Quality diagnostics for industrial buildings for HoloLens and Tablets for Socotec

In the field of risk management and performance improvement, SOCOTEC specializes in consulting and inspection of energy infrastructures and equipment. To facilitate and improve the quality inspection process, SOCOTEC has collaborated with OHRIZON to develop the SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications.

With these applications for HoloLens and tablets :

These applications use augmented reality to enable technicians to carry out more efficient and accurate inspections:

In this article, we'll explore in detail the benefits and features of these applications, as well as the results of research conducted with Microsoft's HoloLens goggles.

Quality inspection of energy infrastructure equipment and installations presents many challenges. An IT system that can automatically generate inspection reports is essential to ensure compliance with current standards and regulations. What's more, technicians need to be able to access relevant information quickly and efficiently, even in complex, hard-to-reach environments. That's where SOTEC and SOTEC AR come in.

SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications offer a complete solution to facilitate the quality inspection process. Thanks to augmented reality, technicians can access contextual information directly in the field, by superimposing virtual elements on their real environment. Here are some of the key features of these applications:

The SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications have been designed with an intuitive user interface to ensure ease of use for technicians. Menus and functions are logically organized, enabling users to navigate quickly and easily through the application.

Thanks to augmented reality functionalities, technicians can take notes and photos directly in the application, superimposing the information on their real environment. This prevents data transfer errors and saves time when drawing up reports.

Inspection reports can be generated automatically from checks carried out in the field. Information collected by technicians, such as photos, notes and annotations, is integrated directly into the final report, avoiding errors and loss of information during data transfer.

SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications are designed to adapt to the constraints of complex working environments. Whether in cramped, poorly-lit or hard-to-reach areas, technicians can use these applications to carry out their inspections with ease.

SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications facilitate the exchange of information between technicians in the field and controllers in charge of infrastructure monitoring. Thanks to Bluetooth transmission capabilities, collected data can be shared in real time, enabling smoother communication and rapid resolution of identified problems.

To assess the effectiveness of the SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications, user tests were carried out using Microsoft HoloLens goggles. These tests were carried out with Socotec Cherbourg (France), in conjunction with theUniversity of Sherbrooke (Canada) and Le Mans University (France). The tests were used to determine the text input interface and computer tool best suited to the inspection task. The results showed that using Hololens goggles in combination with other devices such as connected watches improved task execution speed, subjective workload and user experience.

The aim of this study was twofold. Firstly, to determine which text input interface offered the best input speed in an industrial context. Secondly, the study aimed to assess which interface was most suitable for a computer tool dedicated to an inspection task, taking into account criteria such as execution speed, subjective workload, usability and user experience.

The study involved eight participants, all experienced technicians. The participants were subjected to several different conditions of use of SOTEC AND SOTEC AR with the tablet and HoloLens visiocasque, accompanied by complementary devices.

Variables measured included text input speed, task execution speed, subjective workload, usability and user experience.

The results of the study showed that the mixed interface, which combines the use of the HoloLens visiocasque with a complementary connected tool, offered the best text input speed of all the interfaces tested. However, task execution speed was slightly higher when using the HoloLens visiocasque alone. In terms of subjective workload, the mixed interface was the least demanding, closely followed by the HoloLens visiocassette interface alone.

In terms of usability, the HoloLens visiocasque interface alone was considered the most user-friendly, closely followed by the mixed interface. Finally, in terms of user experience, participants expressed a preference for the mixed interface, which offered a more immersive experience.

The user study highlighted the advantages and performance of different text input interfaces in an industrial environment. The mixed interface proved to be the best performer in terms of text input speed. However, the HoloLens visiocasque interface alone was considered the most user-friendly and offered the best user experience. These results provide valuable information for the development of more efficient and user-friendly interfaces in the field of industrial inspection.

OHRIZON is the industrial partner who developed the SOTEC and SOTEC AR applications for SOCOTEC. Specializing in augmented reality, OHRIZON brought its technical expertise to bear in designing innovative solutions tailored to SOCOTEC's needs. Thanks to their collaboration, SOCOTEC was able to benefit from a high-performance IT tool to facilitate and improve its quality inspections.

The SOTEC application and the SOTEC AR application for Microsoft HoloLens, developed by SOCOTEC in collaboration with OHRIZON, have revolutionized the quality inspection process for energy infrastructures. Thanks to augmented reality, technicians can access precise, contextual information directly in the field, facilitating their work and improving the quality of inspection reports. With these applications, SOCOTEC and OHRIZON have opened up new perspectives for the inspection industry, using the most advanced technologies.