NExT AR is compatible with Microsoft
HoloLens and Android smart glasses,
including Google Glass, and uses Movicon.
NExT industrial SCADA platform as its
centralised data management system. The
latter was also developed by Progea and
is available in the UK through Products 4
Automation (P4A).
Remote access from NExT AR to SCADA
is provided by the Movicon.NExT HTML5
Web Client. The two systems interact via
Wi-Fi connections and OPC UA server-client
communication channels. In this way, the
HUD can display any data from Movicon.
NExT.
More precisely, the functions of Movicon.
NExT accessible from NExT AR and the
interactions between the two platforms are
fully customisable, in order to satisfy different
industrial needs. Bespoke solutions can
be either created by the users, via software
development kits (SDK), or by Progea itself.
Furthermore, the modular and flexible
workspace presented by Progea’s SCADA is
designed to ensure ease of use and intuitive
navigation via advanced visualisation
capabilities and captivating graphics.
The platform uses Windows Presentation
Foundation (WPF) resolution-independent
and vector-based rendering engine. This
next-generation technology offers 2D and 3D
graphics. As a result, these features are also
present in NExT AR, which can support 3D and
holographic imaging visualisations as well as
“’pinch and zoom’ functionalities that further
optimise user interaction.
FACTORIES BECOME SMART
UNDER THE EYE OF AR HUD
In the past, plant operators and engineers
had to choose between staying at their own
desk to monitor the equipment via the SCADA
system or be on the factory floor to look at the
machines themselves, where they were out of
touch with other plant and control systems.
Thanks to NExT AR, this dilemma no longer
exists, as the shop floor and higher enterprise
levels can truly connect.
As mixed reality becomes more and more
popular for industrial applications, users’
expectations will continue to grow. Progea is
continuously pushing the boundaries of what
is possible with AR HMI, by implementing
new functionalities and expanding the
compatibility of NExT AR to new wearables.
In this way, the company is deploying the
Industrial Internet of Things and paving the
way for Industry 4.0.
www.products4automation.co.uk
Issue 37 PECM
79