Augmented Reality in FM in 2021

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17 February 2021

Augmented reality has been suggested as the next game-changing innovation for building managers, but how is the adoption progressing within the FM industry?

Resonai, an AI and computer vision company, surveyed senior facility and building managers to discover the state of AR adoption in the workplace and its perceived value.

The results shows that, at 30 per cent adoption, hospitals and medical facilities have embraced AR more than other types of properties; they are followed by manufacturing facilities (26 per cent), educational facilities (25 per cent) and corporate offices (23 per cent).

However, it seems cost is the most commonly perceived barrier to AR adoption.

Picture: a graphic of a bar chart showing that hospitals and medical facilities have embraced AR more than other types of properties; they are followed by manufacturing facilities (26 per cent), educational facilities (25 per cent) and corporate offices (23 per cent).

Tours and Virtual Demonstrations

Resonai’s research shows that the most common uses of AR among facilities managers are marketing applications such as tours and virtual demonstrations (20 per cent), followed by industrial manufacturing applications (18 per cent), smart maintenance and repairs (12 per cent), tenant and visitor services (10 per cent), and training/tutorials (10 per cent).

Facilities managers cited a broad range of benefits to using AR, including the automation of maintenance processes (49 per cent), prevention of maintenance issues (45 per cent), reduction of physical contact during the COVID-19 pandemic (27 per cent), creation of new revenue opportunities (27 per cent) and insights derived from AR-based analytics (22 per cent).

Cost is an Issue for 40 Per Cent of FMs

Cited by 40 per cent of facilities managers, cost is the most commonly perceived barrier to AR adoption, although this concern is offset by AR’s ability to bring in new revenue opportunities, which was cited as the technology’s greatest potential benefit by 30 per cent of those facilities managers already using AR or expecting to do so within 24 months.

75 per cent of facilities managers currently have Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled devices in their buildings, such as environment sensors (44 per cent), HVAC systems (42 per cent), security systems (33 per cent, doors (25 per cent) and lights (25 per cent).

Emil Alon, CEO and Founder of Resonai, commented: “Augmented reality has come a long way since its first implementations in gaming and entertainment. As buildings become smarter and the digital and physical worlds become one, building owners and facilities managers are turning to AR and AI for everything from improved maintenance to indoor navigation,” 

“We published our state of the industry report to help facilities management professionals navigate the complex world of digital transformation and understand how their peers are leveraging the exciting innovations taking place.”

Picture: a graphic showing a co-working space where sensors detect where power sockets are broken

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 17 February 2021

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