An Augmented Reality Symbiosis Software Tool for Sustainable Logistics Activities

Vasileios Sidiropoulos, Dimitrios Bechtsis and Dimitrios Vlachos
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Vasileios Sidiropoulos: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Industrial Management, Polytechnical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Dimitrios Bechtsis: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Industrial Management, Polytechnical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Dimitrios Vlachos: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Division of Industrial Management, Polytechnical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 19, 1-14

Abstract: Augmented Reality (AR) is an emerging technology in the Industry 4.0 and Logistics 4.0 contexts with an important role in man–machine symbiosis scenarios. Practitioners, although already acquainted with AR technology, are reluctant to adopt AR applications in industrial operations. This stems from the fact that a direct connection that is important for the management of sustainability goals is missing. Moreover, such a connection with economic, social, and environmental sustainability parameters sparsely appears in the AR literature. The proposed research, on one hand, presents an innovative architecture for a stable and scalable AR application that extents state-of-the-art solutions and, on the other hand, attempts to study AR technology within the framework of a sustainable business strategy. The developed system utilizes the Robot Operating System (ROS) alongside an AR mobile application to present an employee navigation scenario in warehouses and production lines. ROS is responsible for mapping the industrial facility, while the AR mobile application identifies the surrounding environment, along with a Real-Time Location System localizes employees in the facility. Finally, ROS identifies the shortest path between the employee and the destination point, while the AR mobile application presents the virtual path for reaching the destination.

Keywords: Logistics 4.0; Industry 4.0; augmented reality; sustainability; human–machine interactions (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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