Automated Procedure Reconfiguration Framework for Augmented Reality-Guided Maintenance Applications

The application of augmented reality (AR) to maintenance issues has resulted in significant improvements in reducing the time operators spend finding and comprehending manual maintenance procedures. One area that requires innovation is reducing the rigidity of procedures within AR-guided maintenance applications. Current widely applicable strategies are limited in that they can only be completed off-site or they can be completed on-site but rely on operator knowledge or expert intervention in order to perform reconfiguration. In this work, a novel framework is presented to allow for automated reconfiguring of procedures within AR-guided maintenance applications. Once triggered, the presented framework is able to work autonomously. The framework relies on subassemblies of the machine being maintained and analyzes the effect a defective part has within its subassembly. This information is used to create a modified procedure using automatic procedure creation methods. An implementation of the framework is presented using a simple example. The framework is utilized in a complete AR-guided maintenance application and test.