Page 23 - Harvard Business Review (November-December, 2017)

had to constantly compare the actual ship
with complex 2-D blueprints. But with
AR, they can now see the final design ENHANCING HUMAN DECISION MAKING
superimposed on the ship, which reduces
inspection time by 96%—from 36 hours to At its core, the power of augmented reality grows out of the way
just 90 minutes. Overall, time savings of
25% or more are typical for manufacturing humans process information. We access information through each of
tasks using AR. our five senses—but at different rates. Vision provides us with the most
information by far: An estimated 80% to 90% of the information humans
get is accessed through vision.
AR’S KEY CAPABILITIES
The ability to absorb and process information is limited by our mental capacity. The
As we’ve previously explained (see demand on this capacity is referred to as “cognitive load.” Each mental task we undertake
“How Smart, Connected Products Are reduces the capacity available for other, simultaneous tasks.
Transforming Competition,” HBR, Cognitive load depends on the mental effort required to process a given type of
November 2014), the SCPs spreading information. For example, reading instructions from a computer screen and acting on them
through our homes, workplaces, and creates a greater cognitive load than hearing those same instructions, because the letters
factories allow users to monitor product must be translated into words and the words interpreted. Cognitive load also depends
operations and conditions in real time, on “cognitive distance,” or the gap between the form in which information is presented
control and customize product operations and the context in which it is applied. Consider what happens when someone refers to a
remotely, and optimize product smartphone for directions while driving. The driver must consume the information from
performance using real-time data. And in the screen, retain that information in working memory, translate the directions into the
some cases, intelligence and connectivity physical environment in front of him, and then act on those directions, all while operating
allow SCPs to be fully autonomous. the vehicle. There is significant cognitive distance between the digital information on the
AR powerfully magnifies the value screen and the physical context in which information is applied. Dealing with this distance
created by those capabilities. Specifically, creates cognitive load.
it improves how users visualize and The combination of the speed at which information is transmitted and absorbed
therefore access all the new monitoring and the cognitive distance involved in applying it lies at the root of the much-repeated
data, how they receive and follow phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words.” When we look at the physical world, we
instructions and guidance on product absorb a huge amount and variety of information almost instantaneously. By the same
operations, and even how they interact token, an image or picture that superimposes information on the physical world, placing
with and control the products themselves. it in context for us, reduces cognitive distance and minimizes cognitive load.
Visualize. AR applications provide a sort This explains why AR is so powerful. There is no better graphical user interface than the
of X-ray vision, revealing internal features physical world we see around us when it is enhanced by a digital overlay of relevant data
that would be difficult to see otherwise. At and guidance where and when they are needed. AR eliminates dependence on out-of-
the medical device company AccuVein, for context and hard-to-process 2-D information on pages and screens while greatly improving
instance, AR technology converts the heat our ability to understand and apply information in the real world.
signature of a patient’s veins into an image
that is superimposed on the skin, making
the veins easier for clinicians to locate. This
dramatically improves the success rate of improve workforce productivity, are warehouse picking. Complicated 2-D
blood draws and other vascular procedures. inherently costly and labor-intensive schematic representations of a procedure in
AR more than triples the likelihood of a and often deliver uneven results. Written a manual, for example, become interactive
successful needle stick on the first try and instructions for assembly tasks, for 3-D holograms that walk the user through
reduces the need for “escalations” (calling instance, are frequently hard and time- the necessary processes. Little is left to the
for assistance, for example) by 45%. consuming to follow. Standard instructional imagination or interpretation.
Bosch Rexroth, a global provider videos aren’t interactive and can’t adapt At Boeing, AR training has had a dramatic
of power units and controls used in to individual learning needs. In-person impact on the productivity and quality of
manufacturing, uses an AR-enhanced training is expensive and requires students complex aircraft manufacturing procedures.
visualization to demonstrate the design and and teachers to meet at a common In one Boeing study, AR was used to guide
capabilities of its smart, connected CytroPac site, sometimes repeatedly. And if the trainees through the 50 steps required to
hydraulic power unit. The AR application equipment about which students are being assemble an aircraft wing section involving
allows customers to see 3-D representations taught isn’t available, they may need extra 30 parts. With the help of AR, trainees
of the unit’s internal pump and cooling training to transfer what they’ve learned to completed the work in 35% less time than
options in multiple configurations and how a real-world context. trainees using traditional 2-D drawings and
subsystems fit together. AR addresses those issues by providing documentation. And the number of trainees
Instruct and guide. AR is already real-time, on-site, step-by-step visual with little or no experience who could
redefining instruction, training, and guidance on tasks such as product perform the operation correctly the first
coaching. These critical functions, which assembly, machine operation, and time increased by 90%.

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