to speed up the time it takes for engineers to learn about and conduct manufacturing processes on spacecraft. The defence contractor is one of many major industry players to embrace Mixed Reality and incorporate immersive tech in their industrial processes.

Lockheed Martin is one of many major industry players to embrace Mixed Reality and incorporate immersive tech in their industrial processes Click To Tweet

Scope AR WorkLink for HoloLens Scope AR Tech Trends Lockheed Martin

What started as a pilot has been incorporated into the company’s manufacturing processes, including those involving the Orion space vehicle being built for NASA to travel to Mars Click To Tweet

They began experimenting and studying how to use augmented reality in production beginning five years ago, but what started as a pilot to explore what would be possible using the technology has increasingly been incorporated into the company’s manufacturing processes, including those involving the Orion space vehicle being built for NASA to eventually travel to Mars.

“In a complex field where errors simply cannot be made, Scope AR’s WorkLink Augmented Reality platform has tremendously helped our space division build high quality spacecraft by reducing the time it takes to interpret work instructions by more than 95 percent, as well as reducing training time and errors significantly,” says Shelley Peterson, emerging technologies lead, Lockheed Martin. “The ability to easily use the product across platforms means that anyone on our team, including our interns, can take advantage of AR to build and use manufacturing instructions quickly and accurately.”

Whereas technicians previously relied on paper instruction or computer 3D models viewed through a screen, they can now overlay data and schematics directly onto the relevant environment using the Microsoft HoloLens. Using AR, workers can now see the digital information and work instructions needed overlaid onto the actual components of the spacecraft. Giving technicians the tools to readily access information as and when they need it has resulted in extremely positive ROI.

Whereas technicians previously relied on paper instruction or computer 3D models viewed through a screen, they can now overlay data and schematics directly onto the relevant environment Click To Tweet

Scope AR WorkLink for HoloLens Scope AR Tech Trends Lockheed Martin

Using AR, workers can now see the digital information and work instructions needed overlaid onto the actual components of the spacecraft Click To Tweet

Over the course of their AR deployment, the team achieved an astonishing 95% reduction in the time it takes technicians to interpret drawings and text instructions and 85% reduction in overall time for training.

“Lockheed Martin’s use of WorkLink is a great example of how dramatically AR technology can improve understanding of complicated instructions and technician efficiency, while also reducing errors in manufacturing,” says Scott Montgomerie, co-founder and CEO of Scope AR.

And since Scope AR software doesn’t require complex coding, Lockheed Martin IT workers can quickly design 3-D representations of relevant objects and instructions to be overlaid onto real-world environments and pieces of equipment.

The team achieved 95% reduction in the time it takes technicians to interpret drawings and text instructions and 85% reduction in overall time for training. Click To Tweet

Scope AR WorkLink for HoloLens Scope AR Tech Trends Lockheed Martin

“The reduction in time to create AR work instructions is the key enabler for this new technology,” adds Peterson. “In the past, it could take an expert software engineer months to create a set of work instructions.  Using Scope AR’s WorkLink platform, an entry level engineer can build a more advanced work instruction within days. And, these are not simple, one step procedures – the instructions are enabling technicians to manufacture major components of a spacecraft. We have had teaching fellows and interns join us for a summer and after taking an online training course which lasts less than a day, they are able to start building basic AR work instructions in WorkLink.  Before the week is over, they are skillfully building more advanced work instruction sets.”

At this rate, it looks like Mixed Reality could make a very significant contribution to – as Buzz Aldrin puts it – getting our ass to Mars. To infinity and beyond indeed…

It looks like Mixed Reality could make a significant contribution to getting our ass to Mars Click To Tweet

Scope AR WorkLink for HoloLens Scope AR Tech Trends Lockheed Martin

The reduction in time to create AR work instructions is the key enabler for this new technology Click To Tweet

For companies looking to get into VR/AR/MR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance on how these technologies can enhance and support your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.