miRemote AR service tool overcomes all borders

Smaller problems can often be solved with a little support - as if the service technician himself were live on site. Especially in times when travelling, access to production facilities and personal contact is difficult or even impossible, miRemote proves to be exactly the right service solution.

The failure of a production machine often not only costs time to repair, but usually has a negative financial impact on the overall production. Sometimes a small defect can be repaired with a few simple steps, even by remote maintenance. With the augmented reality service app miRemote, the service technician shows the user how it works.

The service tool establishes a direct video connection between the user's smartphone or tablet and the expert from Minebea Intec. The service accesses the camera of the device to get a live video feed of the problem. Through various interaction possibilities, the technician can give the user precise instructions and is at his side during the problem solving process.

When on-site service is impossible

"Personal contacts are difficult at present: it is not always possible for a technician to be directly on site: Access restrictions or lengthy approval processes are a problem when it comes to providing rapid assistance. With miRemote, service staff can get a quick and immediate picture of the situation, simply by looking at the camera function of the device in use, without having to invest in additional hardware or software - all it takes is a link and a click, and the live connection is established," said Michael Tappe, Global Service Manager at Minebea Intec.

Thanks to the secure app connection, the connected service employee sees exactly what the user is currently seeing - as if he were directly on site. By fading in gestures, sending helpful documents or direct instructions via the audio track, the user can be intuitively told what to do. 

Thanks to the assistance via app, the service is not tied to any particular location - for the user this means that any waiting times, necessary travel documents or costs for the journey of a service employee are eliminated. If the problem cannot be solved via app assistance, the service department knows exactly which assistance is necessary due to the personal view of the situation - which is not always the case with remote diagnosis.

Closing the gap between maintenance and repairs

The service tool miRemote closes the gap between preventive service measures and corrective maintenance. Country borders and time zones are effortlessly crossed.

"The miRemote service tool is based on Augmented Reality technology," explained Tappe. "This has enabled us to make our service usable and visible worldwide and at any time. The intuitive tool helps to avoid and reduce malfunctions while at the same time increasing the technical availability of systems and equipment. It thus becomes part of a consistent prevention strategy. From his location, the service technician can accompany process steps and provide assistance, for example by pointing a finger or by visualizing ‘motion sequences’".

miRemote helps with difficult access conditions

miRemote also helps the user where direct support is not possible: For example, access to the production site is often difficult due to long distances or technicians are not allowed to enter the production site for security reasons.

Especially in the current situation with the coronavirus Pandemic and the worldwide restrictions, this is an extreme challenge for producers and suppliers. With miRemote, on the other hand, service staff can obtain a detailed picture and initiate necessary measures in a time- and cost-saving manner.

miRemote is available in two versions: Either as a WEB link, which the service sends to the user directly on demand, or alternatively as a full license, where the customer can also provide additional assistance within his own organization.

No matter which variant the user chooses: Included in both cost models is the many years of experience with which the company's service is available to the user. This means that even in difficult times, users can rely on products and services from Minebea Intec - as if the service technician were live on site.