High-tech chocolate: exploring 3D and mobile applications for factories

TCHO, a chocolate manufacturer in San Francisco, and FXPAL, a research lab in Silicon Valley, have been collaborating on exploring emerging technologies for industry. The two companies seek ways to bring people closer to the products they consume, clarifying end-to-end production processes with technologies like sensor networks for fine-grained monitoring and control, mobile process control, and real/virtual mashups using virtual and augmented realities. This work lies within and extends the area of research called mixed- or cross-reality [1].