Context-Aware Recoloring Approach for AR-Assisted Maintenance Applications

Augmented Reality (AR) is considered one of the key pillars of Industry 4.0 as it innovates the manufacturing process and promotes new ways of human-machine interaction. Among the main challenges influencing the implementation success of AR technology in industry, visualization modalities of AR content represent a crucial factor to be considered in relation to the application domain. In this regard, previous studies evaluating different AR-based content visualizations have demonstrated significant implications on worker performance and, in particular, specific factors such as colors applied to virtual information and uncontrolled environmental conditions, which can hinder the correct perception of AR content by users. Based on these considerations, the paper proposes a context-aware recoloring approach for AR-assisted maintenance applications for both indoor and outdoor environments. More specifically, the proposed approach is used to recolor virtual information on the basis of real work conditions in order to improve distinctiveness and visibility of virtual objects with respect to the real ones. By way of example, a use case is presented for exploring the benefits of the proposed solution in the field of maintenance activities. The outcomes provide the basis for further improvement and experimentation in a real industrial setting.