Frontline workers in hazardous industrial environments are often overworked due to shortage of labor and are exposed to perilous situations, which can lead to errors and increase the proportion of man-made hazards. Since state-of-the-art technology is changing the face of other industries; it is only fitting to integrate augmented reality into the helmet – the most important accessory – of frontline workers at oil & gas plants, power, aviation, railway, and many such industries to solve these problems.
Enter X-Craft – the first augmented reality device to achieve an explosion-proof protection rating. Designed by Rokid, the X-Craft is created in order to bring a technological transformation in the industry and produce a generation of “super workers.” Basically, this is an industrial explosion-proof AR headband that can fit around safety helmets and hard hats to armor frontline workers with technology that can facilitate in inspections, remote collaborations, trainings, and day-to-day operations.
Designer: Rokid
The headband in addition to AI and AR integration is also embedded with a 5G module to ensure brisk processing and real-time information storage and transmission. The headband is further equipped with a 40° field of view (FoV) display – right in front of the eye – and has a movable camera positioned just above. A secondary camera flip to switch is placed further up – around the forehead (when the headband is worn). The display employs waveguide optical technology to ensure it has a see-through aesthetic with high contrast and light transmission of up to 80 percent.
For the ones who work in more high-risk environments, the headband – featuring a user-friendly control knob on the temple – can be further attached with other peripherals and accessories such as industrial endoscope, infrared sensors, etc to enhance its capabilities and be more assistive to workers. Even with all the tech embedded and the possibility of additional attachments, the headband remains comfortable to wear. Its weight is evenly distributed and the headband’s detachable buckle ensures it can be wrapped around a large variety of helmets and hard hats.
Born to assist super workers in the highest-risk environments, the X-Craft is made to beat the elements. The IP66 water and dustproof rated headband can easily process large amounts of information and data over the cloud and facilitate real-time remote collaboration between teams. To ensure what is seen and transmitted is without a glitch, the X-Craft features three AI-enabled noise reduction mics that pick accurate sounds in the nosiest industrial environments.
