The "5G Factory of the Future-AR Smart Glasses Collaboration Solution" of Software Technology Institute, Institute for Information Industry Wins 2022 APICTA MERIT Award.

Caption: Through the 5G private network and AR smart glasses collaboration solution, technicians (instructors) can provide the best service in the shortest possible time, and assist customers (operators) to eliminate all problems encountered on site.

Supported by the subsidy from the corporate technology projects of the Administration for Digital Industries, Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) and the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the Software Technology Institute, Institute for Information Industry (III) developed "5G Factory of the Future-AR Smart Glasses Collaboration Solution" through cross-team cooperation. Scored by 57 international judges, the solution successfully stood out from 214 works and entered the Asia-Pacific finals, winning the silver medal (MERIT Award) in the industrial application category of 2022 APICTA.

The core technology of this award includes the ultra-reliable and low-latency 5G private network as the backbone of the future smart factory and three collaboration solutions, “remote guidance, free hands, and real-time interaction”, integrating the virtual reality superposition and standard operating process production technology of AR smart glasses, to meet the practical needs of factories. With the AR smart glasses collaboration solutions, on-site operators and remote instructors can not only obtain consistent information in time and synchronize actions in various locations, but also use AR smart glasses to project virtual auxiliary images onto the work area, which can greatly improve the effectiveness of the guidance.

The solution is an important outcome of the technology project commissioned by the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and conducted by the Institute for Information Industry (III). Both the Administration for Digital Industries, Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA), which was just established in August 2022, and the the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) have paid close attention to the development of the key industries of the next generation. The two units collectively support the Institute for Information Industry (III) in the research and development of domestic advanced communication and smart perception technology, which is an important driving force for the successful field verification of this solution in several domestic venues. Under the guidance of the two ministries, the Institute for Information Industry (III) can continue to optimize the remote guidance and interactive solutions for smart glasses, and assist domestic information service providers to cultivate capabilities for software core building. With forward-looking technologies such as 5G communication infrastructure and smart space information integration, III assists in the successful transformation of traditional industries, allowing field operations to focus on work efficiency and reduce losses caused by operational errors.

Li Yang, Chief of the Software Technology Institute, Institute for Information Industry (III), indicated that, with the rise of the concept of Industry 4.0 and enterprise private network, in order to spread and accelerate the related applications from the top to the bottom of the industry and expand industrial benefits, III utilize domain expertise to develop low-latency, high-bandwidth, and wide-connection communication infrastructure with the support from the Administration for Digital Industries, Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA), the Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT), Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and strategic partners from the industry. In addition, in response to the future needs of factory automation, III continually tries to integrate and test mechanisms such as remote diagnosis, repair and maintenance, and data storage, etc. The award-winning solution this time is mainly by using the 5G private network, to allow operators and instructors to work and complete tasks together when they are located in different places, reducing repair and maintenance costs.

Liao Hsien-Cheng, Acting Chief of the Software Technology Institute, Institute for Information Industry (III), who leads the AR smart glasses team, pointed out that the "AR Smart Glasses Collaboration Solution" is one of the key projects to assist Taiwan's traditional industries, such as manufacturing and petrochemical industries, to promote digital transformation. By superimposing the guidance information on the workspace or equipment, new employees can be trained to get started quickly with the first-person perspective guidance. In this way, when faced with operation process adjustment, enterprises can also shorten the time required for staff to familiarize with the process, reduce the error rate, and then improve work efficiency and product yield.

Deputy Director of the Software Technology Institute, Institute for Information Industry (III) Meng Yi-Heng indicated that winning the APICTA Awards is just the beginning, and the most important thing is that the industry is also ready to embark on the road of transformation together. Playing the role as a third party, the Institute for Information Industry (III) will continue to assist industry partners in creating commercial and industrial value.
 
*Note：The Asia Pacific ICT Alliance Awards is the most influential industrial information and communication technology competition in the Asia-Pacific region, and is known as the Oscars of the Asia-Pacific information and communication technology. The purpose of this award is to promote the regional cooperation and development of ICT in the Asia Pacific and help shorten the gap in information technology between different regions. It is hoped that this platform can be used to carry out cross-border exchanges and stimulate ICT innovation and creativity, as well as promote regional economic and trade cooperation and technology transfer. Currently, in addition to Taiwan, there are 20 economies in the affiliation including Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.

■News Key words：AR Smartglasses、5G network、Intelligent Factory、Remote collaboration

【Media Contact】
Software Technology Institute (III)
Ming-Fang Weng Tel: (02) 6607-3754 mfueng@iii.org.tw
Roy T. Wang Tel: (02) 6607-3718 roytwang@iii.org.tw
Center for Marketing Strategy (III)
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Ying Shen Tel: (02) 6631-8643 yingshen@iii.org.tw