Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre starts Hololens trials

Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), based in Sheffield, has become one of the first companies in UK to adopt HoloLens.

The headset will be used in AMRC’s Integrated Manufacturing Group (IMG) to explore the system’s use in manufacturing applications.

The team envisions some applications already, ranging from simply delivering instructions, guiding workmen via HoloSkype or dramatically cutting the time taken to produce modular building panels through the use of projection technology to show exactly where components need to be fixed, instead of the assembly worker having to use a ruler and pencil.

The company has also demonstrated how they can prototype moving a  full sized holographic image of a robot around its Factory 2050’s shop floor and put the robot through its paces.

“HoloLens technology allows you to work out where the robot needs to be to serve a number of machines that are already on the factory floor,” says AMRC Augmented Reality Technical Fellow, Chris Freeman, who leads IMG’s work on Digitally Assisted Assembly.

“You can move the holographic image of the robot at the flick of a finger, put it through its paces and checking it will do what you want it to do, safely, before you have even bought the robot, let alone started bolting it to the floor.”

The company was also assessing the HoloLens for its suitability to create proof of concept applications for automated assembly tasks and in-line support assistance.

“For technologies like these, the ultimate goal is that they will be used for digitally assisted assembly techniques assisting engineers and technicians to improve quality and create efficiencies by reducing rework, scrappage and concessions,” said Freeman.

Microsoft’s HoloLens is now available in 7 countries around the world, with links to the various stores here.