VW plant employees to use 3D smart glasses as standard

At Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant, the roll-out of 3D smart glasses as standard equipment has now started following a three-month pilot phase. Plant logistics personnel are to use these glasses for order picking. The objective is to further improve process security in production.

The 3D smart glasses allow users to automatically receive all the information they need such as storage locations or part numbers directly in their field of vision. Touch or voice control allows extremely easy operation. As a general principle, users have both their hands free while they are working. The camera in the glasses is also used as a barcode reader. Correct barcodes on parts removed from the storage location are shown in green while parts incorrectly removed are shown in red.

Reinhard de Vries, head of plant logistics at Wolfsburg, said, "Digitalization is becoming increasingly important in production. The 3D smart glasses take cooperation between humans and systems to a new level."

The use of the 3D glasses is voluntary and the employees concerned are gradually being introduced to the new technology. After a short acclimatization period, new employees will then be familiarized more rapidly. Currently, 30 employees in various areas such as windshields or driveshafts are working with the smart glasses. In view of the feedback, other departments, plants and brands are also to use the glasses.

Works council member Mario Kurznack-Bodner commented, "The benefits of new technology like the smart glasses can only be assessed effectively if we can check them out in normal production operation. The colleagues concerned approach the technology without any preconceived notions. Apart from health, safety and occupational medicine criteria, it is important to the Works Council that feedback from employees should be taken up and reflected in everyday work."