SmartYard:Positioning for the future through innovating project management in shipbuilding by using AR solutions to enable operator 4.0

Smart Yard was a collaborative project between two industrial partners - Ulstein Shipyard (UVE) and R&M Ship Interior, two educational institutions - Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), NTNU Ålesund and one research institute - Møreforsking AS. The project has followed the yard in a critical restructuring phase that has changed the type of customers, work routines and requirements. In the last four years, the project has analyzed how this affects planning, work execution and coordination in a project team with a high degree of external workers and great time pressure. Central to the project was assessing the potential of implementing digital solutions based on Augmented Reality (AR) in production. Such digitization usually has major impacts both for the project management and for the way workers want to collaborate across disciplines and organizations. As part of this, the project has analyzed work processes, gained insight into the workers' experiences and assessments, and tested concrete AR-based solutions in four rounds together with employees in production. Through testing of AR, interviews and surveys, employees were able to convey their preferences regarding the functions of digital solutions. The attitude towards such solutions among production workers is positive. We also see from what they prefer the solution should contain it varies with tasks and role. This AR solution will reduce the time employees spend finding and processing information regarding the construction process. The solution is based on an iPad / tablet or smart telephones that visualize the information where things are built ("on the floor") and should be available to all foremen, team leaders and yard management. In the surveys and interviews that were conducted during the project, challenges related to adapting from offshore to the cruise market were also discussed. Our findings show that some of the challenges required a new type of thinking and collaboration between project participants. The results also show a change in the way contracts are written, an issue that has a much greater significance for the way communication across organizations is managed. The interviews with "golden watch employees" show that there is a need to improve the working environment if the shipyards are to attract young, locally established workers.

Det AR basert verktøyet ble utviklet ved å ta hensyn til både koordineringsbehov, språk barrierer samt den eksisterende kompetanse innen bruk av digitale løsninger. Intervjuene og de to spørreundersøkelsene sammen med hyppig testing fulgt av tilbakemeldinger fra arbeidere til forskerteamet ledet til et intuitivt verktøy som muliggjør on-time kommunikasjon mellom arbeidere, teamledere, disiplinkoordinatorer og teknisk avdeling. Denne AR-løsningen skal redusere tiden ansatte bruker på å finne og behandle informasjon angående byggeprosessen. Løsningen er basert på en i Pad, tablett eller smart telefon som visualiserer informasjon der ting bygges («på gulvet») og skal være tilgjengelig for alle formenn og andre relevante prosjektdeltakere. Verftet planlegger å ta i bruke AR verktøyet ved starten av neste byggeprosjekt.

Norway is challenged with low oil prices, lost export income and increasing unemployment. At the same time, the technological paradigm shift,industry 4.0, has the potential to increase Norwegian value creation to a high degree. Unless the Norwegian industry renews and restructures itself in a way that will contribute to the green shift while at the same time increasing their competitiveness by developing new technologies, which implies digitalization, it will not create value from these changes. New technologies, robots and the green shift will change jobs and will have consequences for Norwegian industry. The maritime industry is in the frontline of these changes. Coupled with technological changes, the industry also faces fundamental changes in their market conditions. The industry has been in similar situations before, and has proved to be one of the most innovate and future oriented industries in Norway. It has shown an impressive capacity and willingness to restructure and adapt to new markets and new products. SmartYard focuses on digitalization of project planning and control in shipbuilding. It combines concepts such as Augmented Reality (AR), Digital Information Assistance (DIA) and Operator 4.0 to improve not only the planning process, but also the productivity and the total outcome of shipbuilding projects. This entails introducing enabling technology in the production process, which increases accessibility of, and visualizes, the project planning in a completely new way for those involved. In short, SmartYard enables the competent worker through digital solutions. The idea behind the project is to support digitalization of the planning process while considering its effects on the employees and the way they will learn to adapt to the new tools.