Contribution of augmented reality to the maintenance of network equipment

Abstract

Enedis, the main French distribution system operator (DSO) (ex-ERDF), conducted an innovation challenge opened to start-ups and innovative small and medium enterprises (SME) companies in order to detect promising solutions able to support the ‘next generation field technician’. A field test programme was conducted with the selected innovative companies with the aim of experimenting prototypes of new tools, and among them, tools based on augmented reality technologies focused on maintenance of equipment and network operation. The main outcome expected is to identify the new technical solutions capable of bringing in the short and medium term most value to the technician in terms of performance and safety, and then to develop the corresponding operational tools. This study presents three complementary prototype tools which take advantage of augmented reality to perform maintenance of network equipment in a more effective way and with an increased safety.