Augmented reality in support of Industry 4.0—Implementation challenges and success factors

TLDR: It is found that, while technological aspects are of importance, organisational issues are more relevant for industry, which has not been reflected to the same extent in literature.

Abstract: Industrial augmented reality (AR) is an integral part of Industry 4.0 concepts, as it enables workers to access digital information and overlay that information with the physical world. While not being broadly adopted in some applications, the compound annual growth rate of the industrial AR market is projected to grow rapidly. Hence, it is important to understand the issues arising from implementation of AR in industry. This study identifies critical success factors and challenges for industrial AR implementation projects, based on an industry survey. The broadly used technology, organisation, environment (TOE) framework is used as a theoretical basis for the quantitative part of the questionnaire. A complementary qualitative part is used to underpin and extend the findings. It is found that, while technological aspects are of importance, organisational issues are more relevant for industry, which has not been reflected to the same extent in literature.

Figures

Fig 1 TOE framework (based on [10])

Table 6 Composite reliability, AVE, and VIF of the respective latent variables

Table 5 Measure loadings onto the latent variables

Table 2 Review of TOE framework studies for Industry 4.0 relevant technologies and the used constructs

Table 4 Results of the KMO and sphericity test

Fig 3 Validity, Reliability, and Analysis process of the quantitative data. The blue boxes show what was tested/done and the white boxes show the measures used to do so.

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What have the authors contributed in "Augmented reality in support of industry 4.0 implementation challenges and success factors" ?

While not being broadly adopted in some applications, the compound annual growth rate of the industrial AR market is projected to grow rapidly. This study identifies critical success factors and challenges for industrial AR implementation projects, based on an industry survey. 

Q2. What future works have the authors mentioned in the paper "Augmented reality in support of industry 4.0 implementation challenges and success factors" ?

While having significant implications for academia and practice, this study also has limitations, which indicate directions for future research. Scalability can be part of a ‘ relative advantage ’ construct in the technology context [ 89 ] for future TOE framework based research. Future studies can utilise acceptance models on a user level into a TOE-based research project to ground these factors in theory and determine their influence. Due to the significant implications of the organisational fit and the compatibility of the technology towards implementation success, future research can focus on how to adapt processes for AR, how to align it with the current systems, or how to ensure the operator 's health and safety when using those systems. 

Q3. What are the main visualisation technologies available for AR systems?

Four main visualisation technologies are available for AR systems, namely head-mounted displays (HMDs), handheld devices(HHDs), static screens, and projectors. 

Q4. What was the main prerequisite to be eligible for participation in the survey?

The main prerequisite to be eligible for participation was the direct involvement in AR implementation or pilot projects, e.g. as project lead. 

Q5. what are the key factors for AR in industry 4.0 initiatives?

Their study has suggested that technological factors and the organisational fit are critical for the success of AR in industry 4.0 initiatives. 

Q6. What are the main challenges that AR implementation faces?

As those challenges cover technological, organisational, and environmental issues, the TOE framework provides a suitable lens to investigate which factors influence the technology implementation. 

Q7. What is the main purpose of marker-less systems?

marker-less systems arebeing developed and already used, through which the physical environment is spatially mapped [48, 49]. 

Q8. What is the importance of ensuring that the hardware is capable of delivering the task?

The organisation needs to make sure that the hardware is capable to fulfil the task and does not put too much ergonomic strain on employees. 

Q9. What are the two perspectives that have been identified as relevant in AR and TOE literature?

Especially two perspectives have been identified as relevant in AR and TOE literature, namely adapting the process [61, 104] and involving the users before and during the implementation process [62].