Burke partnership uses mixed reality to train next generation of textile workers

A new collaboration between Western Piedmont Community College, Valdese Weavers, and The Industrial Commons is using cutting-edge technology to train the next generation of textile workers faster and more effectively.

The project is part of the NSF Textile Innovation Engine, one of nine innovation engines funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation nationwide.

Based in Morganton and led by The Industrial Commons, the local engine focuses on advancing textile innovation across the Southeast.

In February, the team launched a mixed reality (MR) training platform that teaches core textile skills — like fixing a warp stop loom and tying a weaver’s knot — using Apple’s Vision Pro headset.

These tasks typically take up to a year to learn on the factory floor. With the new system, trainees can learn them in two to three months.

Trainees engage with floating, step-by-step digital guides overlaid on their real-world surroundings. The system supports multiple learning styles and allows users to practice safely in a controlled environment.

The technology’s visual pass-through and eye-tracking capabilities may allow future use directly on the manufacturing floor, with the potential for multilingual access.

The team chose Valdese Weavers — a top-five employer in Burke County and the county’s largest manufacturing operation — as a pilot partner.

WPCC media students worked alongside developers to build the training module, making the project a blend of industry insight, educational support, and student-driven innovation.

The work comes at a critical moment. As older generations of textile workers retire, their hard-earned technical knowledge risks being lost. The MR training tool offers a way to preserve those skills while modernizing how they’re taught.

“This partnership is a powerful example of how education, industry, and technology can come together to shape the future of American manufacturing,” said Wasef Awad, plant manager at Valdese Weavers.

The system may be expanded to cover other factory processes, such as quality control and troubleshooting, and WPCC faculty are already planning to incorporate MR training into curriculum for future courses.

To learn more, visit wpcc.edu or textileinnovationengine.org.