The initial pilot by Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) to enhance virtual collaboration with dealers and customers through Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality technology has been enormously successful.

“The global pandemic has had an impact on every facet of the industry, causing businesses across all sectors to re-evaluate how they interact with their customers,” stated Lutz Beck, Chief Information Officer at DTNA.

“One of the key questions that DTNA asked itself last year is how can we transform the future of service with technology to better collaborate with our dealer partners and customers. We believe that HoloLens is one of the ways in which we answer this question,” he added.

DTNA had employed a combination of Microsoft technologies such as the HoloLens 2 platform, Dynamics 365 Remote Assist, and Teams for the pilot program. This enabled service technicians to connect directly to DTNA experts who could project service manuals, schematics, and other documentation across their field of vision while troubleshooting vehicle repairs.

Launched in 2019, the HoloLens 2 run on the Windows Mixed Reality operating system. The initiation of AR technology has showcased promising results for Daimler’s passenger car business through a host of pilot tests conducted across dealerships in Germany and the United States.

“This is one of the many solutions we are exploring to address the growing concerns of technician training and availability, with the added benefit of allowing for better social distancing,” said Stefan Kurschner, Senior Vice President of Aftermarket at DTNA.

“The HoloLens technology could be a game-changer for driving 24-hour or less repair turnaround, reducing the training time for technicians, as well as time spent in the service bay focused on vehicle repair and throughput,” he added.

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