Augmented reality (AR) technology provider Oristo AR intends to expose, and promote, AR technology and its benefits to as many industries as possible over the next 12 months, as adopting this technology can significantly improve operations.

However, GM Shawn Bezuidenhout stresses that introducing new technology to institutions that have been using the same procedures for many years “takes time”, as convincing decision makers is necessary.

“To most companies, taking on new technology poses a major challenge, as does getting employees to buy in to the changes. This is the greatest hurdle,” Bezuidenhout notes.

Oristo AR’s SMART glasses offer benefits to most aspects of industry including, but not limited to, field services, skills sharing and work-from-home.

“Imagine being able to free up to 70% of your travel time and costs. How could that time saved impact on the rest of your business?” Bezuidenhout poses, remarking that the reduced staff onboarding cycle could benefit a company through having an expert remain in the office, who could transfer skills, in real time, to multiple sites while on duty.

“Our technology provides users with the ability to visually collaborate with engineers, managers, artisans or customers on remote sites, to identify problem situations and provide solutions,” he adds.

The glasses, which have a transparent AR screen built-in, can also provide automatic live language translation, which means that communication with other language groups is seamless.

Users can also visually communicate with international equipment suppliers to assist with installations and training, removing support delay frustrations and minimizing operational downtime. Other applications include medical advice to emergency response medics on accident sites, site inspections, fire monitoring and rescue coordination.

To get started, however, only a few elements are required. Through using a smart device (such as a phone, a tablet or a pair of the company’s Vuzix AR glasses), a user can subscribe to the software that can be configured to suit most applications.

Customised and application-specific features can also be programmed and supported by the company.