A novel assembly process guidance using augmented reality for a standalone hybrid energy system

The increase in the maturity level and the competitiveness of renewable energy systems, such as wind or solar-powered systems, is modifying the energy production market. Due to the possibility of decentralizing energy sources, standalone hybrid energy systems are those with the most promising potential. They generate a whole new electricity distribution network and new opportunities for socio-economic development in off-grid areas. However, several technical challenges are encountered during the deployment and operation of these systems, including transportation logistic costs, assembly, remote monitoring, performance evaluation, and real-time maintenance. Renewable energy systems must demonstrate a high degree of autonomy when operating without the supervision of an expert on-site. Furthermore, these systems must be able to communicate with their control center, sometimes located several hundreds of kilometers away. Once installed on-site, GreenCube (GC), a standalone hybrid energy technology, does not require specialized software or skilled user intervention to operate. Given the different versions of GC and the complexity of components, the assembly process plays a crucial role in the operational performance and durability of the equipment. This work applies the concept of augmented reality (AR) to provide assistance and guidance during assembly operations. It reviews the state of the art in hardware and software solutions based on AR to increase assembly precision, safety, and cadence in an industrial maintenance context. A real case scenario is described in which the user is guided step-by-step through sequences to deploy and assemble the components of a standalone hybrid energy system. Results suggest that the proposed paperless and AR-based method helps to reduce human errors during assembly operations, increase the health and safety of the assembly team, and provide insights on how to perform the tasks efficiently without the need for external documentation. The architecture can be implemented in any database management system to control relevant data generated from the assembly process and will be the basis for further research on remote maintenance approaches.