U.S. Tech Interactive - October 1999
Wearable Computer Provides On-the-Spot Job Training
 Factory workers faced with unfamiliar tasks may soon be able to get the
information they need to complete the jobs thanks to an electronic performance
support system that provides "just in time" training wherever
it is needed.
Researchers have created two plant applications for an electronic performance
support system that provides "just in time" training.
Known as Factory Automation Support Technology (FAST), the prototype
system uses job performance support software, wireless communication, and
a wearable computer that operates hands-free. Researchers at the Georgia
Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have already created two FAST applications
for the poultry industry, though the system has applications in many other
industrial sectors.
Supports Mobile Workers
"
FAST is intended to support mobile employees as they perform a job, rather
than train them before," said Chris Thompson, a GTRI senior research
engineer.
Development of FAST was a two-part process that involved creation of
both an information database for each application as well as the hardware-based
delivery system, Thompson noted.
The basic FAST hardware, which is undergoing a fourth generation of design,
includes: (1) a credit card-sized computer and wireless communication system
worn on the belt, allowing portability and transmission of data in real
time to other computer systems; (2) a visor worn like safety glasses to
display computer information to the user via a miniaturized display; (3)
earphones for listening to auditory information provided by the computer;
(4) a microphone to allow voice-activated, hands-free operation of the computer,
and (5) flexible 8-hour battery packs worn on the belt.
Optional equipment includes a small, adjustable camera mounted on the
visor so the user can point it at a broken piece of equipment and send the
video to an expert in another location; a small hand-held version of the
camera that users can poke in and around equipment; and a one-hand keyboard.
Small and Comfortable
"
We faced two challenges in designing the hardware system," Thompson
said. "We had to make the wearable computer as small as possible
to be comfortable for users. And robust voice recognition required a lot
of processing power, which in turn necessitates a large battery. We are
still working on these issues. The fourth generation of the system will
greatly increase our processing power, while the flexible battery belt will
allow an operator to work an entire shift without recharging."
Voice Recognition
On the software side of FAST, the design team encountered problems with
their voice recognition software because of high ambient noise in factories.
So they limited the vocabulary needed to give commands to the system and
employed noise-canceling microphones.
Typical information databases include: reference information about a
job task or closely related set of tasks; just-in-time, task-specific training;
expert advice about a job task; advice on how to use the performance support
system effectively; application help functions; and automated tools for
task performance.
"
In our field tests, employees have been very excited by the FAST system," Thompson
said. "There's a 'cool' factor to it. Management personnel are interested
and supportive, but it's not a priority to them. It's hard to put a price
tag on the cost savings from better process information. But the new application
involves regulatory tasks they are mandated to perform. There will be a
clear long-term cost advantage in doing these tasks electronically."
Deployment When Cost Drops
The researchers look forward to eventually deploying FAST and believe
it will become more feasible as new technology emerges and the $5,000 to
$10,000 per system cost declines, they said.
Thompson's design team included GTRI researchers Tim Smith and Tom McKlin,
and graduate student Jennifer Ockerman from the School of Industrial and
Systems Engineering. Their work is funded through the Georgia Tech Agricultural
Technology Research Program.
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