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Industry 4.0

KIT-AR at the launch of the Smart-Lab Aveiro

KIT-AR at the launch of the Smart-Lab Aveiro, a new testbed co-promoted by Renault, Brisa and Via Verde

In the beginning of April, KIT-AR was present at the launch of The Smart-Lab Aveiro, a new testbed co-promoted by Renault , Brisa and Via Verde.

This will be a hub for innovation and development of cutting-edge smart solutions in Industry 4.0 and mobility, while also accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies and services that will shape the future of the industry.

KIT-AR at the launch of the Smart-Lab Aveiro, a new testbed co-promoted by Renault, Brisa and Via Verde
KIT-AR at the launch of the Smart-Lab Aveiro, a new testbed co-promoted by Renault, Brisa and Via Verde
KIT-AR at the launch of the Smart-Lab Aveiro, a new testbed co-promoted by Renault, Brisa and Via Verde

We’re looking forward to leveraging the testbed unique conditions on or journey to digitally enhance manufacturing shopfloor workers!

While you’re at it, take a look at our News page for more insights on KIT-AR!

Industry 4.0 VS Industry 5.0

Industry 4.0 vs Industry 5.0

The industrial revolutions have come a long way since the beginning of its time. Nowadays, you might have heard about Industry 5.0, without knowing how it can be differentiated from Industry 4.0.

Usually, when Industry 4.0 – fourth stage of the industrial revolution – is mentioned, people tend to focus on automation, autonomous processes, self automizing systems and technology in general. This ends up being one of the reasons why Industry 4.0 feels a bit cold. Essentially because of all these technologies, equal systems and intelligent tools don’t really connect with the people working in factories. And, nowadays, the human workers are key elements that add value in production lines and in manufacturing as a whole.

By placing humans back at the centre of the industrial production, Industry 5.0 leverages that value. By giving the workers the tools that make them much more connected with the rest, the remaining of the equal systems and jobs that are more meaningful. So, Industry 5.0, as we know it, brings in this warmer, more human touch. Which means bigger sustainability, a more ethical stand, a bigger focus on safety, wellbeing and on the professional development of each worker.

We are currently still scratching the surface of this new concept, but in summary: Industry 5.0 is a complement of Industry 4.0 and it mainly focuses on building a more sustainable, human-centered and a more resilient manufacturing industry. Of course, KIT-AR is already a big part of this effort.

If you found this explanation useful, make sure to check out our Resources for more industry insights!

Industry 4.0 VS industry 5.0 | Explainer

The evolution of the industrial revolution has come a long way since the beginning. Nowadays, you might have heard about Industry 5.0, without knowing how it can be differentiated from Industry 4.0.

In this KIT-AR explainer video we will guide you through each concept, the biggest differences between Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0, and how they supplement each other.

If you found this explainer video useful, make sure to check out our Resources for more industry insights!

Augmented Workers Are the Face of Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing

Manufacturing human worker clicks on next task on a blue rectangle that displays augmented reality instructions

The manufacturing industry has been through several changes over the years ever since the first industrial revolution. Nowadays, the manufacturing process relies much more on digital solutions, that can upgrade production capabilities to a whole new level.

In this way, Industry 4.0 is all about bringing a tech layer to the manufacturing industry’s shopfloor and this includes the enhancement of the human workers. This enhancing process is called augmentation. An augmented worker is an operator that uses technology to enhance his skills, which can improve their daily physical and cognitive tasks. Not only will this allow operators to do more focused and efficient work, but it will also help them overcome their failures.

There are many augmentation solutions available, however Augmented Reality (AR) provides the most important technological advantage for manufacturers, as it contributes to make humans work better and become more productive. Through AR, workers can see and interact with real-time step-by-step instructions overlaid on the shopfloor’s equipment, that guides them throughout their everyday tasks. Using animations, 3D, video and sound, operators can have a hands-free interaction with the digital instructions, through gesture and voice commands. This solution allows the workforce to do its assignments better, more easily and efficiently.

Augmentation can also help improve operator’s decision-making processes. Through automatic quality checks, workers can be alerted of a probable mistake and how to fix it, therefore reducing the error probability. Operational costs such as time of work, water and energy consumption, as well as waste are dramatically reduced while, at the same time, safety on the shopfloor increases. Overall, the continuous development of the relationship between man and machine, and the digitalization of the production process reduces non-value time on the shopfloor.

Can automation provide the expected outcomes?

It is important to mention that automation has been an essential tool for the manufacturing industry over the years and recently many manufacturers have started to believe that total automation may seem like a good solution. However, it has been proved that it would not yield the results sought out by factories, take for instance Ellon Musk who openly admitted that Tesla’s excessive automation was a mistake. Human operators have more capacities for certain tasks that machines simply do not have, such as creativity, flexibility and adaptability. Empowering the workers with augmented technology can make factories achieve continuous improvement.

Tests have also been done demonstrating that companies can use Augmented Reality solutions to upskill new employees. By not moving away from the shopfloor, they can learn new skills by visualizing instructions, while training time and costs can be decreased. As a consequence, the time-to-competence – also known as the time allocated to teach a new untrained individual and to turn him into a capable worker, who will perform his functions with confidence – will be reduced as well.

With detailed training, operators can execute specific tasks with more care and they can also do another person’s job without causing major costs. This means that line balancing, which concerns equivalating operator and machine time to the production’s rate to match the takt time, is assured.

Employees’ well-being, attention span and efficiency will increase with the benefits these technologies carry. Augmentation will improve human operator’s work, which will translate into a healthier and higher-quality manufacturing performance. Factories must start their Augmented Reality journey sooner than later, as they will, without a doubt, achieve great results with the tools that Industry 4.0 presents. 

If you found this webinar useful, make sure to check out our Resources page for more industry insights!

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