Almer Technologies is developing compact, and lightweight augmented reality glasses to increase efficiency for frontline workers in technical industries. The Bern based startup has received a financial boost from Venture Kick to strengthen market visibility and build up the sales team in Switzerland.
When technicians at industrial companies encounter problems with machines, experts located at different global stations are required to travel to the production sites to solve the issues. Regular travelling is costly and environmentally damaging.
Almer technologies responded to the issue by developing augmented reality glasses to foster communication among front line workers and experts. The built-in camera allows the experts to see what their specialists worldwide are seeing. The experts can highlight objects in real-time within the worker’s field of view, allowing problems to be solved easily and quickly as if the expert were standing next to the worker in person.
Moreover, the glasses allow for hands-free operation and long wearing times. They also feature personal eyeglass correction, foldable conductive temples, excellent image quality, and specialized remote assistance software. This project is the first that provides both AR hardware and specialized software as a service.
The Almer project AR glasses allow for the simultaneous perception of reality and additional virtual information, which addresses two significant shortcomings of current AR glasses: Limited application possibilities and short battery capacity. Almer has created the ideal solution for several industries and applications, addressing the currently observable trend toward remote support and commissioning— further accelerated by the Coronavirus pandemic. The startup anticipates a 10% increase in worker productivity and that each pair will save approximately 5,500 kg of CO2 per year.
Incorporated in 2021, Almer’s team comprises ETH Zürich graduates in robotics and computational science, as well as experienced entrepreneurs from the optoelectronics, mechanical engineering, and marketing industries. Sebastian Beetschen (CEO) sharpened his experience with AR computer vision while working at Microsoft Hololens. Timon Binder (CTO) graduated from EPFL with a Master of Robotics and a Minor in Management, Technology and Entrepreneurship.
(Press release/RAN)
photo: Almer Technologies Team
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