Dramatic Efficiency Gains in Infrared Inspections! The Latest Technology to Instantly Identify Anomalies with AR

In building and equipment maintenance inspections, infrared inspection (inspections using infrared thermography) is a powerful method that can non-contact detect internal anomalies. It is widely used to ensure safety and quality by detecting invisible faults—such as overheating in electrical equipment or deterioration inside exterior walls—through differences in temperature distribution. However, conventional infrared inspections have had issues that make it easy to miss problems. For example, interpreting thermal images requires expertise, and the judgment of anomalies can be influenced by the inspector’s experience. It is also not easy to accurately record where an identified anomaly corresponds to on site. Because of these issues, even when an anomaly is detected, cases often arise where “it’s hard to tell which part is anomalous” or “it’s difficult to locate the spot on site based on the report.”

The main challenges in conventional infrared inspections are as follows.

• Anomaly detection is subjective and risks being overlooked: Interpreting thermal images requires skill, and there is a possibility of missing slight temperature differences or misidentifying normal areas as abnormal. Because anomaly judgments have tended to rely on the inspector’s intuition, results could vary.

• Recording the location of anomalies is difficult: It is necessary to annotate photos or mark drawings to indicate where an anomaly in a thermal image corresponds on the actual equipment or building. This process is time-consuming and carries the risk of human error leading to incorrect location identification. Especially in large sites or equipment with many similar places, it can become unclear later “which location the image corresponded to.”

• Insufficient use of past data: Although thermal images taken with infrared cameras can be saved as digital records, comparing them with past inspection results on site requires searching for separate materials. As a result, tracking long-term changes or analyzing trends is difficult on site, and valuable data may not be fully utilized.

A trump card expected to solve these issues and make infrared inspections more reliable and efficient is the use of AR (augmented reality) technology. By incorporating AR—which overlays digital information onto the real world via a smartphone or tablet camera—into infrared inspections, you can achieve a level of smooth inspection from anomaly identification to recordkeeping and sharing that was previously impossible. Now, let’s explain step by step what specifically changes when you combine AR × infrared.

What Changes with AR × Infrared

Combining AR technology with infrared inspections brings revolutionary changes to on-site anomaly detection and recording. The three main points are:

• Intuitive visualization of anomaly locations: With AR, temperature anomalies detected by an infrared camera can be highlighted directly on the actual equipment or structure on site. For example, if a component inside an electrical panel is overheating, that part can be highlighted in red on the smartphone or tablet view. Even personnel without specialist knowledge can recognize anomalies at a glance, and it becomes intuitive to understand “which part is abnormal,” which was difficult to determine from thermal images alone. Because the display is overlaid on the real object in front of you, there is no need to match photos with the actual object, allowing accurate identification of the anomaly on the spot.

• On-site confirmation of inspection history: With AR, past inspection data can be instantly called up on site and overlaid on the current view. For example, a location flagged in an infrared inspection three years ago can be shown with a marker in AR, allowing comparison of the then temperature distribution with the current condition. This lets you immediately see changes such as “it’s hotter than last time” or “new anomalies have appeared,” enabling on-site confirmation of long-term degradation trends. Being able to access historical information on site facilitates accurate judgments and responses according to the progression of anomalies.

• Streamlining work navigation: AR displays can guide the entire workflow from inspection to subsequent actions. If you place virtual pins or markers on anomaly locations, other workers visiting the site later can identify the same locations through their devices. Sharing which parts need repair between inspectors and maintenance staff becomes smooth, and AR markers allow workers to locate the actual object without relying on verbal or paper explanations. Even when multiple anomalies are found, displaying multiple markers in AR and indicating an order of operations allows inspections and repairs to proceed efficiently without omissions.

By combining AR and infrared in this way, you gain major benefits: “making anomalies easier to find,” “making records and comparisons easier,” and “guiding on-site responses.” Next, let’s look at the concrete workflow for implementing AR in infrared inspections.

Workflow for Infrared Inspections Using AR

When using AR technology for infrared inspections, the basic on-site workflow is as follows.

• Capture anomaly locations (acquire infrared images) First, photograph the target equipment or structure with an infrared camera to obtain temperature distribution data. Use a handheld thermography camera or an infrared sensor that connects to a smartphone/tablet to capture thermal images for each inspection point. Recently, there has been an increasing use of drones equipped with infrared cameras to efficiently photograph high or wide areas that are inaccessible to people. The important point at this stage is to identify where the suspected “hot spots” are.

• 3D mapping and alignment Next, map the acquired infrared images to the corresponding positions in the real world. Use the AR functions of a smartphone or tablet (camera image plus spatial recognition via gyroscope or LiDAR) to build a 3D model of the site on the spot. Then align the anomaly locations on the thermal images with their actual positions in AR space. For example, match feature points based on a visible-light image taken simultaneously with the infrared image, or place reference markers on site to identify the position. For high-precision mapping, you can scan surrounding shapes with an in-device LiDAR sensor as needed, or combine GNSS positioning information (outdoors, use RTK for high-precision positioning) so that anomaly locations in the infrared images are associated with specific coordinates in real space.

• Display anomaly locations in AR Once mapping is complete, anomaly locations are displayed in AR on the device screen. At the coordinates aligned earlier, 3D pins or glowing markers appear, and when a user looks around through the camera, those markers indicate the anomaly locations. For example, if a cavity is detected inside a wall, a red pin may appear on that wall with a label such as “suspected internal deterioration.” Because markers remain fixed in the correct positions even if the user moves, anomalies can be inspected from various angles. You can also change marker color or shape according to anomaly type or urgency to grasp priorities at a glance.

• Save and report inspection results Information displayed in AR can be saved as digital data and used to create reports. If you record photos or videos with the anomaly markers visible, you can provide immediately understandable visual reports without having to write descriptions like “the second connector from the upper-right as seen from the south side of equipment X is overheated.” Inspection date, temperature data, and other metadata can be automatically linked and saved, making it easy to manage and search in a database later. By uploading to the cloud, stakeholders can share information and grasp the situation in real time. Finally, outputting reports in the prescribed format based on this data greatly streamlines report creation.

With this flow, infrared anomaly detection, recording, and reporting can be completed seamlessly in AR on site. The previously separate tasks of “analyzing thermal images,” “marking anomaly locations,” and “creating reports” become connected, dramatically improving inspection speed and accuracy.

Examples of Improved Efficiency and Accuracy in Infrared Inspections

Now let’s look at some field-specific use cases to see the concrete effects of introducing AR.

AR in Equipment Inspections

Infrared inspections are routinely performed on factory and building electrical and mechanical equipment. For example, monitoring distribution panels, transformers, and motors with an infrared camera during operation can detect signs of failure due to abnormal heating. Using AR alongside this makes pinpointing and responding to such anomalies even more precise.

Previously, maintenance personnel would examine thermal images to identify hot components or connections, then mark them on site or record photos for later reference. After implementing AR, digital markers can be displayed immediately on anomaly locations during inspection. For example, if a breaker inside a distribution panel is detected as high-temperature, a red tag is shown on that breaker in AR so the inspector can identify the problematic part without hesitation. When another staff member later goes to perform repairs, they can find the part at a glance using the AR tag, reducing handover errors and speeding up work.

Also, because AR can visualize multiple anomaly locations at once, it prevents oversights even in large equipment groups. For instance, if several motors in a vast machine room show anomalies, AR can display markers for all problem areas along with their importance and positions. This allows the inspector to prioritize and proceed with inspections and repairs on site without matching each photo, resulting in fewer human errors and reduced downtime, thereby improving equipment reliability.

AR in Building Exterior Inspections

Infrared techniques are also effective for diagnosing building exterior walls. Traditionally, hammer sounding to check for detached tiles was common, but this required scaffolding and high-altitude work, raising cost and safety concerns. Infrared wall inspections allow non-contact detection of interior wall anomalies from the ground or a distance, offering a safer and more efficient method. Combining AR further improves precision and speed from survey to repair planning.

For example, suppose an infrared survey of a building’s exterior tiles detects several suspected detachments. Traditionally, one would analyze thermal images, mark locations on drawings, and inform repair contractors. With AR, detected spots can be digitally marked on the actual wall and saved. Later, when repair staff look up at the building while holding a tablet, an in-air marker like “internal deterioration here” will appear, letting them pinpoint the exact locations before scaffolding is erected. This eliminates the need to search through large exterior surfaces for problem spots and streamlines repair planning.

Furthermore, overlaying multiple inspection datasets in AR lets you intuitively assess deterioration progression. For example, if a spot that responded only slightly three years ago now shows an expanded area in the latest survey, AR comparison helps prioritize repairs. There are also initiatives to import high-altitude infrared images obtained by drones into AR systems so they can be safely checked from the ground, which is expected to minimize the need for scaffolding even for high-rise buildings.

AR in Solar Panel Inspections

Large-scale solar farms with hundreds to thousands of panels require rapid identification of faulty panels. Infrared cameras measure panel surface temperatures during generation and detect hot cells (hot spots), which helps identify faulty panels. Introducing AR further streamlines this process and prevents human error.

If a drone-mounted infrared camera scans a field of panels from above, it can quickly identify panels with anomalies. However, when it comes time to replace a panel on site, finding the specific panel in a vast field can be challenging. With an AR system, all defective panels identified by the scan can be digitally marked and saved with position information. As a worker walks the site holding an AR-capable device, panels to be replaced are indicated by color-coded flags visible from a distance. Information such as “panel in column 5, third from the back” can be shown directly on the physical panels in AR, allowing immediate identification.

With AR guidance, workers can patrol a large solar site without getting lost and dramatically shorten the time from inspection to repair. It also prevents mistakes such as replacing a panel that is actually functioning correctly. The result is improved operating rates for solar power equipment and reduced maintenance costs, contributing to more stable power generation operations.

AR in High-Altitude Equipment Inspections

Infrared is also used to inspect equipment installed at height in factories and plants, as well as infrastructure structures such as power transmission lines and bridges. By photographing from a distance with telephoto infrared cameras or using drones for aerial surveys, anomalies in locations inaccessible to humans can be detected. AR is powerful for confirming and sharing the results of these high-altitude inspections from the ground.

For example, consider inspecting a bridge’s bearing supports (parts that support the girder) for abnormal heat. Traditionally, one would analyze thermal images and report “an abnormal response appears at bearing number X.” Using AR, when looking up at the girder, a digital sign appears at the corresponding bearing position indicating the presence or severity of an anomaly. Inspectors can confirm problem spots from a distance as if pointing them out, and during repair planning, markers can be used to position vehicles and prepare tools.

In addition, when inspecting numerous high-up items such as overhead cranes and pipes inside a factory, AR acts as a navigation aid. If you pre-identify temperature anomalies with infrared and place markers at each location, workers can simply follow AR display instructions from below to efficiently complete inspections. This reduces the number of times personnel need to be lifted in aerial work platforms, shortening working hours and improving safety.

In this way, AR assistance is transforming high-altitude inspections that used to rely solely on human sight and mobility. By lowering the time spent working in hazardous areas while reliably pinpointing anomalies, AR both increases the reliability of maintenance inspections and enhances safety.

Closing: Infrared Inspections Evolving with AR and LRTK

By incorporating AR technology into infrared inspections, inspection work becomes easier to understand for anyone and less prone to omissions. Preventing overlooked anomalies, improving the accuracy of records, smoothing information sharing within teams, and ensuring safety—this combination of multiple benefits can truly be called the DX (digital transformation) of inspection operations. By effectively using accumulated on-site data and digitally supplementing and strengthening the parts that previously relied on experience and intuition, maintenance can be conducted with greater reliability than before.

One of the technologies that supports such high-precision AR inspections is LRTK. LRTK is a high-precision positioning solution that combines a smartphone’s LiDAR (light detection and ranging) with RTK-GNSS (real-time kinematic positioning), enabling positioning accuracy at the centimeter level (half-inch accuracy) using a handheld device. Using this, anomaly locations detected in infrared inspections can be recorded as precise coordinates in real space and displayed in AR without misalignment. In other words, smartphones and tablets themselves become precise inspection tools, allowing you to digitally “fix” anomalies found on site together with their position information.

For example, by adopting LRTK you can pinpoint and register an anomaly such as “a minor leak at the second flange from the north on the piping joint of machine XX” even in a large factory. That information is shared via the cloud so anyone can confirm the same point in AR on site. With a dramatic increase in recording accuracy and reproducibility, the reliability of inspection results improves, and in the future inspection data can be linked with digital models such as BIM for asset management and predictive maintenance.

This wave of digitization and advancement in infrared inspections will only accelerate. The AR applications that deliver “time savings, labor savings, improved safety, and stabilized quality” with a single introduction—the proverbial hitting four targets with one stone—will be the key to opening the future of inspection sites. Please consider this opportunity to introduce new infrared inspection methods that combine AR and high-precision positioning technologies (such as LRTK). The DX of the field is already beginning from the smart device in your hand.