Interactive mixed reality live streaming technology in manufacturing

This paper presents the first field-tested application of interactive mixed reality live streaming technology in a manufacturing setting and elaborates on its implications for practitioners and scholars. A proof -of-concept of a mixed reality live streaming device that uses 360 degrees video calls for remote presence is developed and applied in a field test during a tool changeover at a Stanley Black & Decker factory. This study documents that interactive mixed reality live streaming for shop-floor environments has passed Technology Readiness Level 6, representing a radical new way of organizing remote shop-floor tours, inspections, audits, and training.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME). This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).