The Mobile & XR (Extended Reality) team in collaboration with Volvo Penta have secured the infrastructure needed to use augmented reality (AR). The AR technology is now about to revolutionize the training opportunities offered to technicians. Miguel Bartolome, Director Competence Development, Volvo Penta, explains, “The new opportunities provided by the AR technology means a safe, digital training environment, offering hands-on online training opportunities, with instant feedback from the specialist teacher, sometimes far away in another location”. And Miguel continues, “Of course it means reduced training cost, and at the same time, improved quality”.
Miguel Bartolome is right now not only planning for pilots in the training area but also supporting pilots in technical support using the new technology and the opportunities it opens up for business. Miguel is convinced that the AR tools will be common within less than a year. He explains, “Today we have to upload pictures etc. into Argus, the tool we are using for support issues, and it takes time before you receive an answer. Imagine sharing the documentation instantly with your colleague. It is making things so much easier”.
In the video you can get a glimpse of a potential future where a remote support tool could change how an on-site technician provides service and maintenance, but also offering online support and real time remote guidance and problem solving to customers all over the world. Online guidance would be possible, with visual guidance in the Augmented Reality headset. No need of paper manuals or printed drawings out in the field. Oliver Lykken, Chapter Lead Mobile XR (eXtended Reality) Sweden, Volvo Group Digital & IT, does not see it as a futuristic vision, but a reality, we most likely will see in a close future. “Thanks to our successful collaboration with Volvo Penta, our major technical challenges have been solved and we are ready to scale to the rest of the Volvo Group.”. Oliver concludes, “If we are going to reach our ambitions of having 50% of our revenue coming from services and solutions, we need to work in close collaboration. Together our imagination is the only limit”.