Deployment
GE Aviation piloted hands-free assisted reality at its Cincinnati, Ohio facility to help mechanics assemble and maintain aircraft engines. Fifteen mechanics tested Glass Enterprise Edition eyewear running Upskill’s Skylight platform alongside a Wi-Fi-enabled Atlas Copco Saltus MWR-85TA torque wrench.
Workflow
Skylight placed step-by-step instructions, reference images, videos and animations in each mechanic’s line of sight. When a procedure reached a torque step, the connected wrench sent its reading to Skylight, which showed whether the B-nut was within the approved range before the worker moved on.
Mechanics could navigate with voice commands or touch controls, open training material, contact remote experts and stream a first-person view. The system photographed completed B-nuts and recorded final torque values for quality control and maintenance records.
Results
Across the pilot group, GE reported average efficiency gains of 8–11%. One task fell from 35 to 32 minutes, while another fell from 51 to 38 minutes. Eighty-five percent of participants believed the system would reduce manufacturing errors, and 60% preferred it to the traditional process.
Status
The deployment was described as a six-month pilot in 2017. GE said the technology could reduce assembly errors, improve product quality and save millions of dollars over a decade while it evaluated other assisted-reality applications.
