Digital technologies are becoming increasingly powerful catalysts for innovation across industries worldwide and in the automotive sector, it is a market size expected to reach nearly US$7 billion globally by 2030.
In simple terms, AR adds a virtual world on top of a physical one, blending real and virtual components together to enhance the user experience.
This delivers significant benefits across the value chain in the automotive industry, streamlining processes for everything from design and manufacture to testing, fine-tuning, and even sales. One of the biggest benefits it delivers to the industry is in automotive repair.
Four ways AR enhances automotive repair
Technology advances have led to modern vehicles with increased complexities—such as advanced digital features, increased sensor usage, and more autonomous functionalities— which have stretched the boundaries of traditional repair shops.
In short, more complex vehicles need more complex maintenance and repairs. Consequently, the industry has seen a surge in the use of AR, supported by AI and Internet of Things (IoT) to support repair.
Four key applications of AR have emerged as game-changers for the automotive industry:
1. Remote diagnostics:
Increased demand from drivers and vehicle owners for near-real-time vehicle assessments has led to a growth in the use of AR and AI to support remote diagnostics. Smart glasses enhanced with AR and AI technologies, or rugged tablets tethered with a rugged IP camera, let technicians use diagnostic software in real-time to conduct remote system health checks for vehicles quickly and efficiently.
The rugged device lets technicians automatically collect vehicle data and share it for remote analysis while inspecting the vehicle. Combining these technologies with skill of human technicians means repairers can assess the vehicle more accurately to ensure its system operates within its specific design parameters.
It also streamlines diagnostic assessment, reduces time to repair, and avoids potential downtime. This can lead to lower costs and increased customer satisfaction.
2. Remote expert support:
The need for more complex repairs has led to an increased demand for skilled technicians that are capable of properly servicing modern vehicles. As technology advances rapidly, it can be difficult for technicians to keep on the leading edge of transformation.
However, AR can be used to enhance technicians’ capabilities by providing them with digital twins that let them blend physical and virtual worlds for quick and efficient troubleshooting. With remote expert support and using a digital twin, technicians and mechanics can visualise a digital repair and make any necessary corrections or tweaks in the digital world before applying the repair to the physical vehicle or part.
3. Intelligent step-by-step troubleshooting:
AR can also be a valuable tool to help guide mechanics and technicians through a comprehensive diagnostics process to identify potential issues, eliminating guesswork and reducing inefficiencies caused by hard-to-solve root cause failures.
The biggest benefit of AR’s application in this capacity is the potential to leverage AI and machine learning (ML) to automatically review server data for other similar failures on record, and continuously use the most up-to-date techniques, best practices, and methods to repair issues. This can help to significantly improve first-time fix ratios for repairers as well as save time.
4. Predictive maintenance:
AR lets automotive repair shops future-proof their services with predictive maintenance capabilities. Repairers can consolidate vehicle information, repair history, and diagnostic software data, and then use AR to effectively extrapolate a component’s lifecycle and provide trend-based failure predictions.
Taking this more proactive approach lets repairers empower their customers to optimise maintenance timings and avoid potential breakdowns, saving both time and money.
Preparing repairers for the future of the automotive industry
AR delivers essential benefits to repairers that will significantly expand the capabilities of repair shops, measurably boosting efficiencies and knowledge for technicians and mechanics that manage complex repairs.
AR enhances automotive repairs by leveraging the spatial relationships of actual vehicle components and giving technicians a robust toolkit to improve repair efficacy, speed, and quality. Ultimately, this translates to a more efficient service for customers.
AR’s fusion with automotive repair is a powerful example of technology’s transformative capacity. By enhancing remote diagnostics, intelligent troubleshooting, predictive maintenance, and expert support, AR is not only revolutionising automotive repair but also paving the way for the industry’s digital future.