BL.MIXEDR: Augmenting Traditional Maintenance Procedures to Better Exploit the Capabilities of Head-Worn AR.

This paper presents the design and implementation of BL.MIXEDR, a maintenance assistance system that leverages the capabilities of augmented reality (AR) to support technicians during maintenance processes. BL.MIXEDR reimagines the work order to fully exploit the contextualization of numerical data and maintenance management information using the hands-free and spatial capabilities of augmented reality headsets. The prototype supports technicians with relevant information, at the right moment and at the right location allowing them to focus solely on the maintenance work, thus, reducing extraneous cognitive load and improving their performances. Moreover, the architecture of the BL.MIXEDR system allows a simplified integration with existing maintenance systems, which, in our view, is one of the barriers to industrial adoption of AR maintenance systems. BL.MIXEDR is the result of several iterations of user-centered design and multiple evaluations by maintenance experts in real conditions on the field.