XR has many uses and is already an established part of gaming, retail, and business.

But there's another big use case for this transformative technology: health and safety. While it might lack the glamour of immersive VR fantasy worlds, it has the potential to safeguard frontline workers in industrial situations.

This trend has been accelerated by the pandemic. When travel restrictions came into place, the need for remote training, guidance and inspections increased dramatically. It was no longer possible to fly an expert from Singapore to New York to sort out a technical issue. XR has increasingly come to provide instant on-site support in a variety of situations.

Before we take a look at some examples, a quick word on terminology.

XR is an umbrella term for all technologies that alter our perception of reality. The degree to which this perception is changed varies from technology to technology. In this article, we're looking primarily at augmented reality (AR) and assisted reality (aR).

An aR (lower-case "a") device is a wearable computer that provides you with professional assistance. Staff in an industrial setting might wear one to access a repair manual in the field. The information is typically displayed on a screen just outside of the user's eye-line, allowing them to carry on with their job hands-free.

By contrast, AR (upper-case A) blends the user's real-life surroundings with superimposed digital information. There are headsets specifically designed to do this, but the technology is also available on smartphones and tablets.

With that distinction in place, let's take a look at some examples of how XR can improve health and safety.

Health and safety inspections

There's a well-known issue with inspections of all kinds – from schools to factories to sports facilities.

If you're aware that you're being watched, and not only watched but judged, you're likely to adjust your behaviour. The way you behave won't be representative of your normal working day, but rather a performance for the inspector as you second guess yourself.

This issue is real in the context of health and safety inspections. Staff are likely to act more rigorously than when left to their own devices. This makes it hard to answer the million-dollar question: are health and safety regulations being met?

Assisted reality glasses and headsets offer a solution to this problem. Wherever in the world your inspector is, they can remotely conduct the inspection and provide mentoring to frontline staff.

In this scenario, workers are getting on with their day as usual, the only difference being that they're wearing lightweight, hands-free headsets or glasses. The inspector sees what they see through high-quality, low-latency POV video feeds – and can speak to staff through real-time voice chat.

This allows the inspector to chat with staff, monitor real-life working situations and spot any issues as they arise.

An example of this technology in action comes from our sister company SimplyVideo, which worked with geotech giant Soletanche Bachy International to improve its health and safety procedures using aR technology.

Inspectors at Soletanche Bachy use the RealWear HMT-1 head-mounted tablet to offer quality assurance and quality control from afar. By harnessing the power of aR, the inspection procedure is simplified and made more interactive.

Realistic, risk-free training

Industries like construction, manufacturing, healthcare and warehousing are bursting with hazards. These sectors have to provide detailed training to ensure that workers stay safe on the frontline.

Augmented reality headsets like the Magic Leap and HoloLens 2 have the capabilities to deliver realistic, risk-free training to staff in these industries.

Let's say you work on an oil rig – there are crucial training scenarios to undergo to ensure your safety, but they're often too dangerous to enact on the rig itself. If on-site training is possible, it comes at a financial cost. But the most common alternative – a health and safety presentation in the office – doesn't give trainees the chance to immerse themselves in the situation.

This is where AR comes in. The trainee in their headset is presented with an interactive, realistic, risk-free simulation that provides deep situational awareness. This simulation could be anything from equipment repair to disaster response. The obvious benefit for health and safety is that staff deepen their familiarity with potentially hazardous situations, and so are better placed to deal with them appropriately.

An example of this is the pump manufacturer Grundfos, which uses XR headsets to conduct production training. Staff can act out machine installations in a virtual environment, guided by text, voice, and visuals.

As well as being realistic, cheap, engaging, and safe, Grundfos says that its training sessions have significantly decreased in length, falling from six weeks to four days.

Instant access to safety guidelines and documentation

Another way that aR can enhance health and safety standards is by providing instant access to guidelines and documentation. This reduces the likelihood of error and helps keep staff safe.

In the manufacturing sector, for example, technicians need access to all manner of safety information – and they need it in a bustling environment where situational awareness is key.

While paper records have their place, they cannot match the speed, efficiency, and security of digital documents.

aR glasses are helping to move industries away from ring binders and filing cabinets to a world in which staff can have instant access to relevant documentation the moment they need it. Unlike smartphones and tablets, these devices are hands-free, meaning that staff can maintain situational awareness and stay focused on the task at hand.

This lack of distraction is crucial to aR technology. Technicians can access the documents they need by scanning QR codes – and the information is presented clearly without blocking their field of vision.

Are you interested in XR technology? At Expand Reality, we stock a range of assisted and augmented reality products and give you the chance to try before you buy. We also provide up-to-date information about transformative tech over at our blog.