Customer service just got a lot more interesting. Construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar just announced official availability of what they're calling the CAT LIVESHARE solution to customer support, which builds augmented reality capabilities into the platform.
They've partnered with Scope AR, a company who develops technical support and training documentation tools using augmented reality. The CAT LIVESHARE support system uses Scope AR's Remote AR software as the backbone.
Remote AR combines augmented reality with video calling, allowing companies like Caterpillar and their dealers to provide live support to their customers without dispatching a technician to their location. Remote support technicians and customers can "whiteboard" over the video feed to highlight issues. Remote AR also uses 3D animation that further illustrate repair solutions.
"Downtime of complex equipment can lead to millions of dollars in lost revenue and days of lost productivity on a job site," Scott Montgomerie, CEO and cofounder of Scope AR, said in a press release. "It's imperative that expert knowledge can be shared with remote workers in real-time to help with repairing, troubleshooting a problem or conducting maintenance on equipment."
Remote AR is currently compatible with iOS, Android, and Tango devices, as well as ODG and Epson Moverio wearables and Windows desktop. Support for Windows phones and tablets, the Microsoft HoloLens, and the Meta 2 headset are coming soon.
While Caterpillar is licensing the technology for heavy machinery repair, Remote AR can be applied to other industries as well. The video below demonstrates a use case for using Remote AR to troubleshoot issues in an IT environment.
Scope AR is leveraging AR for other training tools as well. Their authoring software program WorkLink enables users to write "smart instructions" for repair training, which uses CAD data to allow users to create 3D augmented reality animations that accompany manuals.
The video below shows how users can assemble illustrations and workflows in WorkLink.
How would you use AR for remote tech support? Let us know in the comments.
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