Complex products can be found in all sectors of the German economy. Even if the development processes differ between the industries, they all require one important service: the analysis of the current condition across the entire value chain - from product creation to damage analysis. In the manufacturing industry, damage analysis often involves external service providers taking samples of components and products and analysing them on site. The dispatch of experts, taking of samples, provision of the (large) amounts of data obtained, analysis documentation and communication of the results represent complex sub-processes that still frequently take place in analogue form today.

The aim of the SmartAlyse project is to create a digital support platform that also simplifies communication, sampling and data exchange between producing companies, experts and end users.

Together with the project partners, OFFIS is researching how augmented reality can be used to support non-experts in particular in taking samples from experts who are not on site. To this end, a remote expert system for various end devices (smartphone, tablet and head-mounted displays) is being developed and tested together with end users. This allows laypersons to take samples of products immersively in the environment through the visualisation of instructions and to analyse them on site. She/he is supported by remote experts. For the expert support, OFFIS designs methods for situation image visualisation. Overall, OFFIS evaluates not only the usability properties but also the change in work processes and the acceptance of the technology by the various actors.