Keppel Offshore & Marine (Keppel O&M) has begun a pilot project using 5G AR/VR Smart Glasses for remote virtual operations at its yard in Singapore, as it aims to optimise the use of its resources through the application of digital tools.
The project will be carried out in partnership with technology firm M1 Limited, using its 5G network, and has received a grant from Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) as part of its 5G Innovation Programme for the development of virtual platform systems.
Equipped with a camera lens, microphone, micro speaker, and cellular or WIFI reception, the Smart Glasses are powered by software that can perform real time analyses and provide data to the wearer, while also allowing them to communicate with a receiver or control room.
The glasses are additionally equipped with a micro projector, which can project a digital overlay of text and images within the wearer’s field of vision.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic when safe management measures limited physical inspections and site surveys, we were the first to officially conduct remote inspections for a newbuild vessel with a classification society using Smart Glasses,” said Chris Ong, CEO of Keppel O&M.
“Today, we are further expanding its use to not only improve the efficiency of delivering projects and enhancing yard operations but also widening our capabilities to provide digital solutions for our customers’ assets. This is part of Keppel O&M’s Yard of the Future initiative, which harnesses digitalisation to transform our products, services, and operations.”
Keppel O&M says that its longer term aim after completing the pilot is to develop and commercialise 5G-enabled systems for the maritime sector.
This could include digitalising the process of inspection and asset maintenance by providing inspection personnel with Smart Glasses allowing them to view work instructions and perform tasks that can be controlled through voice-commands, via the display headset.
The AR application also allows the monitoring of equipment performance and on-board system parameters via real-time sensor data, so field engineers can capture and stream live data to their main office to receive real-time remote guidance. The sensor data can be overlayed on the site engineer’s field of vision, displaying information such as the equipment’s real-time critical performance and condition during operations.
