A global EPC firm partnered with AI Advisory Group to explore mixed reality for inspections, achieving 30% potential cost savings and redefining scalability in field innovation.
The Opportunity
Traditional inspection methods in large industrial environments required multiple inspectors, scaffolding, and manual measurement—driving up time and cost. While over 80% of inspections passed on the first attempt, companies were still spending heavily on repetitive work.
As part of an innovation initiative, a global EPC firm sought to collaborate with an inspection agency to test how mixed reality could optimize this process. Microsoft’s newly released HoloLens V1 offered the potential to reduce on-site presence by enabling remote or exception-based inspections.
The challenge wasn’t just testing a new device—it was rethinking an entire model of inspection, balancing innovation, safety, and cost-effectiveness.
The Approach
AI Advisory Group facilitated collaboration between the EPC firm, Microsoft, Visual Live (software partner), and the inspection agency. Together, the team tested the HoloLens in field environments across multiple facilities to validate both its promise and its limits.
Through extensive testing and hands-on evaluation, several challenges were identified, including:
Model Alignment Issues: Virtual-to-physical alignment drift in field conditions.
Connectivity Limitations: Bandwidth restrictions at remote inspection sites.
Hardware Constraints: Battery life, heat, and user safety concerns for extended use.
Environmental Sensitivity: Sensor interference in outdoor and high-light environments.
Recognizing that innovation depends as much on usability as capability, the team documented findings, developed a best practice guide, and outlined how future technologies could overcome these constraints.
When it became clear that scaling the HoloLens solution would be cost-prohibitive and operationally complex, AI Advisory Group proposed an alternative: testing lidar-equipped iPads for the same tasks.
The Solution
The iPad pilot proved remarkably effective. It delivered the same spatial mapping and measurement accuracy as the HoloLens but at a fraction of the cost—and with minimal training or support required.
The result was a shift in strategy: from a hardware-centric pilot to a scalable digital inspection framework that prioritized accessibility, safety, and ROI.
Key achievements included:
Cost Reduction: Demonstrated 30% savings compared to initial hardware investment.
Scalable Design: Created a deployment plan adaptable across inspection sites and user skill levels.
Cross-Border Innovation: Enabled the first remote mixed reality inspection between teams in mainland China and Houston, Texas.
Knowledge Transfer: Authored a best practice guide that later supported remote inspections during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Impact
This initiative validated the importance of adaptability in digital transformation. By prioritizing feasibility over novelty, the EPC firm avoided costly missteps while pioneering a practical approach to remote inspection.
The success wasn’t defined by adopting a new device—it was defined by learning where technology truly adds value.
Today, the firm continues to build on these lessons, integrating scalable, user-friendly digital tools that enhance safety, reduce costs, and strengthen inspection quality.
The Takeaway
Innovation succeeds when it’s validated through experience, not assumed by design.
By starting with experimentation, learning from failure, and adapting with agility, this collaboration between the EPC firm and AI Advisory Group set a new standard for evidence-based technology adoption in industrial environments.