Method to create XR-supported work instructions: Taking the step toward a more sustainable plant

Abstract

The manufacturing industry is striving to keep up with Industry 4.0, driven by the advancements in digital technology. One area of potential is XR based work instructions, which aims to mitigate the need for complex paper instructions. Currently, there are no standardized ways of developing digital instructions even though XR has proven to be useful for this purpose. This project is conducted at Volvo Cars in Torslanda, and the aim is to identify and test scenarios where XR could replace or complement traditional instructions to identify key principles when developing XR instructions. The methodology used follows the traditional product development funnel in order to identify the best scenarios for these types of instructions. Unity and HTC Vive were chosen as the development platform for creating the scenarios, and subsequent testing in the form of qualitative interviews with experts in manufacturing and XR. The result of the thesis is the identification of scenarios where XR instructions could be implemented and a set of principles to keep in mind for future development of XR instructions. In the future, these principles might be used to improve development time and ensure higher quality.