Exploring Head Mounted Display Based Augmented Reality for Factory Workers

We present our prototype application of head mounted display (HMD) based augmented reality (AR) for use in in factory contexts. The prototype was evaluated in a focus group based user study held at an industrial production line. The prototype was implemented using a Microsoft HoloLens, and supported placing different AR notifications, such as machinery fault or maintenance messages, in the environment. The prototype was used as a stimulus in the focus group consisting of factory workers (n = 6) for exploring the potential use of HMD AR in the industrial production line context. As the main findings, we identified two themes where factory workers saw HMD AR as a potential technology: in task instruction, and in confirming correct functionality. The technology was seen as having potential for collaborative tasks, especially for receiving instructions. Hands-free usage and ability to interact whilst wearing gloves were highly appreciated.