What can AR technology do to assist power grid production?

In many well-known science fiction movies, people have seen scenes of virtual reality and augmented reality. In fact, this concept has now entered the real world.

Virtual Reality (VR) technology connects the user's visual, auditory and other sensory systems to a simulated three-dimensional virtual world through special equipment. Augmented Reality (AR) technology superimposes virtual information on physical entities to form a new world that integrates virtual and real. Users can freely interact with virtual information and physical entities in real time. If VR technology creates another world for users, AR technology brings computer systems into the real world.

AR technology widely uses multimedia, 3D modeling, real-time tracking and registration, intelligent interaction, sensing and other technical means, which can not only reflect the content of the real world, but also display virtual information. While AR technology is entering the lives and work of ordinary people, it has also changed the original business models and production methods of many industries.

AR technology has been widely used in many fields

The origin of AR technology can be traced back to the augmented reality viewing experience device invented by filmmaker and inventor Morton Heilig in the 1950s. This device used images, sounds, smells and vibrations to let people feel the scene of riding a motorcycle on the streets of Brooklyn, New York. AR technology has also developed from this.

Foreign countries started early in AR technology and have launched a series of products. Current applications mainly focus on consumer, enterprise markets and military fields such as auxiliary teaching and training, medical research and training, military reconnaissance and combat command, precision instrument manufacturing and maintenance, and remote robot control.

Today, users expect to shift from 2D to a more immersive 3D, and upgrade from using only language functions to a full range of visual experiences. In this regard, AR technology can better meet user needs than VR technology, and has been widely used in business, cultural industry, industrial design and other fields, changing the way consumers, enterprises and the digital world interact to a certain extent.

AR technology has opened up a new model for digital marketing. For example, by accurately superimposing various virtual information on surrounding real objects on mobile devices, accurate push of product promotion activities can be achieved; in product showrooms, exhibitions or product promotion websites, superimposing product 3D models on brochures or booths can show the appearance and functions of products and enhance consumers' understanding of product details. More and more science and technology exhibition halls are also beginning to use AR technology to bring visitors a safe and realistic interactive experience.

In the field of design, VR-assisted design and simulation applications are limited by the display and interaction methods, unable to show the real proportions of design works or simulation equipment in the real environment, and lack the ability for people to interact naturally with virtual models. By using AR technology, combined with relevant hardware platforms, people can display the appearance of design works or simulation equipment in real scenes from a first-person perspective, and interact with virtual models. This effectively solves the technical problems of VR and is a new direction for assisting industrial design, fashion design, interior design, architectural design and equipment simulation.

Can effectively assist all aspects of power grid production operations

As the scale of power grids continues to expand and new equipment continues to be put into production, the manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance of power grid equipment are faced with problems such as complex data, many steps, and high precision requirements for disassembly and assembly. The traditional operation mode can no longer meet the needs of power grid development. At present, the popularity of mobile applications for infrastructure and operation and inspection enables operators to use mobile phones and tablets to achieve real-time collection, synchronization and analysis of some on-site information. However, mobile applications occupy both hands during interaction, and the ability to guide and collaborate on on-site operations needs to be strengthened.

AR technology can superimpose the real environment and virtual objects on the same screen or space in real time, and realize various friendly interactions such as voice recognition, gesture recognition, head movements, etc. through wearable devices, providing intelligent services for operators. For power grid companies, AR technology can effectively assist the manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance of power grid equipment, provide intuitive and convenient operation guidance for operators, improve the quality, efficiency and safety level of on-site operations, and assist in improving the health level of power grid equipment.

The intelligent assembly method based on AR technology can provide operators with intuitive, convenient and intelligent assembly guidance, reduce the difficulty of installing large equipment, and improve the overall quality and operation efficiency of equipment installation.

At the operation and inspection site, operators can use AR technology's active guidance and automatic identification to reduce the time spent on locating equipment, searching for information, checking data, and communicating, quickly completing tasks and improving work efficiency. AR technology is also conducive to achieving standardization of the operation process.

In addition, AR technology's voice assistance, remote assistance, system intelligent analysis and other means can achieve single-person operation, effectively reducing the number of workers per task; intelligent analysis means can quickly and effectively determine the completion status of the job, monitor personnel status, and prevent accidents.

AR technology has been introduced to power grid companies since 2015. Global Energy Internet Research Institute Co., Ltd., NARI Group Co., Ltd. and other units have carried out a series of key technology research and equipment development around the application of AR technology. Among them, the Joint Research Institute began to explore and study AR intelligent perception interaction technology in 2015, conducted in-depth research on the basic software and hardware platform technology of AR smart wearable devices in 2016, and took the lead in carrying out AR technology field application verification in Chongqing in 2017.

At present, the Joint Research Institute is relying on its technical advantages in AR and other aspects to carry out research on multiple scientific research projects. Related projects have been piloted in Wuxi, Jiangsu, Xi'an, Shaanxi, Chongqing and other places, reducing the difficulty of obtaining the operating status and historical data of substation equipment, and greatly improving the convenience and efficiency of front-line production personnel. In the future, the application of AR technology is expected to be further promoted in substations, and can also be applied to power generation, petrochemical, manufacturing, transportation, aerospace and other industries, playing an increasingly important role.

(Author's unit: Global Energy Interconnection Research Institute Co., Ltd.)