Custom industrial AR software development
Appfront builds custom augmented reality software for industry: see-what-I-see remote assist, where an expert looks over the technician's shoulder, AR work instructions on the machine, maintenance and inspection overlays, and AR training. For smart glasses such as RealWear and HoloLens, and for phone, tablet and WebAR, connected to your own machines, work orders and systems. Built for manufacturing, machine building, field service and process industries that want knowledge to reach the shop floor faster.
What is industrial AR software?
Industrial AR software projects digital information onto the real working environment of an engineer or operator. Think of an arrow pointing to the correct valve, a work instruction appearing step by step on the machine, or a live view of an expert watching remotely. The engineer sees these overlays through smart glasses such as the RealWear Navigator or Microsoft HoloLens, or simply through the camera of a phone or tablet.
The distinction from virtual reality matters. AR keeps the real world in view and adds information to it, so the technician stays aware of the installation and can work hands-free. VR places someone in a fully virtual environment and is better suited to training simulations away from the workplace. For remote assist, on-machine work instructions and inspections, AR is the logical choice. This page focuses specifically on industrial AR, not on general app development or VR.
Off-the-shelf AR platforms often force your work instructions, roles and integrations into a fixed model and charge per user. Custom AR software, by contrast, fits your machines, procedures and systems, and grows with you as your equipment or ways of working change. Read more about our broader approach to custom software development, and about computer vision, which helps AR recognise objects and anchor overlays in the right place.
Expert watches live
See-what-I-see remote assist shares the engineer's camera feed with a remote specialist. The specialist sees exactly what the engineer sees and places guidance in view, so a fault is resolved faster without travel time.
Work instruction on the machine
AR work instructions show the correct step in the correct place on the equipment, built from your procedures or from CAD data. This means that even a less experienced engineer follows the established sequence, and quality remains traceable.
Hands-free and safe
With voice-controlled smart glasses, the engineer keeps both hands free and their eyes on the installation. For potentially explosive zones, intrinsically safe, ATEX-certified hardware is available, so AR can also be used in the process industry.
How we build your industrial AR software
We work step by step and involve your technicians, maintenance team and safety specialists early on. From a thorough assessment of your installations, fault flows and hardware environment through to rollout and ongoing management. Every step is aimed at AR that your team actually uses on the shop floor, not a demo that gathers dust.
We determine which AR application delivers the most value: remote assist, work instructions or inspection. We look at your machines, your working environment, the hardware that fits, and the systems that need to be integrated.
We design the user flows, overlays and data model, along with the approach for roles, recordings, integrations, and recognising and anchoring objects in view using markers or computer vision.
We build in short iterations and test early on the real hardware and on the shop floor. You see working versions along the way and help set priorities and shape what works well in practice.
Controlled rollout with support for the first users, followed by ongoing management, monitoring and further development as your machine park, procedures or hardware change.
What industrial AR software actually does
We tailor each application specifically to your installations, procedures and systems. Below are the features we most often deliver for industrial organisations using AR on the shop floor.
Remote assist (see-what-I-see)
A technician shares their camera view with an expert at a distance, who can project guidance, arrows and documents into the view. This lets a specialist resolve faults without travelling and makes scarce knowledge available across multiple locations.
AR work instructions
Step-by-step instructions that appear in the right place on the machine, built from your procedures or from CAD source files. Each step is ticked off, so the sequence is followed and the work demonstrably proceeds according to specification.
Maintenance & inspection overlay
During maintenance and inspections, the checklist, measurement reading and inspection point appear in view, directly on the component itself. Findings and photos are recorded hands-free by the technician and linked to the work order in your maintenance system.
Training & onboarding
New technicians learn a task by following the AR instruction on the actual device, with an experienced colleague optionally joining remotely. This helps you build expertise faster and reduces dependence on a few specialists.
WebAR without an app
AR that opens directly in the browser, built on the WebXR standard and on 3D models in glTF or USDZ. Useful for getting AR quickly to changing users, suppliers or customers without installation and app management on every device.
Integration with source and sensor data
The AR layer is fed from your work orders, drawings and sensor or IoT data, so current measurement values and the right documentation appear in view. This keeps AR aligned with your single source of truth rather than separate from it.
Who we build industrial AR software for
AR delivers the most value where complex equipment, scarce knowledge and demanding working environments come together. For these sectors we build AR that fits their machines, their maintenance process and their safety requirements.
Manufacturing & machine building
Manufacturers and machine builders who want to speed up assembly, conversion and servicing with AR work instructions and remote assist. See also our software for manufacturing and machine building software.
Maintenance & field service
Service teams carrying out maintenance and fixing faults on site who want to raise their first-time fix rate. AR connects to your work orders. See our maintenance software and the CMMS maintenance system.
Oil, gas & chemicals
Process industries with potentially explosive zones, where intrinsically safe, ATEX/IECEx Zone 1 certified smart glasses enable hands-free working and remote assist without compromising safety.
Utilities
Energy, water and network companies with distributed installations in the field. AR brings the knowledge of your central expert to the engineer on site and records inspections in a traceable way, wherever they take place.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and AR hardware
We build with a modern, maintainable stack and choose case by case between native AR and WebXR in the browser. For hands-free field work we use smart glasses such as RealWear for assisted reality and headsets such as HoloLens for mixed reality, and for lighter applications a phone or tablet. We connect the AR layer to your IoT platform, your digital twin and your maintenance and ERP systems, so the overlays match your actual data.
Why choose Appfront for your industrial AR software?
Appfront builds custom software with smart technology and thoughtful design, and always begins with a thorough analysis of your work process, your installations and the environment in which your engineers work. AR should not only impress technically, but actually be used on the shop floor. That is why we test early on the real hardware and with the people who will be using it.
We deliberately choose between native AR and WebAR, and between assisted and mixed reality, rather than locking you into a single platform or one glasses brand. That way the solution fits your environment, your management and your budget, and can grow with you. We write clear documentation so that your own team or a future supplier can understand and manage the software.
The greatest gain lies in integrating with your existing systems. AR only becomes valuable when an overlay matches the actual work order, drawing and measurement reading. We build those integrations carefully, with attention to roles, recordings and privacy, so the AR layer stays maintainable and doesn't end up as an isolated island.
See also our related services: custom software development, computer vision, an IoT platform and maintenance management. Questions? Get in touch with us.
- Custom AR software that connects to your machines and systems
- See-what-I-see remote assist, work instructions, inspection and training
- Experience with smart glasses, mixed reality and WebAR
- Suitable for phones, tablets and rugged field hardware
- Integrations with maintenance system, ERP, IoT and digital twin
- Work instructions from your procedures or from CAD data
- Computer vision for recognising and anchoring objects
- A way of working aligned with your existing IT landscape
- Clear documentation your team can read and manage
- Ongoing maintenance and further development
Security and privacy in industrial AR software
AR applications often process sensitive information: live footage of installations, recordings of sessions and sometimes images in which employees are identifiable. That calls for careful choices. We set up roles and permissions so that only authorised experts can view sessions, and we decide together with you whether and how sessions are recorded and stored. We handle images and recordings in which individuals are identifiable in line with the GDPR, with a clear legal basis and retention period.
Technically, we build in encryption in transit and at rest, role-based access, and logging of who started or viewed which session. For work in explosive atmospheres, we select intrinsically safe, ATEX-certified hardware, so that safety on the shop floor remains the priority. We document data flows and integrations, so you keep an overview of what is processed where.
Read more about our security approach: information security policy and vulnerability disclosure policy. Discuss your situation without obligation via our contact form.
- Role-based access to sessions and footage
- Clear agreements on recording and storing sessions
- GDPR-compliant processing of identifiable imagery
- Encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest
- Logging of who starts or views which session
- Intrinsically safe, ATEX-certified hardware where required
- Documented data flows and integrations
- Working in line with OWASP security principles
Frequently asked questions about industrial AR software
Answers to the questions we are asked most often about custom augmented reality for industry.
Industrial AR software projects digital information onto the real working environment of a technician or operator: an arrow pointing at the right valve, step-by-step work instructions on the machine, or the live view of an expert at a distance. The technician sees this through smart glasses such as the RealWear Navigator or Microsoft HoloLens, or through the camera of a phone or tablet. Unlike virtual reality, AR does not replace reality but enhances it, so the engineer keeps both hands free and stays aware of the installation around them. Custom AR software links those overlays to your own machines, work instructions and systems.
Augmented reality overlays digital imagery onto the real world, so the technician keeps seeing their surroundings. That is exactly what you need when maintaining a running installation or carrying out a field inspection. Virtual reality places the user in a fully virtual environment and is stronger for training simulations away from the workplace. For remote assist, on-machine work instructions and inspections, AR is the logical choice, as it preserves situational awareness and hands-free working.
With see-what-I-see remote assist, the technician shares a live video stream from their smart glasses or phone with an expert at a distance, on the spot. That expert sees exactly what the technician sees and can project guidance, arrows or documents into the view. A specialist can resolve a fault without travelling to site, the knowledge of experienced technicians becomes available more widely, and first-time-fix rates improve. We structure the session, user roles and recording to suit your workflow and your requirements around recordings and privacy.
That depends on the workplace. For hands-free fieldwork, rugged smart glasses are suitable, such as the RealWear Navigator for assisted reality with voice control, or a mixed-reality headset such as the Microsoft HoloLens for holographic instructions. For explosive atmospheres in oil, gas and chemicals, intrinsically safe hardware with ATEX/IECEx Zone 1 certification is available. For lighter applications, the camera of a phone or tablet often suffices, or WebAR that runs directly in the browser. We help you choose hardware that suits your environment and management.
WebAR is augmented reality that runs directly in the browser, so the user does not need to install an app. It builds on the WebXR standard and on 3D model formats such as glTF and USDZ. WebAR is suitable when you want to get AR to many changing users quickly, for example suppliers, customers or temporary staff, or when managing installed apps is difficult. For heavy, hands-free fieldwork with smart glasses we usually choose a native solution, as that can integrate more deeply with the sensors and hardware.
Yes. AR only becomes truly valuable when the overlays match your actual data. We integrate AR applications with your maintenance management system, your ERP, your document management and with sensor or IoT data, so that a work order, the correct drawing and the current measurements appear in view. We also connect to CAD source files to build work instructions, and to computer vision for recognising and positioning objects. This keeps the AR layer maintainable and aligned with your source of truth.
We build custom solutions. Off-the-shelf AR platforms often force your work instructions, roles and integrations into a fixed model and charge per user. Your installations, fault procedures and safety requirements, however, are specific. Custom AR software connects to your own machines, procedures and systems and can grow as your equipment or ways of working change. After an initial exploration, we decide together which AR application will deliver the most value and in what order we build.
Ready to build your industrial AR software?
Tell us where your engineers run into problems, from remote fault resolution to work instructions and inspections. We are happy to help you choose the right AR application, suitable hardware, integrations, and the requirements around recording and privacy. In a no-obligation first conversation, you will get a clear picture of the custom AR possibilities that suit your industry.