CircuitAR: Augmented Reality App for Autonomous Assembly of Op-Amp Configurations

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has promoted Augmented Reality as a support tool for practical teaching in STEM fields. This study presents the design and evaluation of CircuitAR, a mobile application that overlays in three dimensions the correct assembly of eight basic operational amplifier configurations. The development followed three phases: environment setup, creation of image targets and three-dimensional models, and integration in Unity and Vuforia. The application was evaluated in a laboratory setting by comparing the traditional method with an augmented reality–based guide, recording assembly time, critical wiring errors, and usability using the SUS questionnaire. The results show that the application eliminated critical errors across the three difficulty levels analyzed. However, assembly time was not systematically reduced, as it increased in the basic and intermediate tasks and showed a slight improvement in the highest-difficulty task, partly due to additional verification time before submission. Perceived usability was high, with a SUS score close to 81 out of 100. Overall, CircuitAR standardizes the assembly process and improves work quality. Within the framework of Education 4.0, we propose implementing graduated assistance and optimizing the workflow to bring time efficiency closer to that of the traditional method and to extend its application to more complex content and a wider range of engineering courses.