Emerson Adds Augmented Reality for Asset Management

June 23, 2020

This summer’s update to Plantweb Optics will include augmented reality capabilities to help users locate troublesome assets and correct issues with the aid of experts via real-time collaboration.

David Greenfield, editor in chief

Emerson Automation Solutions’ Plantweb Optics is an asset performance platform designed for managing industrial asset health using information from multiple sources, such as process data, diagnostics and alerts, and other software dedicated to a class of assets. The platform is designed to help users visualize, analyze, and predict asset performance.

Peter Zornio, CTO, Emerson Automation Solutions

Peter Zornio, chief technology officer at Emerson Automation Solutions explained that Plantweb Optics generates “an automatic asset health score that lets you know—based on all the data collected—what the health of that asset is. If the asset is not operating, it provides you with recommended actions.”

Version 1.6 of Plantweb Optics is set for release in summer 2020 and will include augmented reality (AR) capabilities for locating and assessing assets and enabling real-time collaboration with experts. Having this data integrated into an asset management system means you can execute work orders based on direct insights from the assets, said Zornio.

Anna Velena, product manager at Emerson Automation Solutions, says the new AR capabilities in Plantweb Optics provides users with situational awareness through the use of relevant IoT data from devices to help them navigate to and locate specific assets by overlaying AR data on devices. This AR data displays the current status of those assets and helps users understand what problems a specific asset may have.

“Instead of searching for this information, Plantweb Optics provides that information with just a few clicks,” she said. “It also includes live remote assistance for real-time collaboration with subject matter experts wherever they may be.

See the video below for an explanation of how augmented reality is connected to Plantweb Optics’ workflows and real-time collaboration features.

Anna Velena, product manager, Emerson Automation Solutions

Velena added that setup of Plantweb Optics AR is intuitive and does not require an inordinate amount of time. The AR functionality “uses data already in Plantweb Optics,” she said. “So setup just requires pointing your mobile device at plant floor devices and identifying them properly for the system to connect them to the device’s underlying data already in system.”

Some Emerson customers have already been testing this new version of Plantweb Optics with AR capabilities. Based on these early use cases, Velena noted that Emerson estimates it can help users save up to $90,000 a year and deliver return on investment (ROI) in about 6 months. Emerson has made an ROI calculator available online so you can estimate your potential savings.

Editor’s Note: The video below shows a February 2020 pre-release version of Augmented Reality for Plantweb Optics. For the latest version, visit Emerson.com/PlantwebOpticsAR

About the Author

David Greenfield, editor in chief | Editor in Chief

David Greenfield joined Automation World in June 2011. Bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and media experience to his position, David’s contributions can be found in AW’s print and online editions and custom projects. Earlier in his career, David was Editorial Director of Design News at UBM Electronics, and prior to joining UBM, he was Editorial Director of Control Engineering at Reed Business Information, where he also worked on Manufacturing Business Technology as Publisher.