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Research Project

Supporting the execution of flexible service processes through augmented reality

(carried out at the TU Munich)

Logo des Forschungsprojekts ARinFLEX

Context

Service innovations through digitization

Digitization is the central growth and innovation driver of the present. It is rapidly and sustainably changing value creation patterns and contexts. Redesigning services in this context is a key challenge for our economy. Digitization opens resources such as process and operational data for new services, changes interaction in service processes and contributes directly to linking previously separate service systems. Services are becoming time and location-independent, scalable, and easier to standardize. On this basis, the ongoing development towards complex service systems can be mapped better, enabling more comprehensive and high-quality engineering of these systems. The aim of the funding priority is to take a step towards highly efficient service systems and to achieve better consumer involvement in the creation and production of services. The result are opportunities for companies and customers to individually design and implement services according to their preferences and lifestyles.

Benefit

Raising potential for SMEs in the use of innovative technologies for the digitization of service processes

Innovative technologies such as augmented reality are already widespread in some industries. For example, they are used for sales demonstrations as well as in sports broadcasts to explain the rules to viewers in an abstract, playful way. However, SMEs do not have the expertise or resources to evaluate new technologies such as augmented reality in terms of their operational benefits and to introduce them into their value chain. Especially flexible service processes must be translated into the algorithms of augmented reality regarding customer-specific requirements, implicit knowledge, and high complexity. The prerequisite for this is to digitize the service processes.

Abbildung ARinFLEX

Aim

Method for digitizing service processes

The ARinFLEX joint project will support SMEs in using augmented reality to digitize service processes. By means of a digitization index, service providers will be able to identify their degree of digitization ex-ante and evaluate improvements ex-post. SMEs can identify the potential for digitizing their services by receiving support in requirements surveys and evaluating technology properties. Translated into the technology of augmented reality for data glasses and tablets, case studies for the digitization of flexible service processes are developed in the domains of industrial maintenance and care. By automating and digitizing recurring documentation tasks and providing context-specific information using augmented reality, efficiency gains and increased customer and employee satisfaction can be achieved. The application and implementation partners in the project from the care and special mechanical engineering sectors will use the applications accordingly to digitize their service processes.

Implementation

To achieve the project goal, the current state of research will be investigated and potential use cases in the field of healthcare delivery and maintenance will be identified. In addition, concepts and applications in both healthcare delivery and maintenance will be developed and validated in field studies. The results will be evaluated and a method for implementing supporting information technologies will be developed. The project will be conducted in three successive iterations, with project deliverables refined and improved through each iteration. The first iterations will complete a prototype implementation of smart glasses in maintenance. The second implementation will focus on prototype integration in healthcare. Finally, in the third iteration, a cross-sector method for digitizing flexible service processes will be completed. Throughout the project, a continuous communication phase ensures that all relevant stakeholders are informed about the realized project results.

Work packages

  • Project coordination and expert workshops
  • Requirements for the digitization of services
  • Analysis of the current state of flexible service processes in maintenance and healthcare
  • Design and pilot testing in the maintenance and healthcare sectors
  • Evaluation of the results in maintenance and healthcare
  • Methodology for the introduction of supporting technologies (MethoDIG)
  • Knowledge exchange and transfer of results

Location & approach

The campus of TU Dort­mund University is located close to interstate junction Dort­mund West, where the Sauerlandlinie A 45 (Frankfurt-Dort­mund) crosses the Ruhrschnellweg B 1 / A 40. The best interstate exit to take from A 45 is "Dort­mund-Eichlinghofen" (closer to Campus Süd), and from B 1 / A 40 "Dort­mund-Dorstfeld" (closer to Campus Nord). Signs for the uni­ver­si­ty are located at both exits. Also, there is a new exit before you pass over the B 1-bridge leading into Dort­mund.

To get from Campus North to Campus South by car, there is the connection via Vogelpothsweg/Baroper Straße. We recommend you leave your car on one of the parking lots at Campus North and use the H-Bahn (suspended monorail system), which conveniently connects the two campuses.

TU Dort­mund University has its own train station ("Dort­mund Uni­ver­si­tät"). From there, suburban trains (S-Bahn) leave for Dort­mund main station ("Dort­mund Hauptbahnhof") and Düsseldorf main station via the "Düsseldorf Airport Train Station" (take S-Bahn number 1, which leaves every 20 or 30 minutes). The uni­ver­si­ty is easily reached from Bochum, Essen, Mülheim an der Ruhr and Duisburg.

You can also take the bus or subway train from Dort­mund city to the uni­ver­si­ty: From Dort­mund main station, you can take any train bound for the Station "Stadtgarten", usually lines U41, U45, U 47 and U49. At "Stadtgarten" you switch trains and get on line U42 towards "Hombruch". Look out for the Station "An der Palmweide". From the bus stop just across the road, busses bound for TU Dort­mund University leave every ten minutes (445, 447 and 462). Another option is to take the subway routes U41, U45, U47 and U49 from Dort­mund main station to the stop "Dort­mund Kampstraße". From there, take U43 or U44 to the stop "Dort­mund Wittener Straße". Switch to bus line 447 and get off at "Dort­mund Uni­ver­si­tät S".

The H-Bahn is one of the hallmarks of TU Dort­mund University. There are two stations on Campus Nord. One ("Dort­mund Uni­ver­si­tät S") is directly located at the suburban train stop, which connects the uni­ver­si­ty directly with the city of Dort­mund and the rest of the Ruhr Area. Also from this station, there are connections to the "Technologiepark" and (via Campus Süd) Eichlinghofen. The other station is located at the dining hall at Campus Nord and offers a direct connection to Campus Süd every five minutes.

The AirportExpress is a fast and convenient means of transport from Dort­mund Airport (DTM) to Dort­mund Central Station, taking you there in little more than 20 minutes. From Dort­mund Central Station, you can continue to the university campus by interurban railway (S-Bahn). A larger range of in­ter­na­tio­nal flight connections is offered at Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), which is about 60 kilometres away and can be directly reached by S-Bahn from the university station.

The departments of TU Dort­mund University are spread over two campuses, the larger Campus North and the smaller Campus South. Additionally, some areas of the university are located in the adjacent "Technologiepark".

Street navigation from and to the TU Dortmund University:

OpenStreetMap Routing Machine

The document and the graphic represent the motorways and federal highways around the TU Dortmund University in a very simplified way:

Environment map (PDF)

Environment map (graphic)

This interactive map helps you find and navigate between facilities and buildings on campus:

Interactive campus map

This document contains a simple campus map in German and English:

Campus map (PDF)