This interview with Jarrod Bassan, Practice Partner for Mobility & IoT Lead (Australia/NZ) for DXC Technology discusses the application of Augmented Reality (AR). DXC Technology formed in April 2017 from the merger of CSC and Hewlett Packard and retains technology interests in AR/VR, gamification, blockchain and Internet of Things.

Virtual Reality (VR) is an immersive technology and disconnects the person from real interaction. Augmented Reality (AR) is a display of information or audio whilst enabling interaction in the physical environment. The DXC case study on show at National Manufacturing Week concerns an excavator and how parts of the machine can be displayed in an augmented visualisation for damage and maintenance. The use of AR provides a level of insight that may not be otherwise readily available.

For headsets and hardware, there is a number of options based on the type of applications. The Daqri and Realware headsets are suitable for industrial use, such as being water and dust proof. Microsoft Hololens is suitable for indoor and training environments. Other hardware may need to be tethered, such as using the Windows MixedReality toolkit and attached to PCs. Each has different capabilities but of most importance is the information being displayed and how it is displayed.

Apple has also made a commitment to AR and sees this technology as the next wave of computing and on the scale in magnitude to that of the PC. At some point in the mid 2020s, AR will be the primary method of interacting with computers and devices.

Recorded at National Manufacturing Week, Sydney Olympic Park, 10 May 2018