Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
ProGlove is launching its second generation of smart gloves. The MARK 2 will be presented to the public at this year’s IoT Tech Expo in London together with the company slogan “For a Smarter Workforce”. The new wearable stands out because of its Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connection, larger scan range, increased scans per second, and extended battery life. It was designed for workers in industrial environments, such as automotive, logistics, and manufacturing, but also in retail.
Barcode scanning plays an important role in the industrial environment. In many companies employees use this technology to confirm work orders or document process steps. Until now workers often use handheld scanners for this . These turn out to be clunky and unwieldy. They bring unnecessary weight, have a limited battery life, are often lost, and break easily. This slows down workers in a sector where every second counts. The smart wearables from ProGlove address these problems and ensure greater efficiency, ergonomics, quality and process reliability. Employees no longer have to search for the scanner, and above all: They have their hands free at all times.
Like its predecessor, the MARK One S, MARK 2 is specially designed for use in production, logistics and retail. Its BLE connectivity makes it even easier to connect the Plug and Play device to the corporate network. In combination with tablets, smartphones and other portable devices, employees can work hands-free and without a station. The 1D and 2D barcode engine is twice as fast and much more accurate than before. In addition, MARK2 offers up to 50 percent longer battery life. The increased scan range of up to 1,5 meters makes MARK 2 an ideal scanner for picking applications. The Instant Worker Feedback has also been improved: after scanning, employees receive visual, haptic and acoustic feedback. This can, for example, report errors, but also point to prioritize shipments.
“I firmly believe that industrial wearables will be the next big thing,” says Andreas König, CEO of ProGlove. “Unlike in the consumer environment, there are clear, tangible added values for users in an industrial context. Our smart wearables save workers up to 4 seconds per scan. If you assume that hundreds or even thousands of employees scan several thousand times per shift, this adds up to a considerable volume. Our technology is Plug & Play, making it extremely easy to implement. It ensures greater efficiency, quality and process reliability. Above all it puts the human being at the center and strengthens its role against the background of increasing automation. ”
The smart Industrial IoT wearables from ProGlove are used as a bundle by user companies. This consists of the mobile scanners, textile wearables, the chargers and the access points for the connection over 868 MHz for those users who do not want to use the BLE connection.. In addition, users have the option to configure the IIoT wearables individually using the Config Tool. Worker Feedback is an optional component, as is the ability to set up a specific radio frequency via the ProGlove Custom Channel.
