Case IH is experimenting with smart glasses technology designed by Microsoft in an effort to cut downtime for machine operators. This technology is known as the HoloLens.

Mixed reality

The HoloLens allows for heads-up, hands-free video calling, image sharing and mixed reality annotations. Once a machine operator is connected to the internet, they can be directly put in contact with a service technician.

According to Microsoft, these smart glasses contain more computing power than the average laptop. In addition, they do not require any connection to a phone or PC.

Built-in cameras

The advantage of this technology is that the service technician on the other end of the line can see everything the operator can see through a series of built-in infrared cameras.

Using this technology, service technicians may be able to pinpoint any problems and explain to the operator how to resolve the issue, thus saving the technician having to call out to the field and reducing downtime.

If successful, this will be a huge step forward for the industry. However, this is still just in a test stage. Case IH is currently running this experiment in Germany and Spain.