Porsche Technicians Using Augmented Reality For Repairs
Porsche's decision to start using augmented reality in its service departments has paid off big time.
Even More Useful
It's been over a year since we first learned that Porsche was using augmented reality technology to solve tricky service problems remotely. This innovative solution allows local dealership technicians to connect with specialists on the other side of the world and access technical information hands-free. And as you might imagine, this technology has proved to be even more useful than ever during these challenging times.
Photos: Porsche
Reaching Out
The system Porsche uses is called Live Look, which involves the use of ODG R-7 smart glasses with AiR Enterprise software from Atheer, a California-based AR software provider. If dealership service technicians get stuck and can't find the root cause of an issue, they can reach out to a specialist located anywhere around the world for assistance.
Photos: Porsche
Virtual Guidance
While wearing the glasses, the remote expert can help guide the tech and see what they're seeing in real-time. They can even take screenshots, and display technical bulletins or service instructions on the glasses' lenses for the tech to see. This technology was piloted back in 2017, but has since landed in 189 U.S. dealerships, helping to replace the need to fly an expert in every time there's a tricky problem.
Photos: Porsche
Increased Usage
As you'd imagine, this technology has become incredibly valuable during the coronavirus pandemic. Porsche's field technical experts aren't currently allowed to visit dealerships, which means they're using the AR system much more frequently. According to Porsche, the use of the system tripled between February and March alone.
Photos: Porsche
Slow Process
Before AR, if it wasn't feasible for a field technician expert to travel to a dealership to assist them, they would spend a ton of time emailing or calling the dealership and speaking with service techs. This was obviously a very time-consuming task for both ends.
Photos: Porsche
Time Saver
In fact, Porsche estimates that the Live Look system allows service technicians to solve tricky problems 40 percent faster than the ages-old method. And we can certainly believe that given the many benefits the technology offers.
Photos: Porsche
Quicker Turnaround
The real winner in this situation, of course, is the customer. Augmented reality has helped to speed up service times tremendously, which means you aren't waiting nearly as long for your vehicle to get out of the shop, even if it's suffering from a complex issue. And right now, that's more important than ever.
Photos: Porsche
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