Machines Get A SayMachines Get A Say

By summer, workers may be able to learn the status of equipment simply by asking. What's more, the equipment would answer. Researchers at Siemens Corporate Research in Princeton, N.J., have developed what may be the biggest thing for user interfaces since the icon.

Engineers and mechanics would be able to quickly identify machinery in need of maintenance, project manager Nassir Navab says. "Status check," the worker would say. "Seventy-five percent capacity, need filter change," the station pump would reply.

The worker, using a wearable computer equipped with an integrated camera, microphone, and 802.11b wireless connection to a main database, points the camera at the closest visual marker. The camera sends the marker's code to the database, and the system pinpoints the machine being queried. Sensors in the equipment track its status. Voice-recognition software processes the questions, and the database sends back the answers.

Thousands of devices could be networked throughout a plant to respond verbally, so workers wouldn't have to physically examine each one, Navab says. That would slash the time it takes to make rounds from hours to minutes. If several pieces of equipment need attention, the system prioritizes what needs attention first, he adds.

By adding a headset with virtual-reality software, Navab says, images, diagnostic information, and even directions to troubled devices could be sent to workers. The idea behind the system isn't just about having equipment that can talk. Says Navab, "It's about getting information to the engineer right there, where he's standing."