Augmented Reality Applications in Industry 4.0 Environment

New technologies, such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things, wireless communications, etc., have already become part of our daily lives. This paper provides an insight into one of the new technologies, i.e., augmented reality (AR), as part of the manufacturing paradigm Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The aim of this paper is to contribute to the current state in the field of AR by assessing the main areas of the application of AR, the used devices and the tracking methods in support of the digitalization of the industry. Searches via Science Direct, Google Scholar and the Internet in general have resulted in the collection of a large number of papers. The examined works are classified according to several criteria and the most important data resulting from them are presented here. A comprehensive analysis of the literature has indicated the main areas of application of AR in I4.0 and, among these, those that stand out are maintenance, assembly and human robot collaboration. Finally, a roadmap for the application of AR in companies is proposed and the most promising future areas of research are listed.

Automated summary

This paper discusses the application of augmented reality technology in Industry 4.0 and its contribution to the field. Through a comprehensive analysis of a large number of papers, key areas of AR application in I4.0 have been identified, with maintenance, assembly, and human-robot collaboration standing out as important areas. A proposed roadmap for AR application in companies and promising future research areas are also presented.