Auspack offers 3D glimpse into the future of manufacturing

Virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) saw some innovative applications at Auspack with a number of exhibitors – and even show organisers – taking advantage of the budding technology.

 

Omniverse Foster Group, which designed the AR Auspack app that saw the show come to life through visitors' mobile phones, was also demonstrating its AR and VR technology to visitors to its stand.

 

Heat and Control also took advantage of AR technology to show Auspack visitors its new HeatWave snack fryer in action on the stand.

 

By holding a tablet over a trigger point, attendees could travel through a 3D simulation of the HeatWave in action using similar technology to the Pokemon Go app.

 

“This fryer was obviously too large and too dangerous to bring to Auspack,” said Heat and Control sales manager, Greg Pyne.

 

Using AR, Pyne said, Heat and Control was able to demo the new product, which offers snack manufacturers big advantages due to its use of curtains of clean filtered oil instead of submersion.

 

Visitors to the HMPS stand (pictured above) were able to put on a VR and MR headset and wander through a virtual reality version of the stand, or other simulated processing lines.

 

The demo was based on real world applications for HMPS, according to the company's project engineer, Colin Love.

 

“We are starting to use this technology as a design review tool. Because it offers a 3D view, we can use it to check on things like ergonomics and mechanics, as it can give us a better sense of reality, and show us things we might miss on a computer screen.

 

“We are also looking at using it as a sales tool to demonstrate machinery or plant layouts before they are built,” Love said.