SMART ASSEMBLY factory assistance systems using augmented reality

In manual assembly with a large number of variants, the complexity of the tasks increases with the number of individual parts to be joined and the number of existing variants. Assembly is subject to fluctuating production figures, which requires flexibility of the deployed employees. Paper-based work instructions can hardly reflect these requirements in a process-safe manner, which is why systems such as pick-to-light or interactive work instructions are currently being tested in the field. Completely new possibilities are offered by augmented/mixed reality technology, in which the real environment is enriched with additional content or virtual objects. The funded research project pursues the goal of holistic optimisation of assembly activities by integrating digitalisation into the assembly process. For this purpose, the assembly process is first transferred into the digital world. This makes it possible to provide additional information such as showing the next assembly step or tips on correct assembly. These aids could support the worker in carrying out his activity as well as in the learning process. Through the use of augmented/mixed reality, there is the possibility of recognising design difficulties and providing feedback to the development department with the help of an automated evaluation. As a result, new aspects to be considered in the design could be derived. As a result, it is possible to adapt existing design guidelines to the requirements of assembly. Furthermore, the optimisation of the assembly process in terms of work psychology is considered on the basis of data such as the assemblability of individual joint pairings. This holistic investigation leads to an expansion of the state of the art.