The More You See

This study discusses about the future of augmented reality (AR) and its capability to transform engineering design. AR lets designers visualize parts such as the motorcycle cladding, fuel-tank cover, and seal. AR’s possibilities have spurred major engineering software companies such as Bentley Systems, Siemens PLM, and Autodesk, and even the software behemoth Microsoft, to invest in AR for engineering, manufacturing, and plant design. Merging engineering software and AR could let engineers suspend 3D models in midair and tweak them in real time. In AR’s new era, wearable headsets are smaller, less bulky, and far more user friendly than older AR devices. They are also reliable, affordable, and do not tie their wearers by cord to a computer system. New AR applications have let auto mechanics gaze through headsets for visual guidance as they repaired car engines. It is predicted that AR will also be useful for the Internet of Things and the Industrial Internet of Things.