Porsche Dealers Can Now Use Augmented Reality for Diagnostics and Repairs

Porsche is beginning to implement a new diagnostic technology at its dealership service departments. The system, dubbed "Tech Live Look," could reduce repair times by up to 40 percent, Porsche says.

Using a pair of augmented reality glasses, a Porsche technician will be able to see information projected from a display inside the lenses. The glasses also include a camera that can broadcast what the wearer sees to a specialist at Porsche's headquarters in Atlanta. The specialist can then talk the dealer technician through complex diagnoses and repairs. Tech Live Look also allows the technician to see service bulletins and schematics without having to step away from the vehicle.

"Tech Live Look is the kind of digital innovation Porsche values because it raises the quality of the customer experience. By solving issues faster, our dealer partners can get their customers back into cars with less disruption," Porsche Cars North America president Klaus Zellmer said about AR diagnosis.

"The automotive industry is ripe for digital transformation, and augmented reality presents one of the most promising ventures for the market across the value chain," ABI Research Principal Analyst Eric Abbruzzese told The Drive. "Porsche’s announcement today highlights this, with the hands-free and connected capabilities of smart glasses proving invaluable for technician efficiency. Manufacturers, designers, service technicians, dealerships, and marketers can leverage AR in unique and tailored ways, making the automotive industry a rapidly expanding market both in scale and opportunity."

Currently, Tech Live Look has been rolled out to only three dealerships, but Porsche plans to have 75 equipped with the AR system year, and all 189 U.S. dealers should have it by the end of 2019.

This isn't Porsche's first foray into AR. The company released a promotional app earlier this year that allowed users to walk around a virtual Mission E.