An Interactive Augmented Reality Tool to Enhance the Quality Inspection Process in Manufacturing – Pilot Study

Abstract

Quality inspection processes are an essential part of most industrial systems. These are repetitive and precise operations that are often very complex and require multiple steps to be performed correctly by different inspectors or operators. Augmented Reality (AR), one of the most promising and enabling technologies for assisting employees and engineers in the manufacturing workplace, has the potential to help operators to better focus on tasks while having virtual data at their disposal. Therefore, it is important to verify whether, with the support of this technology, it is possible to help workers perform these activities faster, more efficiently, and with less mental effort than with traditional paper-based documents. This paper describes a pilot interactive AR tool designed to support quality controllers in their inspection of welded products in the manufacturing environment. This tool is designed to guide the employee through the inspection process, provide them with all relevant information and help them find any discrepancies or deviations. The presented AR tool is created with the game engine Unity 3D and SDK Vuforia to assure compatibility with commonly used devices, such as tablets or smartphones. It does not use markers, but uses the object tracking method instead. A pilot study was conducted with a group of five probands to test the usability and functionality of the solution using SUS (System Usability Scale) standard questionnaires. The average SUS value rated by the probands was 78, confirming both a high level of usability and user satisfaction.