AjnaLens: Training the Upskilling Workforce with Virtual Reality and the Metaverse

India-based startup AjnaLens is one of the Indian players in the XR (Extended Reality) space joining the Metaverse revolution. Founded in 2014, the co-founders have a background in IIT and engineering. Designing and manufacturing in India, AjnaLens offers AR (Augmented Reality), VR (Virtual Reality) and Mixed Reality solutions with applications in different sectors, from vocational training to enterprise and even the Indian defense sector.

We recently spent time at the AjnaLens office in Mumbai talking with the co-founders, understanding the product offerings and seeing the solutions in action.

The company’s mission and services

AjnaLens’ core mission is to focus on improving workforce skills and bridging the digital divide. The company has partnered with Tata Technologies to upgrade 150 ITIs (Industrial Training Institutes) in Karnataka, India; to improve more than 9,000 students using a virtual reality-based simulator.

AjnaLens also relies on technologies such as artificial intelligence and mixed reality to upgrade defense weapon systems and tanks to increase the effectiveness of combat missions. Mixed reality glasses can be mounted on soldiers’ helmets, allowing them to effectively perform surveillance and security.

Although defense was just a by-product, it is now the core of their business. This military-grade mixed reality headset also includes features like GPS for navigation, night vision, LIDAR, sonar, and thermal scanners.

There are three main applications of the product:
• AR glasses for business
• Mixed reality glasses for the military
• XR Station for VR training purposes

AjnaLens also has its own app marketplace where it can customize apps according to specific customer needs. The marketplace also allows third-party app developers to submit and publish their apps. Using Android OS as its base, AjnaLens has applied for more than 15 national and international patents in augmented reality, and its algorithms are its secret sauce to power and integrate the whole system.

The challenge of upskilling for industries

One of the biggest challenges facing industries is training the workforce with new skills and capabilities. Post-COVID-19 hybrid and remote work makes training even more difficult. But with virtual reality and the metaverse, these challenges can be more easily overcome.

In VR trainings, like the one offered by AjnaLens, workers are instantly teleported to the job site (or workshop). It is one of the most effective ways to develop new skills and train the workforce. Scientific research has proven that virtual reality training is more completely and easily absorbed by the brain than traditional classroom-style training.

VR training can provide several benefits, but the two important aspects are that it provides realistic simulations and the ability to teach even difficult skills. And what better example than a flight simulator where challenging emergency scenarios can be recreated for pilot training?

WATCH: AjnaLens VR Training – Teleporting Trainees to the Construction Site

AjnaLens VR for training institutes: Immersive and interactive learning

• The AjnaLens team offered us a demo of their VR solution for training institutes, and we were impressed.
• The VR headset, AjnaLite 2, is connected to a dedicated VR workstation called Ajna XR Station, and the software is scalable according to different use cases; the institutes only have to load the training modules.
• Currently, he supports a variety of jobs such as welding, painting, fire and security training.
• With this immersive 360-degree environment, students or workers can learn skills like automotive and aviation painting.
• Once tasks are completed, students get instant grades and can practice for unlimited time until they perfect the processes.
• Since it is not necessary to have paint and car doors to learn to paint, this allows organizations to significantly reduce overall training costs.
• For those with specs, the VR glasses have an adjustable dial to adjust the power of the lens.
• The screen is bright and crisp and didn’t cause any eye-strain issues during our limited use.
• The VR glasses and gear like a spray gun and the welding gun have trackers to track your movements.

We were impressed with the demonstration of the paint job and the precision of detail with spray angle and distance.

AjnaLens AR glasses for business

• AjnaLens also has attached AR glasses and ambient (transparent) type functionality.
• These are lightweight glasses with a 2K screen, speaker and camera.
• It has a 50 degree field of view and can be used to create a virtual space from the connected device.
• These glasses are powered by connecting to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 SoC or supercharged smartphone, or to a laptop or tablet using a Type-C cable.
• There is no processing on the glasses, there are only MCUs for the camera, tracking, sensors and audio.
• This virtual space can contain holograms and avatars, digital twins, web browsers, CAD designs, and Office applications.
• Users can also take virtual team calls on platforms such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
• We tried it on and it was quite comfortable to wear.
• The screen was sufficiently bright and the color reproduction was also good.

Overall, we were impressed with the demos we saw at the AjnaLens office, and with this hybrid work culture and remote support use cases, there’s room to grow. and expand beyond India. AjnaLens is one of the companies in the XR space to watch.

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