Localization limitations of ARCore, ARKit, and hololens in dynamic large-scale industry environments

Augmented Reality (AR) systems are envisioned to soon be used as smart tools across many Industry 4.0 scenarios. The main promise is that such systems will make workers more productive when they can obtain additional situationally coordinated information both seemlessly and hands-free. This paper studies the applicability of today's popular AR systems (Apple ARKit, Google ARCore, and Microsoft Hololens) in such an industrial context (large area of 1, 600m2, long walking distances of 60m between cubicles, and dynamic environments with volatile natural features). With an elaborate measurement campaign that employs a submillimeter accurate optical localization system, we show that for such a context, i.e., when a reliable and accurate tracking of a user matters, the Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) techniques of these AR systems are a showstopper. Out of the box, these AR systems are far from useful even for normal motion behavior. They accumulate an average er ror of about 17m per 120m, with a scaling error of up to 14.4cm/m that is quasi-directly proportional to the path length. By adding natural features, the tracking reliability can be improved, but not enough.