RealWear's Head-Mounted Tablet Ships to Global Pioneer Partners

In March 2017, RealWear announced that its HMT-1—a voice-controlled, hands-free, head-mounted enterprise tablet—would start shipping to a long and reputable list of “pioneer partners.” The pioneer program includes more than 60 companies with industrial, enterprise, and/or commercially-oriented augmented reality (AR) operations (e.g., systems integrators (SIs), value added resellers (VARs), as well as software and channel partners). These companies are receiving the HMT-1 ahead of the official launch, which is currently slated for July 2017. Until then, the expectation is that RealWear pioneers will have an opportunity to measure, test, and validate a range of applications and use cases that will ultimately inform the product planning and go-to-market processes.

The HMT-1 provides technicians and engineers with the equivalent of a 7-inch Android tablet screen in their line of sight, leveraging voice and gesture-based interactions to facilitate and control hands-free access to information. It can be snapped onto safety helmets, worn with protective eyewear, as well as corrective eyewear, in part due to the HMT-1’s functional capabilities; it is waterproof, dustproof (IP66 rated), and shockproof to two meters, making it a suitable candidate for a number of application and use cases found in traditional, as well as HazLoc, work environments (on the other end of the spectrum).

RealWear emphasizes five core functions designed to improve productivity and reduce downtime when paired with the software and platforms provided by partners such as Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HP), OSIsoft, and ThingWorx:

• Remote Mentor: The HMT-1 features a communication interface that allows less-skilled staff to consult remote experts for real-time guidance. A live video feed allows the expert to see what the worker is seeing and explain what to do. This helps saves travel time, as experts are not required to go to the site; maximizes productivity, as the expert can explain tasks quickly; and reduces errors, as the worker can hear step-by-step instructions.
• Document Navigator: Workers often refer to manuals for instructions and diagrams. While many companies provide manuals on laptops or tablets, there are issues with unreliability in harsh conditions, which ultimately requires the user to stop working or remove his or her gloves. The HMT-1 can save documents in a manner that allows employees to search, scan, and select information (e.g., in a manual) via voice and gesture-based inputs to minimize workflow interruptions.
• Work Instructions: Instead of using paper- or tablet-based instructions, the HMT-1 allows workers to view as well as navigate step-by-step instructions (via voice), which could be in the form of text, images, video, diagrams, or models. This helps solve some of the inherent challenges that come with traditional mobile device usage, particularly in environments that require the availability of both hands for worker safety.
• IIoT Data Visualization: With the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), workers can see real-time and historical information about a piece of equipment, such as temperature, pressure, and downtime, allowing them to determine what may be causing an issue or what may need to be fixed. This information, which may otherwise be hard to find, is provided in a user’s line of sight on the HMT-1, which in turn improves productivity and reduces downtime.
• Mobile Forms: Workers often must fill out forms before, during, and after a job. Paper forms and forms on tablets require clean hands and cannot be used while wearing gloves or while working on equipment. Android-based forms can be used on the HMT-1, allowing workers to fill in the forms using their voice while continuing their work.

The HMT-1 provides enterprises with a more efficient way to complete maintenance tasks, allowing workers to view information and instructions in their line of sight and log tasks and data all via a voice interface, which ensures that they can continue working. In March 2017, RealWear announced that the HMT-1 received the award for the Best Enterprise Solution at the Wearable Technology Show in London, which recognizes innovation within the IoT, wearable, and smart device markets. This aided in the company’s mission to get the device to pioneer partners since the initial announcement of the program in January 2017.

The enterprise AR device market is experiencing considerable growth, with the introduction of several new devices and solutions that provide workers with a hands-free way to access information. This aids in improving productivity and reducing errors, as tasks can now be completed properly, faster, due to the new developments in the enterprise. AR devices are becoming more rugged, allowing them to be used in harsh conditions where other forms of access to information are unsuitable and present workers with issues, causing them to stop what they are doing to confirm how to do it properly. Over the next five years, ABI Research forecasts that enterprise AR shipments will see nearly 130% CAGR, with over 30 million devices being shipped in 2022.