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AUGUST 2023 I SMT007 MAGAZINE 59 Figure 6: Rich AR information can be accessed through multiple types of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and AR glasses or headsets, depending on the application. son's role or task, they will see relevant infor- mation in an on-screen display (Figure 6). Over time, AR might also be triggered by proximity sensors, image recognition, location, and ori- entation of the camera, but bar codes and QR codes are the easy starting point. What's special here is that as a part of MES, the system can instantly correlate that AR identifier to data in the MES. For products or lots, this MES data might be quantities, test results, work instructions, genealogy, or his- tory record. For equipment or lines, it might show status, maintenance data such as mean time between failure (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR), and performance infor- mation about equipment. All of the calen- dars, data, charts, widgets, etc., in the MES are available to set up in this way. e company can configure which pieces of data to display, in which order, in each situation. e digital twin portion of MES can be an even stronger foundation for AR. at model of the real world, kept up-to-date because it's inside the MES, delivers the virtual world that overlays what the AR camera sees. A broader, more up-to-date set of functions in MES, com- bined with IIoT data flowing in today, also enables a wide array of AR applications. e use cases for AR are only limited by our imaginations. What do you want to see and know? Anything in MES or available through connection to the MES can be superimposed on a live camera shot of the real product, pro- cess, line, or facility area. Every discipline in the plant is likely to have some things they might want to see in this way (Figure 7). Operations and maintenance can see SOPs, checklists, WIP and durables status, job certification needs, and KPIs on quality, timeliness, throughput, and availability. ey could also gain interactive work process guid- ance to error-proof their activities, supporting new hires as well as those where mix is high or products changing. Everyone might bene- fit also from the ability to track materials per container—quantities, serial numbers, and more for picking, packing and also materials use. Naturally, just because you can imagine it does not mean there is a business justification to use AR there. However, migrating portions of the MES user interface to mobile or AR devices seems inevitable. e new generation of workers expect it, and it can greatly reduce wasted movement back and forth to screens, as well as enhancing the accuracy of work. Even further into the future, we see that interactions with digital twins via AR might be the one and only interaction mode with the systems on the shop floor. Combining AR with