WEKIT · Project

AR Wearables That Let New Workers Train by Watching Experts Do the Job

manufacturingTestedTRL 6

Imagine a new technician puts on smart glasses and sees exactly what an expert would do — step by step, right there on the equipment. WEKIT built a wearable platform that records how an experienced worker performs a task, including their hand movements, gaze, and body sensors, then replays that guidance in augmented reality for trainees. It is like having your best engineer standing next to every new hire, pointing at exactly where to look and what to do. The system also tracks whether the trainee is stressed or struggling, so training managers know who needs extra help.

By the numbers

consortium partners across multiple sectors

countries represented in the consortium

industry partners involved in development and testing

total project deliverables produced

full prototype and testing cycles completed

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies in manufacturing, maintenance, and other knowledge-intensive industries lose critical expertise when experienced workers retire or leave — and training replacements is slow, expensive, and inconsistent. Traditional classroom or manual-based training cannot transfer the tacit know-how that makes expert workers effective, especially for complex procedures where split-second decisions affect production quality and safety.

The solution

What was built

WEKIT built a complete wearable AR training platform including: hardware prototypes with integrated sensors, a software prototype with sensor fusion API, an AR visualization system for overlaying instructions on real equipment, an experience capture and re-enactment system that records expert performance, a biofeedback post-analysis system for evaluating trainee stress and performance, and a data repository that interfaces with legacy enterprise systems. All components went through two full prototype-to-testing cycles.

Audience

Who needs this

Aerospace and defense MRO companies with complex maintenance proceduresManufacturing plants facing retiring workforce and knowledge transfer gapsEnergy utilities training field technicians on high-risk equipmentMedical device companies needing standardized assembly trainingIndustrial training providers looking to add AR-based offerings

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace maintenance

enterprise

Target: MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul) providers

If you are an aerospace MRO provider dealing with complex inspection and repair procedures that take months to train new technicians on — this project developed a wearable AR platform with sensor fusion that captures expert procedures and replays them as step-by-step AR overlays on the actual equipment. Trainees wear smart glasses and sensors that measure their performance and well-being in real time, so supervisors can intervene before mistakes happen. The platform was tested across two prototype cycles with 14 consortium partners including 7 industry players.

Industrial equipment manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Factory operators with high staff turnover

If you are a manufacturer struggling with knowledge loss when experienced operators retire or leave — this project built hardware and software prototypes that capture tacit knowledge from your best workers and turn it into reusable AR training modules. The system uses wearable sensors to track trainee attention and biofeedback, letting you measure training effectiveness objectively. It was designed for industry-standard repository integration, so it fits into existing IT infrastructure.

Energy and utilities

enterprise

Target: Power plant operators and field service companies

If you are a utility company where workers must follow precise safety procedures on high-risk equipment — this project created an AR visualization system that brings technical documentation to life directly on the machinery. The wearable design solution integrates sensors for measuring worker well-being during high-stress tasks, and a post-analysis system reviews biofeedback data after each session. The platform was validated through two full test cycles with industry partners across 6 countries.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this AR training system?

The project data does not include pricing or per-unit cost information. The platform was developed as a research prototype with hardware and software components, so deployment costs would depend on the number of wearable devices needed, sensor configurations, and integration with your existing systems. Contact the coordinator for licensing and deployment estimates.

Can this scale to a factory with hundreds of workers?

The platform was designed with industry-standard repositories and toolkits specifically for workplace integration. It includes a data repository interfacing with legacy systems, which suggests it was built to scale beyond pilot environments. However, large-scale deployment data across hundreds of simultaneous users is not documented in the available deliverables.

Who owns the IP and can we license it?

The project was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) funded under Horizon 2020 with 14 partners across 6 countries. IP is typically shared among consortium members under the grant agreement. GFT Italia SRL coordinated the project, so they would be the first point of contact for licensing discussions.

Has this been tested in real industrial settings?

Yes. The project completed two full prototype cycles with technical testing (cycle 1 and cycle 2), producing both a first prototype and a final prototype. The consortium included 7 industry partners, and the platform was designed for knowledge-intensive environments where decision-making has high impact on production effectiveness.

How does this integrate with our existing training and IT systems?

WEKIT specifically built a data repository interfacing with legacy systems and used industry-standard repositories and toolkits. The sensor fusion API comes with specification and usage documentation, and the software prototype includes integration guidelines. This was an explicit design goal, not an afterthought.

Does it meet workplace safety and ergonomics standards?

Ergonomics was a core research discipline in the project, with wearable design solutions specifically addressing effective workflow integration. The system includes visualization methods to measure worker well-being during use, and biofeedback monitoring tracks stress indicators. Based on available project data, specific regulatory certifications are not documented.

What kind of ongoing support is available?

The project ended in February 2019, but the consortium included 6 universities and 1 research organization alongside 7 industry partners. The project website wekit.eu and the coordinator GFT Italia SRL remain points of contact. The project also led an IEEE AR working group, indicating continued community engagement.

Consortium

Who built it

The WEKIT consortium is well-balanced for a training technology project, with 14 partners split almost evenly between 7 industry players and 6 universities plus 1 research organization, giving a 50% industry ratio. The 6-country spread across Germany, Finland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, and the UK provides broad European market coverage. With 3 SMEs in the mix alongside larger companies, the consortium had both the agility to innovate and the scale to test in real environments. The coordinator GFT Italia SRL is a private company (not an SME), which typically signals stronger commercialization intent than university-led projects. For a business considering this technology, the strong industry presence suggests the platform was shaped by real operational needs rather than purely academic interests.

GFT ITALIA SRLCoordinator · IT
UNIVERSITETET I TROMSOE - NORGES ARKTISKE UNIVERSITETparticipant · NO
CLEAR COMMUNICATION ASSOCIATES LIMITED - CCAparticipant · UK
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHENparticipant · DE
TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYparticipant · FI
OPEN UNIVERSITEIT NEDERLANDparticipant · NL
OXFORD BROOKES UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
AEROSPACE LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING COMPANY SPAparticipant · IT
THE OPEN UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
EBIT S.R.L.participant · IT

How to reach the team

GFT Italia SRL (Italy) coordinated this 14-partner consortium. Use SciTransfer's lookup service to find the right contact.

Order a report on this consortium See GFT ITALIA SRL profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore whether WEKIT's AR training platform fits your operations? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people in the consortium and help you evaluate deployment options for your specific use case.

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