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Tesla wants its factory workers to wear futuristic augmented reality glasses on the assembly line
Graham Rapier
Dec 13, 2018, 01:22 IST
REUTERS/Elijah Nouvelage
Tesla patent filings reveal plans for augmented reality glasses to assist with manufacturing.
Factory employees has previously used Google Glass in its factory as recently as 2016.
Tesla's Model 3 might have "biblical simplicity" according to one Wall Street analyst, but building any car still involves hundreds of nuts, bolts, and welds.
To cut down on the number of fit and finish issues - like the "significant inconsistencies" found by UBS - Tesla employees on the assembly line could soon use augmented reality glasses similar to Google Glass to help with car production, according to new patent filings.
Last week, Tesla filed two augmented reality patents that outline a futuristic vision for the relationship between humans and robots when it comes to manufacturing. The "smart glasses" would double as safety glasses, and would help workers identify places for joints, spot welds, and more, the filings say.
Tesla/USPTO
And here's the specific technical jargon outlining the invention (emphasis ours):
The AR device captures a live view of an object of interest, for example, a view of one or more automotive parts. The AR device determines the location of the device as well as the location and type of the object of interest. For example, the AR device identifies that the object of interest is a right hand front shock tower of a vehicle. The AR device then overlays data corresponding to features of the object of interest, such as mechanical joints, interfaces with other parts, thickness of e-coating, etc. on top of the view of the object of interest. Examples of the joint features include spot welds, self-pierced rivets, laser welds, structural adhesive, and sealers, among others. As the user moves around the object, the view of the object from the perspective of the AR device and the overlaid data of the detected features adjust accordingly.
As Electrek points out, Tesla has previously been employing Google Glass Enterprise as early as 2016, though it's not clear how long it was in use.Tesla has a tricky relationship with robotics in its factory. In April, CEO Elon Musk admitted its Fremont, California factory had relied too heavily on automated processes. Those comments, to CBS This Morning, came after criticism from a Bernstein analyst who said "We believe Tesla has been too ambitious with automation on the Model 3 line."
Still, the company seems to be hoping for a more harmonious relationship between human and machine this time around.
"Applying computer vision and augmented reality tools to the manufacturing process can significantly increase the speed and efficiency related to manufacturing and in particular to the manufacturing of automobile parts and vehicles," the patent application reads.
Wall Street analysts tore down a Tesla Model 3 and found 'significant fit & finish issues'
Tesla's factory is a 'crowded mess,' according to its most bullish Wall Street analyst, who says production is about 30% below the original target
Elon Musk on missing Model 3 production deadlines: 'I've never made a mass-produced car. How am I supposed to know with precision when it's going to get done?'
Do you work at Tesla and have a story to share? Reach out to this reporter at transportation@businessinsider.com.
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