Rust Belt
Rust Belt helps preserve real-world industrial knowledge that is rarely written down but critical to safe, reliable operations. This page covers common questions, usage guidance, and how to get help.
What Rust Belt Is (and Isn't)
Rust Belt is a private knowledge-capture tool for industrial environments. It records short, structured "Skill Capsules" from experienced workers and indexes them by machine, process, era, and context.
Rust Belt is not social media, not a public video platform, and not a replacement for formal SOPs or safety manuals. It complements existing training by preserving tacit knowledge that would otherwise disappear.
Getting Started
Sign up using email and password. You must be invited to a vault (company, union, or school) to access content. Rust Belt content is never public by default.
You can join a vault via an invite link or an invite code provided by a vault administrator. If you believe you should have access to a vault but do not, contact your organization's Rust Belt administrator.
Recording Skill Capsules
A Skill Capsule is a short (30–90 second) audio or video recording that captures practical warnings, unofficial fixes, lived experience with machines or processes, and context that never made it into manuals.
- Choose a structured prompt before recording
- Focus on one idea per capsule
- Speak plainly; technical jargon is fine
- Background noise is acceptable, but ensure speech is clear
- Do not record proprietary or restricted information unless authorized by your organization
Minimum 30 seconds. Maximum 90 seconds. These limits are intentional to keep knowledge focused and searchable.
Machines and Search
All content is indexed by:
- Manufacturer and model
- Process type
- Decade of manufacture
This allows users to find knowledge tied to specific legacy equipment, not personalities or popularity.
You can search by:
- Machine model or manufacturer
- Process type (forging, milling, stamping, batching, etc.)
- Decade
- Tags such as "winter shutdown," "hydraulics," or "warning sounds"
Privacy, Access, and Trust
Only members of the same vault can access capsules. Access depends on role:
- Viewers can view only
- Contributors can view and record
- Admins and owners can manage members and review content
Rust Belt does not sell, scrape, or publicly distribute recordings.
Location tagging is optional. GPS data is collected only if explicitly enabled. You may instead enter a general region or context manually, such as "Upper Midwest cold-weather plants."
If a capsule appears unsafe, outdated, incorrect, or no longer applicable, you may flag it for review. Flags are visible only to vault administrators and do not notify the original contributor.
Offline Use
You can record capsules while offline. Upload will automatically resume once connectivity is restored. Recently accessed machines and capsules are cached locally.
Data Ownership
- Organizations retain ownership of content recorded in their vaults
- Individual contributors retain authorship attribution
- Rust Belt does not claim ownership of industrial knowledge
For data export or archival requests, contact your vault administrator.
Troubleshooting
Check microphone and camera permissions in device settings. Ensure another app is not using the microphone.
Confirm network connectivity. Leave the app open until upload completes. If offline, the upload will retry automatically.
Confirm you are in the correct vault. Your role may be viewer-only. Contact your vault administrator.
Contact Support
For technical support, bugs, or access issues, email support@rustbelt.app
Please include:
- Device type (iOS or Android)
- App version
- A brief description of the issue
We respond as quickly as possible during standard business hours.
Rust Belt recordings do not replace safety training, OEM manuals, or regulatory compliance requirements. Always follow official procedures and local regulations. Skill Capsules are advisory, contextual, and experience-based.
Rust Belt exists to preserve what would otherwise be lost — the knowledge that keeps old machines running and people safe.