Context-aware augmented reality experiences using cloud-based systems

Abstract: The new reality is about connectivity. From social media to collaborative tools in work environments, people and their devices are highly intercommunicated. This reality also affects the manufacturing industry, which has been developing standards to keep up with technology and take advantage of it. These technologies are encompassed in what has been called Industry 4.0. Out of all the technologies, apart from artificial intelligence, the main drives of Industry 4.0 are considered by many studies augmented reality (AR) and industrial internet of things (IIoT). This thesis suggests that these drivers have been mostly tested either in an isolated fashion or with limited connectivity. The main objective is to explore the advantages of connecting AR, IIoT, and the main source of information in the manufacturing process: product lifecycle management (PLM) systems. Two sub-objectives are extracted from the main one: to study of value created from real-time role-dependent AR information displaying, and to study how the connection AR-IIoT-PLM can affect developing and deploying times of AR experiences. To achieve the mentioned objectives, a case of study is built, and the combined system implemented on it. Following design and creation methodology, an artefact is created, and conclusions are extracted from the design, implementation, and usage stages. Main results are an improvement in developing and deploying time of AR experiences, along with guidelines to extract as much value as possible from the implementation of a combined system of this sort. This thesis includes a discussion section, where the potential of the system is explained and framed within the near future of manufacturing companies.