- Deutsche Telekom and partners present a preview version of AR FieldAdvisor at the Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui, Hawaii
- AR FieldAdvisor is a spatial computing solution for remote field service
Deutsche Telekom sets out to enable a new level of remote support for the field service industry. Field technicians and experts should be able to communicate with the highest level of ease while operating as hands free as possible. To achieve this goal, Deutsche Telekom collaborates with Qualcomm Technologies Inc., 6D.ai and Nreal, and showcases a preview version of AR FieldAdvisor at Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit in Maui enabling a unique ease of experience for field technicians leveraging smart glasses.
AR FieldAdvisor is a spatial computing solution which operates on the Nreal Light AR glasses connected to a mobile device with the Qualcomm Snapdragon mobile platform. Additionally, it integrates cutting edge spatial mapping technology from 6D.ai. The joint solution tackles one of the most compelling AR use-cases around remote support for field service engineers on cost-effective hardware.
Powerful AR user solution through close collaboration
The Snapdragon platform provides best-in-class compute power that is needed to perform highly complex spatial computing tasks. 6D.ai contributes its unique spatial mapping technology, providing the real-time mapping to allow remote experts to holographically annotate on the real world. The Nreal Light AR glasses enable a hands-free and headworn experience. The AR FieldAdvisor solution is based on the application development and system integration by Deutsche Telekom.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with best-in-class partners to bring the AR FieldAdvisor from an idea to an immersive XR experience that leverages cutting edge spatial computing,” said Alex Jinsung Choi, Senior Vice President Strategy and Technology Innovation at Deutsche Telekom. “Going forward, we will focus on end-to-end 5G and edge computing integration with MobiledgeX to scale the solution for the enterprise market.”
“We are pleased to collaborate with Deutsche Telekom to take XR Viewers connected to 5G-enabled smartphones to the enterprise,“ said Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President, Qualcomm Europe, Inc. and president, Qualcomm EMEA. “Remote assistance is a key XR use case that utilizes 5G bandwidth and benefits from virtual annotations overlaid on a field-worker‘s glasses.”
“Nreal Light opens up a new wave of experiences for 5G wearables that interact with the virtual world. Working with our partners, we are excited about enabling a best in class solution for the field service category by offering a platform that lowers the barriers to entry, through lightweight form factor, extensive usability, and an affordable price,” said Chi Xu, CEO of Nreal.
“Deutsche Telecom, along with Qualcomm and Nreal, have been tremendous partners – leading the XR industry by building meaningful and useful solutions. We are excited to see our spatial technology help them instantly incorporate the real world into their products. Today’s enterprises need scalable solutions that provide fast, high-quality AR immersion across ubiquitous devices, AR FieldAdvisor does just that,” said Matt Miesnieks, CEO and co-founder of 6D.ai.
How does it work in practice?
To use the AR FieldAdvisor, the field technician puts on their Nreal Light glasses and plugs it into a Snapdragon 5G-enabled smartphone. The smartphone also provides battery power. Immediately, they see a spatial computing interface that enables them to call an expert. They hold their smartphone using it as a spatial controller and can point at objects they see in the glasses. Once the technician starts a call, the remote expert can answer the incoming call on their desktop app viewing the video from the technician in the field in a window. Once the call has been answered, the expert immediately sees what the field technician sees, from the exact same point of view as the technician – since the camera is positioned in the Nreal Light glasses.
Using real-time spatial mapping technology from 6D.ai, everything the technician looks at is immediately mapped in detail. This map will allow the remote expert to provide direct holographic annotations directly on the surfaces of objects seen through the eyes of the technician. Freehand drawing as well as using symbols is possible and detailed illustrations and diagrams can be shared by the expert and placed spatially by the field technician where it is most convenient for viewing while they perform tasks hands free.
Qualcomm and Snapdragon are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries. Qualcomm Snapdragon is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
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