Forklift operator training system & augmented reality

The challenges that modern businesses are dealing with

Forklifts are utilized across various industries such as manufacturing, logistics, and construction. They are essential wherever the need to move heavy loads arises. However, operating a forklift requires the involvement of a licensed operator, which presents several significant challenges.

High employee turnover

Industries like manufacturing often struggle with high employee turnover rates. It results in significant training needs and additional instructor workload.

High training costs

Practical training is time-consuming and demands significant instructor involvement, resulting in high training costs per employee. Additionally, it restricts the ability for self-development. This situation is escalated further by the high employee turnover.

Lack of consistent knowledge

Internal training relies on instructors' individual approaches, which can lead to variations in knowledge transfer and skill assessment. This subjectivity results in a lack of uniform procedures and outcomes.

High risk

Having forklift certifications alone may prove insufficient when expensive equipment and valuable loads are involved. Workplace incidents result in significant expenses and work disruptions, and threaten employees' health and life.

Lack of scalability

When a company is expanding or experiences a high employee turnover, it is not always possible to train a larger number of individuals simultaneously. Consequently, new employees cannot quickly start working, leading to production delays and hindering the agile adaptation to market demands.

What you can gain with forklift training automation

With the FOTS AR System, it is possible to fully automate operator training for forklifts and other material handling equipment. The process doesn't require constant instructor supervision and allows simultaneous training of a larger number of employees. It translates into a range of tangible benefits.

Cost efficiency

Digitizing training brings benefits not only in terms of savings related to the training organization, such as instructor and employee time. A consistent process and objective skill verification result in fewer machine and load damages, reducing repair costs, shorter downtimes, and lower insurance premiums.

Training process assessment

Digitization allows you to analyze training data and generate detailed reports on their outcomes. You can identify employee skills that require additional attention and gain insights into their professional aptitudes. These reports provide complete control over the training processes and allow you to implement optimization changes.

Greater safety

Ensuring all employees have access to a high level of knowledge helps to reduce errors and workplace accidents. This approach enhances the safety of operators and those working in their vicinity.

Process standardization

Modern businesses need to ensure that all employees are trained according to uniform procedures and in the same manner. Standardizing training processes helps you reduce the number of mistakes and improve overall work efficiency.

Workforce stabilization

Efficient and scalable training significantly mitigates the impact of experienced forklift operator turnover or retirement on the organization. With AR technology-based instruction, newly hired employees can quickly replace departing colleagues.

Discover the features and functionalities of the FOTS AR system

FOTS AR is an advanced system designed for training forklift operators that can automatically verify the correctness of their endeavors.

The comprehensiveness of the solution

FOTS AR is a comprehensive solution that allows you to automate training for forklifts and other close proximity transport equipment. With the system, you can define and modify the training course, verify the correctness of tasks performed, and generate reports from the entire process. Trainees get instructions via AR devices, such as interactive multimedia content and 3D holographic elements.

Full configurability

The system allows you to implement changes in training scenarios easily and cost-effectively. This way, you can independently optimize and adapt them to new conditions and rapidly respond to shifts in the business environment, such as changes in internal procedures and standards or new legislative requirements.

Automatic task correctness assessment

The FOTS AR system verifies the correctness of tasks performed at a minimum accuracy level of 90%, surpassing the capabilities of a single instructor who often oversees a more significant number of trainees. This effectiveness is achieved through advanced algorithms for object positioning on the training ground, pose estimation methods, real-time data acquisition on the forklift and its systems state, and digital twins of the training environment. With these elements, it is possible to recognize correct movement sequences defined beforehand by the instructor.

Safety of use

The system utilizes effective methods of instruction visualization and provides trainees with feedback on augmented reality glasses using spatial and situational context. Since trainees don't need to hold additional training materials or devices, they maintain total ergonomics and safety during exercises. At the same time, they can access guidance that helps them perform tasks more effectively and acquire the necessary skills more quickly.

Training with real equipment

Thanks to FOTS AR, training takes place on actual forklifts with real loads, all while securing the complete safety of both trainees and the equipment. This form of instruction ensures that trained employees are fully prepared to begin work and easily adapt to their new roles.

Digital twin models

With the solution, you can create digital twin models, which visualize the training process based on data from the vision system and sensors installed on the forklift. Above all, digital twin models facilitate the verification of the correctness of the tasks performed. With them, you can monitor the position of the trainee, the forklift, and the load and receive information about any mistakes made by the trainee.

System scalability

The system can not only accommodate any number of employees but also adapt to evolving training needs. When the layout of the maneuvering area changes, the type of forklift is altered, the nature of the load shifts or new skills are required, the instructions can be easily customized to fit the new conditions.