SHARPENING FOCUS: A NEW APPROACH TO IMPROVED
SAFETY AND QUALITY
Since spring 2024, the ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways) rolling stock maintenance has been using VPS Smart Glasses as an integral part of its training and continuing education programs.
Inspired by the successful project “Augen:Blicke – Eyetrackertraining”, which introduced the glasses in ÖBB’s shunting operations, railcar inspectors now use eye tracking technology to refine their inspection techniques for vehicles, cargo, and cargo security during annual practical training sessions.
Background and task
“Perception is the core responsibility of our railcar inspectors,” emphasizes Alexander Glanzer, technical operations manager for rolling stock maintenance. Missing a defect or getting distracted could have serious consequences. Eye tracking technology records their every eye movement, providing objective, data-based feedback on whether all relevant areas have been thoroughly examined.
Even experienced railcar inspectors benefit from this training “Over time, it’s natural for a certain level of routine blindness to creep in. With the glasses, we can catch it, raise awareness, and further enhance safety,” says Glanzer.
Approach
During annual practical training sessions, railcar inspectors wear VPS smart glasses while conducting inspections. Using the smart glasses is entirely optional for ÖBB railcar inspectors, those who opt in can analyze their recorded eye tracking videos independently or review them with an instructor. “Even when employees review the videos on their own, the impact is significant.
So far, the feedback has been very positive,” reports Glanzer.
The handling of collected data is meticulous and transparent: recordings are not saved and are deleted after analysis unless employees request to keep them for personal use. Instructors also obtain prior consent before using recordings as training videos.
RESULTS AT A GLANCE
Training with Smart Glasses helps identify damage early and prevent outage.
Since the introduction of VPS Smart Glasses, around 100 railcar inspectors have actively used them, with a further 70 expressing interest.
Very positive feedback regarding wearer safety and training effect.
The glasses are already in use at 60 operational stations – the purchase of additional glasses is being planned.
Use of the glasses for live support in operations is planned.
