Shell bought Android headset of augmented reality and begins to use them in Russia

At the beginning of April, 2019 the oil and gas concern Shell bought Android headset of augmented reality and began to use them in 12 countries, including in Russia.

The HMT-1Z1 headsets managed by voice were delivered by the American startup of RealWear founded in 2016. Devices already began to come through the distributor of Honeywell to 12 countries where unrolled the activity of Shell, including to the USA, China, Russia, India, Germany and Austria. Headsets will be used on 24 working platforms.

Shell bought Android headset of augmented reality and begins to use them in Russia

RealWear HMT-1Z1 is the intrinsically safe device with voice actuation. The wearable computer executed in the form of a headband fastens on a protective helmet and is supplied with the microdisplay with high resolution. It is located slightly below than gaze direction of the user and is perceived by it as the 9-inch tablet.

RealWear explained that the software is provided by partners of the company in IT solutions in four main categories, each of which is optimized for voice actuation in the mode of a public address system. The headset can be used for a remote video call, navigation according to documents, control of workflow and visualization of industrial data within IoT.

According to representatives of the company, a set it is waterproof, protected from falling and can work at a temperature from -20 °C to +50 °C. The Android 8.1 operating system with 8-core processoromqualcomm Snapdragon 625 (frequency of 2.0 GHz) and a chipset of Adreno 506 is the cornerstone.

RealWare also described HMT-1Z1 as the first-ever commercially available device which allows workers to use the headset in zones where there are potentially explosive gases, such as ATEX Zone 1 C1/D1, and helps to reduce risks for health and safety of operational personnel.

The Shell company already carried out field tests, having developed 40 sets of RealWear HMT-1Z1 in the different countries under different conditions. According to the representative of Shell, there came the new era of calculations when voice commands, augmented reality and wearable computers become for exit workers the same everyday occurrence as notebooks and mobile phones for office employees.^[1]

Shell uses HMT-1Z1 for remote support. For example, if the equipment requires maintenance, then the worker, responsible for its accomplishment, can get a first line support from the expert by means of video conference. At the same time the expert can watch the events from the point of view of the worker and make recommendations in real time. In one of examples the expert uses technology of augmented reality for remote "drawing" of explanations which are displayed on the screen of the microdisplay fixed on the worker's headband.

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