Patent Publication Number: US-9429754-B2

Title: Wearable assembly aid

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The embodiments disclosed herein relate in general to equipment for displaying the position of a component to an operator. 
     BACKGROUND 
     An assembly operation for a product, such as a vehicle, may entail an operator selecting one or more of a multitude of components for assembly into the product. Improving the speed and accuracy of the assembly operation are examples of ongoing objectives that may be accomplished, for example, by improving the equipment used by the operator. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to methods, devices and systems for aiding an operator in performing an assembly operation by displaying the position of a component using a device worn by the operator. 
     In one aspect, a method of aiding an operator in performing an assembly operation at an assembly station includes: scanning the assembly station, using a camera, for the position of a component identified to be used in the assembly operation; and displaying, using a display worn by the operator, the position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator. 
     In another aspect, a device for aiding an operator in performing an assembly operation at an assembly station includes a display and a controller. The display is adapted to be worn by the operator. The controller is in communication with the display and is programmed to: in response to an identification of a component to be used in the assembly operation, and a determination, based on at least one captured image of the assembly station, of the position of the identified component within the assembly station, operate the display to display the position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator. 
     In yet another aspect, a system for aiding an operator in performing an assembly operation at an assembly station includes a display, a camera and at least one controller. The display is adapted to be worn by the operator. The camera is configured to capture images. The at least one controller is in communication with the display and the camera and is programmed to: identify one of a plurality of assembly stations as the assembly station at which the operator is located; identify a component to be used in the assembly operation based on an assembly routine for the identified assembly station; operate the camera to capture at least one image of the assembly station; determine the position of the identified component within the assembly station based on the at least one captured image of the assembly station; and operate the display to display the determined position of the identified component within the assembly station to the operator. 
     These and other aspects will be described in additional detail below. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The various features, advantages and other uses of the present methods, devices and systems will become more apparent by referring to the following detailed description and drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an assembly station, showing an operator, an area containing various components for the operator to select for assembly into a product, and an example of a wearable device for the operator that is equipped with a camera and a display; 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed perspective view of the wearable device; 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a system configured to control the operation of multiple wearable devices to aid respective operators in performing assembly operations; 
         FIG. 4  is a flow diagram showing the operations of a process for identifying a component to be assembled into a product by an operator, determining the position of the component, and displaying the position of the component to the operator; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram depicting the operations of a process for determining the position of the component in the flow diagram of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is an example of an image of the assembly station captured by the camera for use in performing the process of  FIG. 5 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the assembly station, taken from the point of view of the operator wearing the wearable device, showing an example of the display displaying the position of a component to the operator according to the process of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a flow diagram depicting the operations of a process for verifying the operator&#39;s selection of a component and notifying the operator of the results of the verification; 
         FIG. 9  is a flow diagram depicting the operations of a process for verifying the operator&#39;s selection of a component in the flow diagram of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIGS. 10A and 10B  are perspective views of the assembly station, taken from the point of view of the operator wearing the wearable device, showing examples of notifying the operator of the results of the verification of the operator&#39;s selection of a component according to the process of  FIG. 8 ; 
         FIG. 11  is a flow diagram depicting the operations of a process for verifying the operator&#39;s performance of an assembly operation, notifying the operator of the results of the verification, and transmitting a notification to a third party if the operator&#39;s performance of the assembly operation cannot be verified; 
         FIG. 12  is a flow diagram depicting the operations of a process for verifying the operator&#39;s performance of an assembly operation in the flow diagram of  FIG. 11 ; and 
         FIGS. 13A and 13B  are perspective views of the assembly station, taken from the point of view of the operator wearing the wearable device, showing examples of notifying the operator of the results of the verification of the operator&#39;s performance of an assembly operation according to the process of  FIG. 11 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     As disclosed herein, an operator in an assembly station may be equipped with a wearable device configured to aid the operator in the assembly of a product. In the disclosed implementations, after an assembly station is scanned for a component required for an upcoming assembly operation, the wearable device is operated to display the location of the component to the operator. 
       FIG. 1  depicts an assembly line  10  including one or more assembly stations  12  that are adapted for supporting the assembly of one or more products  14 . In the illustrated example, the products  14  are vehicles, although the assembly stations  12  could be adapted for supporting the assembly of a vehicle part or other types of products. As shown, the assembly line  10  may optionally be equipped with componentry, such as the illustrated floor conveyor  16 , to move the products  14  sequentially through multiple assembly stations  12 . In this example, the assembly stations  12  may be collectively adapted for supporting a progressive assembly of the products  14 , although in alternative examples, a single assembly station  12  could be adapted for individually supporting the assembly of one or more of the products  14 . The assembly stations  12  according to these or other examples may be adapted for supporting pre-assembly, final-assembly or post-assembly operations for the products  14 , for example, as well as according to repair or maintenance operations for the products  14 . 
     The illustrated assembly stations  12  contain a number of different components  20  that are each configured for assembly into the products  14  according to respective assembly routines for the assembly stations  12 . Each of the components  20  may be an individual part, a collection of similar or different individual parts, a sub-assembly or other constituent portion of the products  14 . As generally shown, the components  20  may but need not be boxed or otherwise packaged. According to the illustrated example where the products  14  are vehicles, the components  20  may include without limitation fasteners, wiring harnesses or body panels, for example. 
     The assembly stations  12  may include a variety of storage structures  22 , such as the shelves  24  and the bin rack  26  with bins  28  illustrated in  FIG. 1 , for example, for housing and/or organizing the components  20  in the assembly areas  12 . The storage structures  22  can be common to multiple assembly stations  12  as shown, although one, some or all of the assembly stations  12  could have one or more dedicated storage structures  22 . The components  20  are shown in the storage structures  22  in accordance with one example of an overall assembly environment for the assembly stations  12 . However, in alternative examples, some or all of the components  20  can be freestanding in the assembly stations  12  independently from the illustrated or other storage structures  22 . 
     As shown, the assembly stations  12  may also be occupied with one or more operators  30  (i.e., personnel) trained to perform assembly operations in which a component  20  is assembled into a product  14 . In preparation to perform a given assembly operation, the operator  30  must select the correct component  20 . 
     If the operator  30  is required to perform a variety of assembly operations using different components  20 , either at a single assembly station  12 , or as the operator  30  moves to different assembly stations  12  throughout a work shift, the selection of a correct component  20  for a given assembly operation may on occasion cost the operator  30  valuable time and effort. For example, the operator  30  may have to spend time reorienting themselves to the given assembly operation and/or the position of the correct component  20  upon switching from an assembly operation using a different component  20 , or the operator  30  may have to spend time finding the correct component  20  and confirming its correctness upon switching from an assembly operation using a component  20  having similar physical characteristics as the correct component  20 , or the operator  30  may have to spend time locating the correct component for the given assembly operation if its position within the assembly station  12  has changed since a previous performance of the assembly operation. Even if the operator  30  is generally focused on a given assembly operation and aware of the location of the correct component  20 , the operator  30  may still benefit from a confirmation that a component  20  that the operator  30  intends to select is the correct one. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the operator  30  may be equipped with a wearable device  40  which, as shown schematically in  FIG. 3 , may be included in a system  100  for controlling the operation of the wearable device  40  to aid the operator  30  in selecting components  20 . The system  100  may include one or more wearable devices  40 , as generally shown, but is described with reference to a singular wearable device  40  for ease of understanding. However, it will be understood that the description is applicable in principle to any number of wearable devices  40 . 
     The wearable device  40  in the illustrated example is configured as a pair of safety glasses constructed to include an eyewear frame  42  adapted to attach to the operator  30 &#39;s head in a conventional manner and protective lenses  44  supported by the eyewear frame  42 . 
     A display  50  is supported by the eyewear frame  42  such that, when the wearable device  40  is worn by the operator  30 , the display  50  is positioned in the immediate field of view of the operator  30  so as to visually display information to the operator  30 . In this example, the display  50  is supported at a position generally corresponding to one of the lenses  44 . The display  50  may be connected to or integrated with the lens  44 , for example, or may be a separate component provided adjacent the lens  44 . In one non-limiting example, the display  42  may be a screen configured to directly display information to the operator  30 , for instance, while in other examples, the display  42  may be configured to display information projected from elsewhere. 
     The wearable device  40  in the illustrated example has a camera  52  which, as shown, is generally supported by the eyewear frame  42  similarly to the display  50 . With the wearable device  40  worn by the operator  30 , the camera  52  can capture images of the assembly station  12  generally and the components  20  specifically, as indicated in  FIG. 1 . 
     The wearable device  40  may further optionally include an operator input module  54  and an operator output module  56  for permitting communication between the wearable device  40  and the operator  30 . The operator input module  54  may include a microphone and any variety of buttons, for instance, while the operator output module  56  may include for example a speaker and a force feedback system for providing haptic feedback to the operator  30 . 
     The example wearable device  40  includes a controller  60  for controlling the overall operation of the wearable device  40  and a transceiver  62  configured to enable the wearable device  40  for wireless communications. As shown in  FIG. 3 , in the system  100 , the wearable device  40  is communicatively coupled to an assembly process controller  102  for the assembly line  10  over a communications channel  104 . The communication channel  104  is configured to allow for sharing of information, data and/or computing resources between the wearable devices  40  and the assembly process controller  102 . The communication channel  104  may be a wired or wireless channel, for example, using an industry standard or proprietary protocol. In the illustrated implementation, the communication channel  104  may implement Wi-Fi network or other technology to permit the wearable device  40  to communicate wirelessly over the communications channel  104  via the transceiver  62 . 
     The controller  60  of the wearable device  40  and the assembly process controller  102  may each be one or multiple computers including a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM) and a central processing unit (CPU) in addition to various input and output connections. Generally, the control functions described herein can be implemented by one or more software programs stored in internal or external memory and are performed by execution by the respective CPUs of the controller  60  and the assembly process controller  102 . However, some or all of the functions could also be implemented by hardware components. 
     In one illustrated implementation of the system  100 , the assembly process controller  102  is configured with memory for storing assembly routines for the assembly stations  12 . For a given assembly station  12 , an assembly routine may generally set forth information and/or instructions concerning assembly operations involving a component  20  being assembled into a product  14  by an operator  30 . In addition, the assembly process controller  102  is configured with memory for storing component indicia for the components  20  used in the assembly operations, as explained in additional detail below. 
     Although the controller  60  of the wearable device  40  and the assembly process controller  102  are shown as separate units and described as performing respective operations, it will be understood that the operational aspects of the controller  60  and the assembly process controller  102  may be distributed differently as desired. In one illustrated alternative implementation of the system  100 , for example, the controller  60  is configured with memory for storing the assembly routines and/or component indicia. In this example, some or all of the operational aspects of the assembly process controller  102  could be embodied in the controller  60 . 
     The system  100  may include a supervisor device  110  with a display  112  for displaying notifications or other information concerning the operator  30 &#39;s performance of assembly operations. The supervisor device  110  in one non-limiting example could be constructed similarly to the wearable device  40  to position the display  112  in the immediate field of view of a supervisor. In alternative examples, the supervisor device  110  could be a handheld or other device having the display  112  or other means of conveying information. 
     Although the operations of the system  100  and wearable device  40  are described below with reference to the illustrated implementation, where the wearable device  40  includes the camera  52 , the system  100  may additionally or alternatively include a camera  120  separate from the wearable device  40 , as generally shown. The camera  120  is similar in configuration and operation to the camera  52 , and like the camera  52 , may be positioned to capture images of the assembly station  12  and/or the components  20 . The camera  52  may however, for instance, be stationary with respect to the assembly station  12  and/or the components  20 . In one example of a system  100  including both the camera  52  and the camera  120 , images captured by the camera  120  can be used in conjunction with images captured by the camera  52  in support of some or all of the operations of the system  100  and/or wearable device  40 . 
     The operations of an example process  150  for aiding the operation  30  in selecting the correct component  20  for a given assembly operation are shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     In operation  152 , the location of the wearable device  40  is determined. Since the wearable device  40  is adapted to be worn by the operator  30 , it may be assumed that the location of the wearable device  40  corresponds to the location of the operation  30 , and that by determining the location of the wearable device  40 , the location of the operator  30  can be determined. In operation  154 , after the location of the wearable device  40  is determined, the determined location of the wearable device  40  can be correlated to information concerning the locations of the assembly stations  12  to identify the assembly station  12  in which the operator  30  wearing the wearable device  40  is located. In one non-limiting example, the operations  152  and  154  may be performed using the physical locations of the wearable device  40  and the assembly stations  12 . In this example, the location of the wearable device  40  could be determined using, for instance, a GPS or other positioning system, and could be compared against known physical locations of the assembly stations  12  to identify the assembly station  12  in which the operator  30  wearing the wearable device  40  is located. 
     In other implementations of the process  150 , the assembly station  12  in which the operator  30  wearing the wearable device  40  is located can be identified in step  154  without reference to the physical location of the wearable device  40  and/or assembly station  12 . For instance, one or more images captured by the camera  52  could be compared against the physical characteristics of the assembly stations  12  to identify the assembly station  12  in which the wearable device  40  and the operator  30  are located. Alternatively, the operator  30  could communicate presence at a particular assembly station  12  through the operator input module  54 , for example, prior to beginning work at the assembly station  12 . 
     In operation  156 , the assembly routine for the identified assembly station  12  is referenced to identify, for a given assembly operation of the assembly routine, which component  20  must be selected by the operator  30  for assembly into a product  14  in accordance with the given assembly operation. In identifying a particular component  20 , it will be understood that the system  100  may be dynamically responsive to updates in the assembly routine based on, for instance, performance schedules for the assembly operations of the assembly routine and/or changes in the conditions of the assembly station  12 . 
     In operation  158 , the assembly station  12  is scanned for the identified component  20 , and, once the identified component  20  is found, its position within the assembly station  12  is determined. 
     As shown in  FIG. 5 , in operation  158   a , the camera  52  is controlled to capture one or more images of the assembly station  12 . In accordance with one non-limiting implementation of the wearable device  40  presented below, the captured images may contain optical data relating to the assembly area  12  and the components  20 , although it will be understood that in other implementations the images could correspond to one or more of radio frequencies, electronic signals, heat profiles or other machine readable data relating to the assembly area  12  and/or the components  20 . 
     An example of an image  170  captured by the camera  52  is shown in  FIG. 6 . As generally shown, the captured image  170  may include various examples of component indicia  172   a - e  for the components  20 . The component indicia  172   a - e  may be any information recoverable from the captured image  170  and usable for a computerized determination of the identity of a particular component  20 . For instance, the component indicia  172   a - e  may relate to identifying markings on the components  20 , whether on the components  20  directly or on their packaging, to the physical characteristics of the components  20 , or to the composition of the storage structures  22  in or on which the components  20  are housed and/or organized. In the non-limiting examples shown, a component indicia  172   a  is a bar code, a component indicia  172   b  is a part number, a component indicia  172   c  is a rendering of a component  20 , a component indicia  172   d  is a likeness of a component  20 , and a component indicia  172   e  is a likeness of the array-like arrangement of the bins  28  in the bin rack  26 . Although the component indicia  172   a - e  are provided as examples, it will be understood that any other information that can be taken or derived from the data of the captured image  170  may be used to generate one or more indicia for the components  20 . 
     In operation  158   b , the captured image  170  generally, and the component indicia  172   a - e  specifically, are compared against the component indicia stored in memory at the assembly process controller  102 . The stored component indicia may be similar in form to the component indicia  172   a - e . For example, the stored component indicia could be bar codes, part numbers, renderings of the components  20 , likenesses of the components  20 , or likenesses of the storage structures  22 . In another non-limiting example, the stored component indicia may be CAD or other data indicative of the overall shape, size and other visual or physical characteristics of the components  20 . 
     In an exemplary implementation of the system  100 , the assembly process controller  102  includes at least one stored component indicia for each of the components  20  in the assembly station  20 . It will of course be understood that the assembly process controller  102  can additionally include many other stored component indicia corresponding to other components  20  used throughout the assembly stations  12  of the assembly line  10 . Each of the components  20  in the assembly station  12  may have a single corresponding stored component indicia, for example. Alternatively, one or more of the components  20  may have multiple corresponding stored component indicia to provide multiple opportunities for finding the components  20  in the assembly area  20 . 
     In operations  158   c  and  158   d , the captured image  170  is compared against the stored component indicia for the identified component  20  to identify one or more matches between a stored component indicia for the identified component  20  and least one of the component indicia  172   a - e  of the captured image  170 , and the matches, if any, are used to determine the position of the identified component  20  within the assembly station  20 . In some instances, a match may involve a stored component indicia and a component indicia  172   a - e  of the captured image  170  that are similar in form. In other instances, a match may involve a stored component indicia and a component indicia  172   a - e  of the captured image  170  that are different in form. For example, the representative component indicia  172   d , which is a likeness of a component  20 , could be matched to stored CAD data for the component  20 . 
     It can be seen that the system  100  in certain examples may be capable of determining the position of the identified component  20  independently of known or assumed positions of the components  20 . In other examples, the determination of the position of the identified component  20  may be made in whole or in part based on known configurations of the assembly station  12 , and/or the storage structures  22 , with respect to the components  20 . For instance, in an example where the component indicia  172   e  is matched to a stored component indicia of a likeness of the array-like arrangement of the bins  28  in the bin rack  26 , knowledge that the identified component  20  is stored in a particular one of the bins  28  can be used to determine the location of the identified component  20 . Even in this instance, however, the system  100  could still be capable of adjusting to movement of the bin rack  26 , for example, or rearranging of individual bins  28  within the bin rack  26 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 4 , in operation  160 , the determined position of the identified component  20  within the assembly area  12  is displayed to the operator  30 . The position of the identified component  20  may be displayed by controlling the display  50  to display information to the operator  30 , whether in the form of text, symbols or other visual elements that, either alone or in combination with the operator  30 &#39;s visual apprehension of the assembly station  12 , indicates the position of the identified component  20  within the assembly station  12 . 
     As generally shown in  FIG. 7 , the display  50  in one example may display a box  80  that is selectively situated for interposition, from the point of view of the operator  30 , around an identified component  20 . In another example, the display  50  may additionally or alternatively display a “GO TO:” command  82  to the operator  30  to, for instance, direct the operator  30  to select the identified component  20  from a particular storage structure  22  or a particular portion of a storage structure  22  (e.g., a specific bin  28  in the bin rack  26 ). In yet another example, the display  50  may display a directional command  84  to indicate that the display  50  is out of position, in relation to the operator  30 &#39;s visual apprehension of the assembly station  12 , for displaying the position of the identified component  20 , and thereby instruct the operator  30  to reposition the display  50  in accordance with the directional command  84 . In these or other examples, the information displayed on the display  50  can be displayed steadily, for example, or in a flashing manner. 
     It will be understood that the above described and illustrated operations of the display  50  are provided as representative non-limiting examples, and that the display  50  could be otherwise operated to effectuate an indication to the operator  30  of the position of the identified component  20  for a given assembly operation. Additionally, if desired, the display  50  can be operated as described above in combination with other communications to the operator  30  provided, for example, using elements of the operator output module  56 . 
     It can be seen that the system  100  implementing the wearable device  40  can account for a variety of changes in a dynamic assembly environment, including without limitation changes in the position of the operator  30 , changes in the assembly routine at a given assembly station  12 , and/or changes in the position of the components  20  in the assembly station  12 , and still decisively indicate to the operator  30  which of a wide variety of components  20  is the correct one to select for a given assembly operation. The system  100  in operation can save the operator  30  valuable time and effort in selecting the component  20  identified for the assembly operation, as well as provide the operator  30  with confidence that the identified and selected component  20  is correct. 
     The system  100  can alternatively and/or additionally be operated to perform other functions in aid of the operator  30 &#39;s performance of a given assembly operation. 
     For instance, operations for a process  200  for verifying the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  and notifying the operator  30  of the results of the verification are shown in  FIG. 8 . In operation  202 , the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is verified with reference to the stored component indicia for the identified component  20 , as generally shown in  FIG. 9 . The steps  202   a - c  shown in  FIG. 9  may be performed in a substantially similar manner to the steps  158   a - c , respectively, described above for scanning the assembly area  12  for the identified component  20 , with the exception that, in step  202   a , the camera  52  is controlled more particularly to capture the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20 . The one or more images of the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  could be captured at a time slightly before, concurrently with, and/or proceeding the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20 . 
     Referring again to  FIG. 8 , in operation  204 , it is determined whether the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  was able to be verified, that is, whether a match was identified between a stored component indicia for the identified component  20  and an indicia recovered from the one or more images of the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20 . 
     If the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is able to be verified, in operation  206 , a corresponding notification can be conveyed to the operator  30  using the wearable device  40 . As generally shown in  FIG. 10A , the notification can be displayed to the operator  30 , for instance, by controlling the display  50  to display information to the operator  30 , whether in the form of text, symbols or other visual elements that, either alone or in combination with the operator  30 &#39;s visual apprehension of the assembly station  12 , indicates that the identified component  20  is being or has been selected by the operator  30 . As shown in the illustrated example, the display  50  may display a check box  210  adjacent the identified component  20  from the point of view of the operator  30 , although other visual elements may be used, either steadily, for example, or in a flashing manner. 
     In addition or alternatively to displaying a notification to the operator  30  that the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is able to be verified, as generally shown, the wearable device  40  can be controlled via the operator output module  56  to provide, for instance, haptic feedback  212  and/or an appropriate audible tone or message  214  to convey the notification to the operator  30 . 
     If the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is not able to be verified, in operation  208 , a corresponding notification can be conveyed to the operator  30  using the wearable device  40 . As generally shown in  FIG. 10B , the notification can be displayed to the operator  30 , for instance, by controlling the display  50  to display information to the operator  30 , whether in the form of text, symbols or other visual elements that, either alone or in combination with the operator  30 &#39;s visual apprehension of the assembly station  12 , indicates that the identified component  20  is not being or has not been selected by the operator  30 . As shown in the illustrated example, the display  50  may display an “x”  220  adjacent the operator  30 &#39;s hand from the point of view of the operator  30 , although other visual elements may be used, either steadily, for example, or in a flashing manner. 
     In addition or alternatively to displaying a notification to the operator  30  that the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is not able to be verified, as generally shown, the wearable device  40  can be controlled via the operator output module  56  to provide, for instance, haptic feedback  222  and/or an appropriate audible tone or message  224  to convey the notification to the operator  30 . 
     The system  100  may optionally track metrics relating to the operator  30 &#39;s overall accuracy in selecting the identified component  20  for given assembly operations. According to this example, it is contemplated that the operator  30  may, via manipulation of the operator input module  54 , for example, have the option to backtrack from the selection of a component  20  upon receiving a notification that the selection of the identified component  20  was not able to be verified. In this example, on reselection of a component  20  by the operator  30 , the process  200  could be repeated in an attempt to verify the operator  30 &#39;s new selection. 
     The notification of whether the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is able to be verified may be performed in combination with indicating the position of the identified component  20 , which for instance as illustrated in  FIGS. 10A and 10B , is performed by displaying the box  80  around the identified component  20 . In alternative implementations of the system  100 , it will be understood that the notification of whether the operator  30 &#39;s selection of the identified component  20  is able to be verified can be performed without indicating the position of the identified component  20 . 
     Operations for a process  250  for verifying the operator  30 &#39;s performance of a given assembly operation using the identified component  20  and notifying the operator  30  of the results of the verification are shown in  FIG. 11 . In operation  252 , the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  is verified with reference to the stored component indicia for the identified component  20 , as generally shown in  FIG. 12 . The steps  252   a - c  shown in  FIG. 12  may be performed in a substantially similar manner to the steps  158   a - c , respectively, described above for scanning the assembly area  12  for the identified component  20 , with the exception that, in step  252   a , the camera  52  is controlled more particularly to capture the operator  30 &#39;s performance of an assembly operation. The one or more images of the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation could be captured at a time slightly before, concurrently with, and/or proceeding the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 11 , in operation  254 , it is determined whether the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  was able to be verified, that is, whether a match was identified between a stored component indicia for the identified component  20  and an indicia recovered from the one or more images of the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation. 
     If the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  is able to be verified, in operation  256 , a corresponding notification can be conveyed to the operator  30  using the wearable device  40 . As generally shown in  FIG. 13A , the notification can be displayed to the operator  30 , for instance, by controlling the display  50  to display information to the operator  30 , whether in the form of text, symbols or other visual elements that, either alone or in combination with the operator  30 &#39;s visual apprehension of the assembly station  12 , indicates that the identified component  20  is being or has been used by the operator  30  in the assembly operation. As shown in the illustrated example, the display  50  may display a check box  260  adjacent the identified component  20  from the point of view of the operator  30 , although other visual elements may be used, either steadily, for example, or in a flashing manner. 
     In addition or alternatively to displaying a notification to the operator  30  that the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  is able to be verified, as generally shown, the wearable device  40  can be controlled via the operator output module  56  to provide, for instance, haptic feedback  262  and/or an appropriate audible tone or message  264  to convey the notification to the operator  30 . 
     If the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  is not able to be verified, in operation  258 , a corresponding notification can be conveyed to the operator  30  using the wearable device  40 . As generally shown in  FIG. 13B , the notification can be displayed to the operator  30 , for instance, by controlling the display  50  to display information to the operator  30 , whether in the form of text, symbols or other visual elements that, either alone or in combination with the operator  30 &#39;s visual apprehension of the assembly station  12 , indicates that the identified component  20  is not being or has not been used in the assembly operation. As shown in the illustrated example, the display  50  may display an “x”  270  adjacent the operator  30 &#39;s hand from the point of view of the operator  30 , although other visual elements may be used, either steadily, for example, or in a flashing manner. 
     In addition or alternatively to displaying a notification to the operator  30  that the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  is not able to be verified, as generally shown, the wearable device  40  can be controlled via the operator output module  56  to provide, for instance, haptic feedback  272  and/or an appropriate audible tone or message  274  to convey the notification to the operator  30 . 
     Further, in operation  280 , a separate notification that the operator  30 &#39;s performance of the assembly operation using the identified component  20  is not able to be verified can be transmitted, for example, for display to a supervisor of the operator  30  using the display  112  of the supervisor device  110 . 
     It will be understood that the illustrated wearable device  40  is presented as a non-limiting example conceived for use in a typical assembly environment. In other implementations, the wearable device  40  need not include, for example, the lenses  44 , and could be otherwise configured to position the display  50  to display information to the operator  30  when worn. 
     While recited characteristics and conditions of the invention have been described in connection with certain embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law.