Augmented Reality to help get the mail through
Mobile Augmented Reality software that will enhance the ability of courier and postal companies to make more 'first time' deliveries is being developed by the University of Canterbury’s HIT Lab NZ (Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand) under the Ministry of Science and Innovation’s (MSI) Technology Transfer Voucher initiative.
HIT Lab NZ is working with Blackbay, a software company that specialises in the development and implementation of real time enterprise mobility solutions and services for postal, supply chain and field service operations
HIT Lab NZ Director Professor Mark Billinghurst said this R&D project is the first undertaken by the University under this scheme where MSI will match each dollar invested by the businesses, so long as the research is completed by an accredited organisation.
''Initially we put together a demonstration model for Blackbay to show at a major European Expo last year based on mobile Augmented Reality (AR) software that we had developed after the Christchurch earthquakes. It was extremely well received so the next step was to integrate the AR technology into Blackbay’s existing products, and that is what we are working on now,'' said Professor Billinghurst.
Blackbay CEO Nigel Doust said by adding the functionality being developed by HIT Lab NZ to our solution “we will be able to address the biggest challenge within the courier marketplace, which is, how to achieve first time on time delivery and eliminate the significant operational cost associated with having to revisit locations or return items to depots or postal offices for further delivery”.
Augmented Reality is where virtual information can be overlaid on a live camera view of the world. HIT Lab NZ is basing its work on a mobile AR software library originally developed as a way of seeing and remembering what damaged or demolished buildings looked like on a particular site before the Christchurch earthquakes.
Professor Billinghurst said that in recent years the availability of smart phones with camera, GPS and compass sensors has meant that mobile devices can deliver several layers of information at the same time.
“When you integrate this with social media, the sophistication, speed and accuracy of many traditional activities can be greatly enhanced.”
The University has four students and staff working on the project, which they are looking to demonstrate at the Postal Expo in Europe later this year with a commercial release in early 2013. This will be the first time that mobile AR technology has been deployed in a courier application.
In the field, a courier will be able to stand in front of buildings and move the hand-held device across the front of them. With addresses having already been loaded into the system by a dispatcher, the location of the packages to be picked up or delivered will come up on the screen along with a photo of the building and a summary of the number of floors etc.
"By incorporating social media software, a message can also automatically be sent to those awaiting a courier pick up or delivery immediately the vehicle is within a certain radius of the building," said Professor Billinghurst.
Mr Doust said that just a small increase in the percentage of first time delivery success across a courier business offers major costs savings.
“By using AR technology as part of our solution, Blackbay believes it can significantly increase its market share. AR will play a big role in continuing to establish our reputation as a technology leader. The integration of this leading edge technology will be the spearhead of our expansion into our markets in Europe and the United States."
Blackbay is a market leader in the rapidly growing enterprise mobility market. Established 17 years ago, it has more than 100 employees, 74 of them based in New Zealand, with annual revenue in excess of $15 million dollars.
"We made the very exciting decision to engage with HIT Lab NZ for two reasons. Firstly, it is located in Christchurch, New Zealand, as is the Blackbay Product Development team which makes collaboration very easy. Secondly, Professor Mark Billinghurst is a noted leader in the field of AR and has carved out an impressive reputation in this area. He is a key contributor to the ARToolkit software library which underpins many of the existing AR innovation implementations. Blackbay is very fortunate to be associated with his work," said Mr Doust.
About HIT Lab NZ at the University of Canterbury:
The Human Interface Technology Laboratory New Zealand (HIT Lab NZ) is developing and commercialising technology that improves human computer interaction and by doing so unlocks the power of human intelligence. HIT Lab NZ conducts research with new emerging technologies such as Augmented Reality, Next Generation Video Conferencing, Immersive Visualization and Human-Robot Interaction. Interaction Design techniques are used to adapt these technologies to the needs of end users and solve real world problems. The end goal is to improve the user experience with technology. For more information visit http://www.hitlabnz.org.
About Blackbay:
Blackbay delivers real-time enterprise mobility solutions enabling service and productivity improvements to postal, field service and supply chain operations. The company has significant experience in the enterprise mobility market delivering mobile data solutions for over 16 years to a growing list of premium clients. Its core activity is mobile software application development, offering organisations significant return on investment based upon reduced costs, increased sales and improved productivity and service levels. Blackbay, who received funding from Albion Ventures (http://www.albion-ventures.co.uk/), a leading United Kingdom venture capital provider, is a Microsoft Gold Partner with Mobility Competency. For more information visit: http://www.blackbay.com/ or follow Blackbay on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/BlackbayLtd.