Fredericton-based Kognitiv Spark has partnered with Japanese technology company HMS Inc. to integrate HMS’s SiNGRAY G2 augmented reality glasses with Kognitiv Spark’s RemoteSpark platform for remote support of industrial workers.

Announced Oct. 1, the partnership will combine the hardware with software that allows technicians working on infrastructure, military equipment and industrial machinery to receive guidance from remote experts.

Using the glasses, a technician can connect with an expert who sees what the worker sees. The expert can provide verbal instructions, annotate equipment in the technician’s field of view and share 3D models, manuals and technical drawings. The system allows workers to keep both hands free while performing repairs and maintenance.

“We’ve never been about the headset for its own sake,” said Kognitiv Spark CEO Yan Simard. “We’re about the person wearing it. . . . The G2 is built for the places our users actually work, and it lets us keep putting the expertise right in their hands."

RemoteSpark already supports devices including Android smart glasses, laptops and smartphones. The SiNGRAY G2 adds a standalone headset capable of displaying stereoscopic 3D images, allowing digital models and annotations to be positioned over physical equipment.

Other features include depth sensing and high-resolution image capture, which provide remote experts with additional visual information. The headset also has replaceable power units that can be swapped without shutting down the device.

HMS designed the G2 for industrial environments, with IP65-rated protection against dust and water and Micro-OLED displays intended for use in bright conditions. The company said the headset has also undergone safety testing, including drop-ball and impact tests.

Kognitiv Spark develops augmented and mixed reality software for field workers who need access to specialized expertise while working in remote or demanding environments. Its customers include organizations in defence, energy and manufacturing.

HMS president and CEO Zhencheng Hu said the integration would pair his company’s industrial hardware with Kognitiv Spark’s remote-support software.

HMS, headquartered in Fukuoka, Japan, specializes in AI-driven image processing, visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM), and edge computing. The company said it has shipped more than 32,000 3D sensing devices to industrial customers in Japan.