SOURCE: Equipment World | March 28, 2025
Hitachi Construction Machinery is unveiling smart glasses that offer technicians hands-free service support while working on construction and mining equipment.
The new-look XR smart glasses and accessories will allow technicians to receive remote support from their service desk with a visual aid, combining real and virtual spaces. Hitachi cites the technician shortage as the driving force behind the new technology, which will debut at Bauma 2025.
“The current shortage of trained personnel to conduct service and maintenance work on construction and mining machinery is one of the main challenges facing the industry, and therefore the streamlining of inspection, repair and other related work is a priority,” the company says. “Technicians usually use multiple data sources – such as status reports, service manuals and parts catalogues – on smartphones and tablets. However, they face difficulties in operating mobile devices with their hands full, viewing multiple data sources and communicating with expert technicians through online calls.”
Link-Belt unveiled similar AR headset technology featuring a monocle and headphones at ConExpo-Con/Agg 2023.
The glasses are IP65 rated and can withstand water, dust and other elements at construction and mining sites and in shops, the company says.
They can be attached to a safety helmet and use XR streaming technology to overlay multiple screens on the surrounding area – making it possible to operate with physical buttons and finger movements. The footage from the camera on the glasses also enhances the speed and quality of online support available from the service desk in the form of advice, documents and data.
Hitachi Construction Machinery is supplying the industry expertise for the project, while HMS has been tapped to develop the product based on the needs of the construction and mining sectors. Hololight will provide the technology for streaming large amounts of data without buffering for long periods.
The three companies will continue to work together to enhance remote support functions and other solutions, calling the smart glasses “a major step” in digitalizing service operations and enhancing efficiency for technicians.
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