Wearable Recorder Correlates Audio Events with Maintenance Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
The loss of knowledge and expertise among maintenance technicians in power equipment maintenance due to retirement leads to a lack of documented procedures and expertise, making it difficult for less experienced technicians to perform complex maintenance tasks effectively.
Innovation Solution
A system that records and correlates images and audio during maintenance procedures using wearable recorders, allowing for the identification and storage of event images, which can be retrieved and displayed on a heads-up display for future reference, creating a library of maintenance knowledge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If maintenance procedures are performed by experienced technicians through oral transmission and on-site mentoring, then knowledge and expertise are preserved among technicians, but this knowledge is lost when experienced technicians retire
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates visual copies of maintenance procedures through imaging technology. Cameras capture images and videos of maintenance tasks being performed by experienced technicians, creating a visual repository that can be stored and retrieved. This copying approach preserves the actual performance of maintenance tasks rather than relying on oral transmission, solving the knowledge loss problem when technicians retire.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary documentation of maintenance procedures by capturing images and videos before the knowledge is completely lost. Experienced technicians perform maintenance tasks while being recorded, creating a library of correct procedures in advance. This preliminary action ensures that knowledge is preserved before retirement occurs, eliminating the need for last-minute knowledge transfer.
2Loss of information
If all images from maintenance procedures are stored and reviewed, then complete documentation is achieved, but data storage requirements and review time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the most relevant images from the complete set of maintenance procedure images. Image processing algorithms analyze the captured images to identify key moments, critical steps, and important visual information. Only these extracted relevant images are stored in the database, eliminating the need to store and review every single image taken during maintenance, thus reducing storage requirements and review time while preserving essential documentation.
3Loss of information
If detailed documentation of all maintenance procedures is created, then complete knowledge preservation is achieved, but the complexity of documenting and retrieving specific information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where users can search for and retrieve specific maintenance information based on equipment type, procedure name, or other parameters. The system provides feedback by returning relevant images and videos from the database, allowing users to verify if the retrieved information matches their needs. This feedback loop makes information retrieval efficient and accurate, reducing the difficulty of finding specific maintenance knowledge within the detailed documentation.
Data Source
AI summary
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for identifying event images captured during an event associated with power equipment, such as a maintenance action. An entity, such as a maintenance technician, is equipped with an image recorder and an audio recorder. In some embodiments, the image recorder and/or audio recorder are wearable, such as mounted to eyewear and/or headwear worn by the entity. Audio that is recorded by the audio recorder is processed to identify events (e.g., key actions in a maintenance procedure). Based upon the identification of an event from the audio, event images (e.g., images captured temporally proximate to when the event was identified in the audio) associated with the event are identified and stored in a library. In some embodiments, one or more of such event images are later displayed to entities via a heads-up display, for example.