Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd., HMS Co., Ltd. and Holo-Light GmbH have developed new-look XR smart glasses that will be unveiled on 7-13 April at the bauma exhibition in Munich. The highly durable – watertight and dustproof – and advanced accessory allows technicians to: receive remote support from their service desk with a visual aid, using XR technology that enables the combination of real and virtual spaces; and deliver fast and high-quality onsite service.
The current shortage of trained personnel to conduct service and maintenance work on construction and mining machinery is one of the main challenges facing the industry, and therefore the streamlining of inspection, repair and other related work is a priority. Technicians usually use multiple data sources – such as status reports, service manuals and parts catalogues – on smartphones and tablets. However, they face difficulties in operating mobile devices with their hands full, viewing multiple data sources and communicating with expert technicians through online calls.
The XR smart glasses are the solution to meet these challenges, despite previously being used mainly indoors, and with other issues concerning onsite durability and operational stability. The latest innovation has been developed in collaboration by: Hitachi Construction Machinery to provide the industry expertise; HMS to develop the product based on the needs of the construction and mining sectors; and Hololight to provide the technology for streaming large amounts of data in a stable manner for long periods of time. The three companies will continue to work together to enhance remote support functions and other solutions, as well as strengthen partnerships to supply the market.
The smart glasses have been awarded an IP65 rating – meaning that they are watertight and dustproof – and created with a robust design that can be used with confidence by technicians at construction sites and mines in all weathers. In addition, they can be attached to a safety helmet and utilise the XR streaming technology to overlay multiple screens on to the surrounding area – making it possible to operate with physical buttons and finger movements. The footage from the camera on the glasses also enhances the speed and quality of online support available from the service desk in the form of advice, documents and data.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Executive Officer, and President of Spare Parts & Service Business Unit, Hiroshi Hosokawa said: “We are delighted to be working closely with two of the leading companies in the smart glasses and streaming technology sectors. Our construction and mining machinery is in operation all over the world, and we are constantly developing innovations to support the reliability and efficiency of our excavators, wheel loaders and rigid dump trucks. Hitachi Construction Machinery will continue to collaborate with our various partners to deliver added value to our customers, based on the spirit of the new ‘LANDCROS’ concept.”
HMS Founder and CEO Dr. Hu Zhencheng said: “Through the collaboration with Hitachi Construction Machinery and Hololight, we will be able to leverage our AR technology and device development capabilities to strongly promote the digital transformation of construction machinery maintenance. We are proud of the high accuracy and ease of use of our AR glasses, and we believe that their practicality has been further enhanced by deployment at construction and mining sites. In addition, we intend to further enhance the practicality of AR and XR, and accelerate digital transformation at these locations.”
Hololight CEO Florian Haspinger said: “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with Hitachi Construction Machinery and HMS, which has enabled us to integrate our proprietary XR streaming solution for seamless data access and remote expert support – even in the toughest environments. The XR smart glasses mark a major step in digitalising service operations, enhancing efficiency and empowering technicians. We’re excited to be part of bringing this technology to the field and shaping the future of industrial XR.”
XR smart glasses
About Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.
Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (TSE: 6305), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a construction machinery manufacturer which globally deploys development, manufacturing, sales, and service businesses for its hydraulic excavators, wheel loaders, compaction equipment, and mining machinery, etc. In addition to its new machinery business, Hitachi Construction Machinery is expanding its “value chain businesses” of parts and services, remanufacturing (parts and machines), rentals, and used equipment as it aims to grow together with customers as a true solutions provider that offers innovative solutions to customers. As our vow to all stakeholders to achieve this mission, we established and are currently disseminating and promoting the LANDCROS as our new concept. With roughly 26,000 employees around the world, the consolidated sales revenue for Hitachi Construction Machinery was 1,405.9 billion yen for fiscal year 2023 (ended March 2024) with an overseas sales revenue ratio of 84%. For more details, please see the company’s website.
About HMS Co., Ltd.
HMS Corporation specializes in 3D sensing and AI image recognition technologies for edge computing and cloud integration, and provides intelligent sensing services for the digital transformation of industry.
HMS has accumulated more than 20 years of technology in “AI”, “3D sensing”, and “edge computing”, providing customers with AI visual models, fast and accurate VSLAM modules, enterprise-level AR glasses, and edge-cloud collaborative systems. HMS also provides superior intelligent devices and is one of the few vertically integrated suppliers in the market.
HMS is driving digital transformation in a variety of industries under the basic concept of “developing products that inspire customers.
For more information about HMS hardware, please visit https://www.hms-global.com
About Holo-Light GmbH
Hololight is the leading provider of enterprise augmented and virtual reality (XR) software, infrastructure, and streaming technology. The company’s Hololight Hub XR streaming platform ensures that the management and deployment of augmented and virtual reality applications is not only secure, but also seamless, regardless of scale. Complemented by proprietary XR streaming technology and an engineering-focused XR application, Hololight enables organizations to drive innovation in product development, manufacturing, training, and more. Founded in 2015, Hololight proudly serves the global market from offices in Germany, Austria, and the United States. Discover Hololight’s transformative XR solutions at hololight.com.