Thyssenkrupp will use Microsoft's HoloLens mixed-reality technology to help technicians carry out elevator maintenance calls more efficiently.

Using HoloLens, service technicians will be able to "visualize and identify problems with elevators ahead of a job," the company says, and have remote, hands-free access to technical and expert information when on site. Thyssenkrupp says initial field trials have shown that maintenance can be done up to four times faster than before by using the device.

Initial field trials have shown that use of the HoloLens mixed-reality technology speeds maintenance by up to four times. Image credit: Thyssenkrupp. The work Thyssenkrupp is doing with HoloLens centers on the use of Skype, which is available to all users of HoloLens without any additional development work required. With Skype on HoloLens, technicians can be hands free even when making remote calls to subject-matter experts and sharing holographic instructions between users. This affords technicians more flexibility while complying with safety regulations.

A video of the technology can be viewed here.

HoloLens integrates with Thyssenkrupp's MAX maintenance solution, which relies on the predictive capabilities of Microsoft's Azure IoT Suite. With Azure IoT, Thyssenkrupp captures all elevator data—from motor temperature to shaft alignment, cab speed and door functioning—and transmits into a single dashboard in the cloud.

The solution provides technicians with instant diagnostic capabilities and real-time visualization of two primary types of data: alarms, which indicate an immediate issue, and events, which are stored and used for management.