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BMW Wants to Use Google Glass for Quality Assurance

The amount of technology we have at our disposal today is simply mind-boggling. As one of my professors used to say: we’re no longer limited by technology but by our own thoughts and today, I agree with him more than ever. The latest example of how technology can improve our lives even more comes from BMW.
BMW Employees with Google Glass 13 photos
Photo: BMW
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The German group wants to use Google’s Glass to improve its quality assurance process for its products. At the moment, the company is running a pilot project at its US plant in Spartanburg that wants to determine if this is a viable option.

In this regard, workers are now using Google Glass to record test series with pre-series vehicles. Using the new gadget, they can take photos or videos to document potential deviations from standards, providing a better, faster and clearer way to analyze and correct errors later on.

It’s all part of the Industry 4.0 campaign

A while back, BMW launched its Industry 4.0 campaign. Through it, the manufacturer wants to prove that using the latest technology can not only speed up the production process but also bring gains in quality checking processes and the way employees work, making their lives easier.

First, we saw the interlockable 3D printed fingers. Then we stumbled upon 3D scanning of objects only to find out that BMW also wants to introduce automated electricity counters that will save energy.

Now, we’re looking at another project, this time with Google’s help. The purpose of this new project is to improve the communication between quality testers and engineers at the analysis center of the pre-series production.

Google Glass also allows checkers to perform video calls showing the engineers exactly what they found wrong with the part, saving a lot of time and headaches in the meantime.

"During the term of the pilot project, we are planning to add a video call feature so that a problem can be discussed with the responsible development areas right there and then," explains project coordinator Dr. Jörg Schulte.

The results gained so far are encouraging and they could even be used in applications for various final assembly stages of series vehicles. For such purposes, inspections are carried out according to pre-set test plans.

Depending on the car, around 15 to 25 tests are done on each vehicle and documenting them requires hundreds of walks from the checkers between the car and a terminal nearby, where they can enter data.

With Google Glass, the staff doesn’t need to do that anymore, recording, photographing being more than sufficient to document what they need to, therefore saving time and energy.
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