BG Workforce Solutions completed the final demonstration of VIPER, an artificial intelligence platform for skilled industrial work, at Robins Air Force Base on August 27. The demonstration drew an audience from across the defense enterprise, private industry, and academia, including leadership from the Department of War's Manufacturing Technology program and senior representatives from Northrop Grumman.
VIPER was developed with Duval Software under the ARM Institute's Phase 2 program. It uses computer vision to recognize each step of a technical procedure as a technician performs it, then corrects errors at the moment they happen rather than at inspection. The same underlying model supports instructor-led training, autonomous certification, and guidance through procedures that allow no margin for error.
What the room saw is a working system that did not exist a year ago. Applying computer vision to human performance in the technical trades was close to impossible until the last several months. We built it, we proved it in front of the people who would use it, and we did it on a timeline that reflects how quickly the industrial base needs answers.
Kevin Beamish, Chief Operating Officer, BG Workforce Solutions
The range of organizations represented at the demonstration reflects where the technology applies. Depot maintenance, defense manufacturing, and technical education all face the same constraint: skilled instructors are scarce, and the cost of an error discovered after the fact is high. VIPER addresses both by putting correction at the workstation, in real time, without requiring an expert to stand over every technician.
Performance data captured during a procedure writes directly into the qualification record, so time on the floor counts toward demonstrated readiness rather than sitting in a separate file. That connection is what allows a program office to see workforce readiness as a live picture.
BG Workforce Solutions looks forward to implementing VIPER with partners on the ground in training and manufacturing environments, improving the performance of their industrial workforce.
Veronica Hicks
BG Workforce Solutions
vhicks@bgworkforce.com