AI-Assisted Systematic Layout Planning and Augmented Reality-Based Qualitative Spatial Assessment for the Design of a Cosmetic Emulsion Production Plant

Transitioning toward efficient and digital industrial design requires preliminary tools that support early decision-making in plant layout studies. This qualitative and exploratory study analyzes an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted and Augmented Reality (AR)-supported workflow within the Systematic Layout Planning (SLP) framework for the preliminary spatial evaluation of a cosmetic emulsion production plant. The study was developed as a case study based on a previously reported layout for obtaining cosmetic emulsions from Amazonian oils. A top-view layout was examined through structured prompts aligned with SLP criteria, including product journey, activity relationships, relational diagrams, and space requirements. ChatGPT was used only as a qualitative reasoning assistant, without optimization, prediction, mathematical modeling, or algorithmic functions. After the AI-assisted review, the refined layout was represented in three dimensions and visualized through AR in a real environment. The results identified potential improvements related to operational flow, traceability, critical area relationships, and spatial organization. AR-assisted visualization provided preliminary visual evidence of compatibility between the refined layout and the selected site, supporting an early review of circulation, access, and volumetric behavior. The sequential integration of SLP, AI, and AR is proposed as an exploratory workflow for early-stage layout evaluation, pending future quantitative validation studies and expert technical review.