Next Generation Assisted Reality Support

Our laboratory remote support options include new assisted reality tools. Remote experts can see everything our engineers see providing real-time feedback whilst they work safely and hands-free.

Our field service engineers now carry the Navigator-500 Head Mounted Tablets (HMT’s). We paired this new industrial wearable from, Realwear with the best software platform we could find, Maintastic. Together, they give our engineers the ability to call colleagues and manufacturing service partners. Remote specialists see everything our engineers see, providing real-time feedback and instruction. Engineers get all of this additional support whilst they work safely hands-free.

We also employ the Maintastic platform to provide augmented reality laboratory remote support options for customers too. Using smartphones / tablets / laptops customers can now call service engineers for augmented video calls. If secure access to a remote system can be provided we also use Teamviewer to log in and auto-pilot instruments. Together this suite of new tools is helping us help ours customers faster.

Case Studies

We use our new Navigator-500 headsets to improve engineer cross-training, reduce training costs and record technical repairs / fixes. Engineers can talk to each other, or seek additional help on-site using the headset and Maintastic – an augmented reality (AR) service platform. Customers can also open AR calls using smartphones / tablets / laptops and we’re using this service to get customers back up and running faster and more efficiently.

Engineer Training

SSS Ltd

Find out how we’re training our new engineer, Ivan Lesnianski, with the help of AR tools like the Navigator-500 from Realwear.

Reduced Downtime

Nippon Gases UK, Teesside

Even Senior Field Service Engineers need help sometimes and new tools are helping us help customers.

Reduced Repair Cost

Intertek Caleb Brett, Thornton

AR and our partners at XOS helped us make a field repair recently which would normally have been a factory return, saving thousands.

Frequently asked Questions:

Why is this technology useful?

We see the following benefits for our customers through the deployment of this technology:

Improvement	Customer Benefit
Improved Cross-Training	Engineers support more instruments and applications More engineers to call on Faster engineer response
Assisted Reality calls to service partners	Detail expert assistance for specialist problems Improved first time fix rates
Recorded problems and solution pairs	Data on previous problems is not lost Helps other engineers learn from past problems Improved first time fix rate
Hands free operation	Engineers are safer, faster and more compliant

Can we use this technology too?

Whilst HMT’s (Head Mounted Tablets, or aR Glasses) are reserved for engineer use only, you can get the benefit of Assisted Reality support from SSS.

If you download the Maintastic app for free from the Google Play Store / Apple Store then and an SSS engineer can email you a link so that you can join an on-going Assisted Reality call. This call can be taken via your laptop or via a mobile device e.g. table / phone which has Wifi or mobile data.

Through this call our engineers can provide you with real-time feedback and direction too.
Are these devices safe?

Yes! The Realwear Navigator-500 is being used by some of the largest companies in our sector including Total, Honeywell, Schlumberger, Exxon Mobil, and Shell to name just a few. Hardware is IP66 compliant and safe at a drop height of 2.5m.
The Navigator’s eyepiece display is on the end of a movable boom arm. This is arranged so that the display is below the engineer’s normal line of site to offer an unobstructed view of their surroundings. Engineers can use HMT’s hands-free so they can work safely without the need to juggle documentation / laptops and tools.
How do Scientific Support Services protect our privacy when using devices?

Our SSS Assisted Reality Glasses On-Site Use Policy directs how our engineers use devices on customer sites and puts the privacy customer lab staff and the data security of our customers and their clients at the heart of how we use HMT’s on-site.

The provisions include seeking permission from our site contacts and nearby site staff to use devices and make recordings of issues we find. Additionally, all recordings resident on the HMT’s are protected by PIN codes and fingerprint sensors on the device until they are exported to our dedicated encrypted cloud server on Maintastic which is stored in the EU and covered by GDPR legislation.

Finally, where customers make specific requests we’re also happy to provide copies of recorded data and crop or edit sections, or delete entirely recorded elements which customers do not want stored.

In short, whilst we hope such recordings will help our team better help you, your privacy and data security is our top priority.

New Engineer Training Ivan Lesnianski - Junior Field Service Engineer

The Navigator-500 and Maintastic allow our Senior Engineers to remotely shadow Ivan during his GC Service Training. This allowed us to cover Ivan’s early maintenance training on non-critical customer hardware in a fraction of the time. It also allows Senior Engineers to simulate problems and supervise repairs which ordinarily occur infrequently. So Ivan will have seen and dealt with issues our Senior Engineers hadn’t until they’d had years of experience in the field. This will significantly expedite and enhance his training.