Marvin Johnson, head of extended reality, nuclear, AtkinsRéalis, said: "As nuclear programmes grow in scale and complexity, the industry must embrace technologies that help workers perform tasks safely, efficiently and with the right information at their fingertips. Our partnership with Optaric reflects our commitment to helping shape the future of nuclear delivery through practical innovation.
"Wearable technology has the potential to transform how information is accessed, shared and captured in the field. By combining AtkinsRéalis' nuclear expertise with Optaric's technology capabilities, we can build the evidence and confidence needed to support wider adoption across the industry."
The partnership will establish a joint development and validation programme focused on accelerating the development, testing and validation of enterprise smart glasses designed for use in nuclear and other safety-critical environments. The programme aims to demonstrate how these technologies can be deployed safely and effectively across the nuclear lifecycle.
Initial development activity will focus on three priority use cases: Remote Expert Support, Records Capture and Digital Work Packs. These applications are intended to help frontline workers access trusted information, connect with specialists and capture digital records at the point of work, supporting safer and more efficient delivery.
As nuclear programmes expand around the world, operators and project developers are increasingly looking to digital technologies that can help workers access information more effectively, improve collaboration and increase productivity in complex operational environments. Smart glasses have the potential to support these objectives while enhancing safety and maintaining the high standards of assurance required within the nuclear sector.
The programme will evaluate applications across the full nuclear lifecycle, including new build, commissioning, operations and decommissioning. It will assess a range of factors critical to deployment in nuclear environments, including human factors, PPE compatibility, hands-free interaction, cybersecurity, information assurance, connectivity and sovereign hosting requirements.