Monitoring Energy Consumption of Individual Equipment in a Workcell Using Augmented Reality Technology

Abstract

Monitoring energy consumption of equipment in a manufacturing workcell is part of an important process of energy consumption control. Sophisticated and advanced energy sensors have made it possible to monitor energy consumption of equipment in the workcell via a smart device. However, it is worthy to note that stakeholders like new workers, eco-consultants and/or authorities are unfamiliar with the equipment. It might be challenging to visualize the energy consumption of each equipment in the workcell from the smart device for them. In order to aid this group of stakeholders in the monitoring of energy consumption process, we propose a novel, augmented reality (AR) and Internet of Things (IoT)-based energy monitoring conceptual design. It aims to not only give users an option to have an overall view of the energy consumption in the workcell but also to allow users to visualize energy consumption of each equipment in the actual field. Moreover, AR technology has already started being used for assembly training and inspection purposes in some manufacturing companies; thus the proposed energy monitoring concept will add value with minimum cost because of its easy integration in the inbuilt system together with these features. With the help of AR technology, one can immediately pinpoint equipment with constant high consumption rates in real environments and give better advice to control energy consumption by exploring ways to reduce their energy usage. This paper highlights the potential of the proposed energy monitoring conceptual design in aiding users to better visualize the energy consumption patterns of individual equipment in the workcell.