Smart Glasses for Manufacturing: Types, Use Cases and How to Choose
Contents
Short answer
Smart glasses for manufacturing are wearable displays that show work instructions, checklists or a remote expert's view in the operator's field of vision, leaving both hands free. They range from simple monocular displays to full mixed reality headsets. Actarion runs your digital work instructions on smart glasses and tablets alike, so you pick the device per task.
When do smart glasses make sense?
- The technician needs both hands and keeps putting down tools to read the manual.
- The workplace is a ladder, a pit or a cramped cabinet with no room for a tablet.
- An expert is needed on site, but is hours away.
- Inspections require photos and values, and gloves make a tablet awkward.
What are smart glasses?
Smart glasses are head-worn computers with a display in or near the field of view, a camera, microphone and usually voice control. In industry they are used to show instructions, capture evidence and connect to remote experts. "AR glasses" usually refers to models that place digital content on top of the real world.
Which types of smart glasses are there?
| Type | What you see | Good for | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted reality (monocular) | A small screen next to your eye | Checklists, remote support, photo capture | No overlay on the object |
| Optical see-through AR | Holograms on the real world | Overlays on parts, 3D sequences | Field of view, brightness outdoors |
| Video passthrough mixed reality | Camera view of the world plus digital content | Rich 3D, high display quality | Weight, battery, PPE fit |
Examples include assisted reality devices from makers such as RealWear and Vuzix, Microsoft HoloLens 2 (production ended in 2024, security updates until end 2027), Apple Vision Pro and Android XR headsets. Check current datasheets: models and certifications change often. See our hardware overview.
How do you select and roll out smart glasses in 6 steps?
- 1Start from the task, not the device. List tasks where hands-free really matters.
- 2Check the environment. Noise, dust, water, temperature, explosive atmospheres and PPE such as helmets and safety glasses.
- 3Check shift length and comfort. Weight and battery life decide whether people keep them on.
- 4Involve IT early. Wi-Fi coverage, device management, security and data storage.
- 5Test with real operators. on the real task, ideally with a few device types side by side.
- 6Pilot, measure and scale. Use KPIs such as task time, errors and expert travel avoided.
Example
A field service team maintains packaging machines at customer sites.
- Technicians wear monocular smart glasses with voice control.
- The service instruction appears step by step; they confirm by voice.
- For an unknown fault, they start a remote session; the expert at headquarters sees the live view and marks the right part.
- The service report is created from the logged steps and photos.
Common mistakes
- Buying a pallet of glasses for a pilot. Start with a handful.
- Assuming one device fits all tasks. Mix glasses and tablets.
- Ignoring comfort. If they hurt after an hour, they won't be worn.
- Not involving the operators. Let them choose between devices in the test phase.
- Forgetting privacy. Cameras on the head raise questions; agree on rules and inform employees.
How do you measure success?
Measure before you change anything. Record a baseline for two to four weeks, then compare after the rollout using the same definitions. These KPIs are the most useful:
| KPI | What it tells you | How you measure it |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-free share | Whether glasses fit the task | Share of steps where both hands are busy |
| Wearing time | Whether the device is comfortable | Average minutes per session |
| Task time | Whether glasses beat a tablet | Minutes per task, glasses vs tablet |
| Remote support resolution | Value of the expert view | Share of calls solved without a site visit |
Keep the list short: three KPIs that the team leader reviews every week beat ten that nobody looks at. Agree on the definitions with quality and finance up front, so the results hold up in a business case.
How Actarion helps
- Device-independent: the same instruction runs on smart glasses, tablets, Apple Vision Pro, HoloLens 2 or Android XR.
- Hands-free execution: step-by-step guidance, voice confirmation and photo capture.
- Remote assistance built in, via technology partner DeepSight.
- Audit trail of every execution.
- Device advice and pilot with fixed KPIs.
Frequently asked questions
They can be, if they fit your PPE, are certified for the environment and don't block the view. Do a risk assessment per workplace.
Smart glasses is the broad term. AR glasses place digital content on the real world; simpler smart glasses only show a screen next to your eye.
Many models allow that or offer prescription inserts. Check per model.
No. Glasses are for hands-free tasks; tablets remain the best choice for many workstations.
