The voice-activated wearable computers are keeping fish healthy by streamlining STIM’s entire inspections process through remote collaboration, whilst avoiding significant travel

5 May, 2021 – London, UK – RealWear, Inc, a global leader of assisted reality devices, today announced that STIM, a leading provider of fish health services, has ushered RealWear technological solutions into the booming aquaculture industry.  

The popular voice-activated RealWear HMT-1 device has enabled STIM’s fish health teams to increase operational efficiency, reduce emissions and the inherent travel risks associated with COVID-19. 

In Norway, fish farming sites and facilities span the long coastline, and are located in vast and remote locations. These sites and facilities are required by law to host fish-health inspections several times a year. For STIM, honouring this requirement means that its fish health teams are constantly on the road, traveling to and from production sites, all of which comes with both an economic and environmental cost. Furthermore, finding ways to restrict the number of people moving between sites makes sense for an industry obsessed with biocontrol; a dynamic further compounded by today´s continued travel restrictions.   

To address these challenges, STIM researched remote inspection systems including handhelds, laptops, wearables and AR smart glasses. The company desired an easy-to-use system that could be easily implemented by its customers with limited instructions or training needed. Specifically, STIM was looking for a ruggedized design that operated effectively in wet, windy and typical rough offshore conditions. It preferred the device to run on the popular Android operating system so that its homegrown app, STIM PRO, could run on the system. Finally, STIM needed to make sure the system was hands-free and compliant with its many safety standards. 

Following an in-depth consultation with RealWear partner and IT infrastructure specialists ATEA Norge, STIM opted to standardize on RealWear’s HMT-1 voice-controlled industrial wearable because it met all of its criteria. 

STIM AS

Unlocking a New World of Innovation at STIM 

Since its first deployment on August 9, 2019, STIM has unlocked additional capabilities of RealWear’s HMT-1 through its STIM PRO app, its system for seamless remote communication with well boats, service boats and aquaculture facilities. STIM PRO allows STIM’s customers to log in and book an appointment for a remote inspection. In the same portal, customers can upload documents that STIM’s fish health staff may need to review prior to the inspection. The system enables immediate access to STIM’s fish health personnel who, regardless of geographical distances, can overlook and assess sampling and test results, provide advice, and contribute with important assessments related to specific fish health-related problem solving. STIM involved the Lofoten-based tech company iotek AS to tailor the user experience and develop the cloud infrastructure for STIM PRO. This process was a close collaboration between the veterinarians and project managers from STIM, and the developers in iotek AS. 

With real-time video and audio transmission, it is easy for the team to give visibility to any situation and ask for real-time advice on any identified issues. The RealWear HMT-1 device significantly reduces response time in cases where important decisions have to be made quickly.  

To date, STIM has deployed 75 HMT-1 headsets. The company initially rolled out RealWear devices for use in hygiene inspections that it conducts on wellboats used to transport live fish or to provide onboard treatments. These simple hygiene tests, which must be done to ensure that the boats are sufficiently cleaned between missions, have previously required on-site presence of an independent veterinarian or fish health biologist. RealWear’s head-mounted displays running STIM PRO have transformed this process. Crew members now perform tests themselves whilst STIM’s fish health professionals are able to remotely oversee the procedure and either approve of test results or decide that further cleaning is necessary.  

“Since deploying RealWear’s solution, we have been able to provide the same quality to our customers with this method and even offer a discounted inspection. Whilst it’s a very different process to physically sending someone to a site, it has resulted in improved safety, efficiency and cost savings,” said Henrik Hareide, COO Knowledge Services, STIM Norway. “The hardware is excellent, and RealWear’s solution is perfectly tailored to our unique needs.”  

STIM AS

Looking Forward 

STIM has plans to add a Learning System to STIM PRO to ensure quality and consistency across the teams. 

“Yet again, we are witnessing further scope for RealWear’s solution to be used in multiple applications within another industry sector,” commented Jon Arnold, VP of Sales, EMEA, RealWear Inc. “Wearable technology is now widely accepted as a tool for efficient communication, offering efficiency benefits both for operations and environmentally.” 

About STIM 

STIM AS is a leading provider of fish health services, environmental services and technical services as well as vaccines and fish health products for the Norwegian aquaculture industry. STIM is also established in Scotland, Chile and Canada. 

About Atea 

Atea is the market leader in IT infrastructure for businesses and public-sector organizations in Europe’s Nordic and Baltic regions. 

With more than 7,000 employees located in 84 offices across seven countries —Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia — Atea combines a unique breadth of competence in IT infrastructure with a powerful local presence in each market we serve. 

Atea offers a full range of hardware and software from the world’s top technology companies. Our team of specialist consultants has technical certifications and system integration skills to design, implement and operate solutions for even the most complex IT requirements. As a result, we help customers solve problems and get maximum productivity from their IT investments. 

About RealWear  

RealWear® is a knowledge transfer platform company providing in-situ information and in-the-field training with software and hardware to help people improve safety and increase productivity at work. The company’s flagship system, the HMT-1®, is the best ruggedized head-mounted, wearable, Android-class computer that frees a worker’s hands for dangerous jobs. With an ever-growing number of hands-free enterprise-ready software apps and integrations, enterprise customers gain instant knowledge for faster troubleshooting and communication and inspection with remote mentor, visual assist, document navigation, industrial IoT visualization and digital workflow solutions.   

Global leaders in energy, manufacturing and automotive industries trust the HMT-1 and HMT-1Z1 to empower and connect their global workforce. Companies operating global   businesses in diverse industries including Shell, Colgate-Palmolive, BMW and State Grid trust RealWear.  

For more information, visit www.realwear.com.  

Spread the word:
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •