BG Workforce Solutions (BGWS), a leader in defense workforce development and advanced manufacturing training, today announced a strategic partnership with Duval Software to develop VIPER (Visual Inspection of Performance Evaluation in Real-time), an AI-powered intelligent robot that monitors and guides technical workers through complex maintenance procedures in real time. The collaboration represents a significant step toward strengthening the defense industrial base by putting skilled, qualified workers on the floor faster and keeping them performing at standard.
VIPER combines a mobile wheeled platform with high-performance computing hardware and advanced AI vision-processing software to observe technicians as they work, recognize procedural steps, detect deviations from standard operating procedures, and deliver guided coaching at the point of performance, without requiring a human instructor to be present.
The warfighter readiness challenge isn't just about access to training, it's about reinforcing that training in the field, where it counts. VIPER bridges that gap. By pairing Duval Software's AI capabilities with our workforce development ecosystem, we're delivering a system that can accelerate skill development, reduce errors, and support readiness in forward-deployed environments where expert oversight isn't always available.
Kevin Beamish, Chief Operating Officer, BG Workforce Solutions
Duval Software brings deep expertise in AI vision processing and intelligent systems to the collaboration. The partnership integrates BGWS's established defense training infrastructure, including its IL4-authorized software suite and The Forge at Schofield Barracks, with Duval Software's machine perception capabilities to create a system purpose-built for high-stakes technical environments.
VIPER will make its public debut at the Defense Manufacturing Conference in Orlando, Florida, scheduled for March 30 – April 2, 2026. The demonstration will showcase the robot's real-time SOP recognition and guided execution capabilities in a live manufacturing environment.
The partnership reflects BGWS's broader strategy of combining advanced technology with proven workforce development methodology to strengthen the defense industrial base, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where manufacturing readiness and rapid skills development are critical to national security objectives.
We built Duval Software to push the boundaries of what AI can do in high-stakes technical environments. VIPER is the realization of that mission. Working with BG Workforce gives us the defense training context and operational credibility to take this technology directly to the people who need it most. This is AI that does something real: it watches, understands, and guides skilled workers in real time.
Lucas Wyman, Founder, Duval Software