BETHESDA, MD—Lockheed Martin Corp. is implementing augmented reality (AR) on its factory floor and working with software developer Scope AR to develop how-to manuals that include animations for assembling spacecraft components. The partners say the collaboration has reduced the time required to interpret assembly instructions by 95 percent, overall training by 85 percent reduction and boosted productivity by more than 40 percent.
Lockheed first implemented AR technology in 2017 within its space division, which is currently building the NASA’s Orion spacecraft. Shelley Peterson, Lockheed’s augmented technology project leader, says AR tools are being used to assembled various Orion components, including the skeletal framework of the spacecraft’s titanium heat shield that must withstand re-entry temperatures as high as 5,000 F.