All Eyes on the Frontline Worker
ANTOINE BISSON

Technological developments in the manufacturing sector have in recent times been centered around machines and materials, especially with Industry 4.0. This ignores one key factor—the frontline workers!
Industry 5.0 and, in particular, spatial computing—with thanks to Apple Vision Pro—is turning the tide on the often-forgotten frontline worker. As part of a connected worker platform, frontline workers can be empowered to increase effectiveness, efficiency, safety, and sustainability. The industrial metaverse is indeed coming.
Yet there is more to Apple Vision Pro than consumer applications. At the connected worker software company Poka, product specialists are thinking about business applications and the potential that Apple Vision Pro possesses to connect the frontline workers.
Over the next five years, 86 percent of manufacturing executives see the primary force of competitiveness to be smart factory solutions, according to a study by Deloitte. Machines are getting smarter and so are people. Manufacturers already believe that the industrial metaverse could improve labor productivity by 12 percent, helping them in the fight against the ongoing labor shortage.
Digital investment requires companies to look further than just machines and materials; employees are now a must, too.
Huge strides toward the Industrial Metaverse are being taken with the introduction of Apple Vision Pro and Poka’s connected workforce platform. Together, they are for the first time empowering manufacturing workers on the front line to deliver huge productivity and efficiency benefits. An associate can put on the device to perform a product changeover and have the checklist visible in a window as reference … as the steps are completed, the checklist can be filled in through speech-to-text.
THE INDUSTRIAL METAVERSE
A lot of the current hype has centered on consumers using the tech to seamlessly blend digital content with the physical world—but there are significant industry applications for this type of spatial computing technology.
Spatial computing solutions cannot be simply “cut and paste”; there is much more to it than simply taking current iPad applications and making them available on the App Store for Apple Vision Pro. The new era of spatial computing requires intense re-design, re-engineering, and a truly re-imagined approach to the current technology used on the shop floor to achieve its full potential.
That’s why Poka has made its powerful connected worker platform available on Apple Vision Pro. It is the first and only manufacturing app of its kind available on Apple Vision Pro, providing workers with a complete immersive experience that will drive better training, increased factory floor communication, and hands-free productivity.
A NEW, IMMERSIVE LOOK
For Poka customers, company training programs have already been transformed with the help of visual work instructions. Multimedia, one-point lessons make it easier for workers to understand and retain critical information, which in turn leads to better performance. Now with Apple Vision Pro, video instructions can become more immersive and provide a more realistic experience as the technology can be used to film instructions from a firstperson point-of-view.
The benefits are two-fold. Not only does this avoid the need to have two people—the videographer and the trainer—when creating content, but the training video quality provides a more impactful experience.
RISK-FREE AND HANDS-ON
3D CAD models can be uploaded at the plant, production line, workstation, and equipment level. When users are watching a work instruction, they can have the 3D model open and available in a second window, giving workers the opportunity to practice and the ability to operate the object or machine. This type of enhanced and immersive training experience can be especially valuable when manufacturers want to provide instructions prior to a worker being on the mill floor: a new hire orientation, for example, or when frontline workers are training for hazardous zones, or even training workers in advance of a new site or equipment commissioning.
Ensuring productivity and efficiency is a top priority for any manufacturing business, and that’s why it is essential to give employees the tools and relevant information to help them perform tasks to their best ability. This is where it can be a game-changer to have the ability to make task execution and checklists that can be done hands-free. It can help improve efficiency and ensure that workers have easy access to critical information and the ability to collaborate, all while getting the job done.
An associate can put on the device to perform a product changeover and have the checklist visible in a window as reference. Then, as the steps are completed, the checklist can be filled in through speech-to-text. Instead of picking up a tablet to fill in the checklist once the steps are completed, it can be done in real-time.
THE PERFECT MANUFACTURING TRIO: APPLE VISION PRO, AR, AND VR
Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) have been around for some time. Concerns about earlier devices have kept companies from investing heavily in development as headsets were deemed too clunky, unresponsive, poor quality, and not adapted for manufacturers.
In contrast, Apple Vision Pro allows for seamless transitions between fully immersive digital content and augmented physical reality. Game-changing features allow users to precisely manipulate physical objects using their eyes, hands, and voice.
The future of manufacturing lies with spatial computing. Apple Vision Pro has the potential to revolutionize the manufacturing workforce experience through using spatial computing and augmented reality. When implemented with a strong, connected worker platform, manufacturers could see improved productivity, operational efficiency, and worker safety.
As co-founder and CTO of Poka Inc., Antoine Bisson leads the development of the first social industrial platform that empowers workers, managers, and production facilities with better training, knowledge retention, and realtime information. Poka’s platform is designed to connect workers to digital manufacturing operations and enable a culture of continuous improvement. Visit https://www.poka.io/.