Peterbilt Deploying AR for Dealer Techs

Dec. 1, 2021

Peterbilt will have deployed 200 of its patented ARTech augmented reality tools to dealer locations by March 31, 2022.

A proprietary software designed to innovate dealer service and improve customer uptime, ARTech utilizes 3-dimensional and augmented reality views of chassis-specific Peterbilt trucks, along with existing service systems like Paccar Solutions Service Management to help dealer service technicians quickly visualize major truck systems and instantly access related technical documentation and diagrams via an Apple iPad.

“We analyzed technicians’ pain points and focused on key technologies required to put all of the correct and pertinent data from multiple databases in one single location at their fingertips,” said Peyton Harrell, director of dealer development for Peterbilt. “The result is our ARTech tool, which transforms 2D technical information into a 3D image by placing full-scale objects on top of the real environment. This technology provides technicians a type of x-ray vision to help improve diagnostic and repair times. Dealerships who are using ARTech in their service bays have reported a 15 to 20 percent improvement in service repair times."

Augmented reality, its related software, hardware, and architecture is well-positioned to fill the void between the technical data from engineers and the service technicians that need the data to troubleshoot and perform repairs. It also allows the technician to explore and understand the objects in the most efficient way for them, according to the company.

“Instead of having to carry a laptop, an adapter and other tools to be able to pull information up on a laptop, now you're carrying an iPad with all of the information in one convenient location," said Mike Lacey, western regional product support manager at Ohio Peterbilt. "This has been a huge timesaver in pinpointing and troubleshooting codes and issues, speeding up the process and getting our customers’ trucks back on the road as quickly as possible.”

Peterbilt says it worked with a team of talented analysts, visionaries, designers, developers, and architects to create the technology, which was then tested at select Peterbilt dealerships.

Source: Peterbilt