User Requirements Analysis on Augmented Reality-Based Maintenance in Manufacturing

Maintenance of technical equipment in manufacturing is inevitable for sustained productivity with minimal downtimes. Elimination of unscheduled interruptions as well as real-time monitoring of equipment health can potentially benefit from adopting augmented reality (AR) technology. How best to employ this technology in maintenance demands a fundamental comprehension of user requirements for production planners. Despite AR applications being developed to assist various manufacturing operations, no previous study has examined how these user requirements in maintenance have been fulfilled and the potential opportunities that exist for further development. Reviews on maintenance have been general on all industrial fields rather than focusing on a specific industry. In this regard, a systematic literature review was performed on previous studies on AR applications in the maintenance of manufacturing entities from 2017 to 2021. Specifically, the review examines how user requirements have been addressed by these studies and identifies gaps for future research. The user requirements are drawn from the challenges encountered during AR-based maintenance in manufacturing following a similar approach to usability engineering methodologies. The needs are identified as ergonomics, communication, situational awareness, intelligence sources, feedback, safety, motivation, and performance assessment. Contributing factors to those needs are cross-tabulated with the requirements and their results presented as trends, prior to drawing insights and providing possible future suggestions for the made observations.