VW rolls out augmented reality for service technicians

Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2020 | Author: Illya Verpraet

Experts at head office can instruct technicians remotely

To help its technicians solve complex servicing issues, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is rolling out augmented reality headsets across its van centres.

When faced with defects and repair procedures they’re not familiar with, technicians at VW van centres, as well as those performing mobile repairs, can contact the technical support centre at VW’s head office and connect the headset.

This will allow the expert at the head office to see what the technician is seeing in order to diagnose the issue more easily. The expert can augment the field technician’s view, adding diagrams and suggestions into their view.

Each of the 67 van centres and 30 authorised repairers across the UK will have access to a pair of the RealWear glasses, which include a microphone, a head camera, a display screen and voice activation.

VW claims the technology can save customers downtime by reducing the time a van spends in the workshop and can also cut CO₂ emissions because the experts from head office no longer need to travel to carry out repairs.

David Hanna, head of service and parts at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, said: “Following a hugely successful trial, we have decided to invest in the augmented reality technology to allow us to support our world-class technicians and valued customers alike.

"As part of our Working With You promise, we are committed to keeping customer vehicles on the road and minimising downtime. This technology provides the perfect solution by reducing the time a van spends in the workshop as well as improving the sustainability of our technical support operation.”

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