Penske Employs Design Interactive Tech for AR Maintenance Training

Penske Truck Leasing has ushered in the next generation of truck maintenance technician training using augmented reality to instruct a portion of its workforce virtually. The company is employing an interactive classroom concept already in practice by Design Interactive.

"The virtual nature of the program allows our technical trainers to reach a larger number of technicians in the field quicker and boost the consistency and scalability of technician training," stated Holly Gerke, Penske vice president of technical training and development.

The Penske Augmented Reality (AR) training program is a series of technical lessons retrofitted to meet Penske's needs and industry standards. By leveraging virtual environments and access to AR capabilities, Gerke's team can better keep pace with training needs.

The virtual offering incorporates three primary components: DI’s ClassroomXR, Microsoft HoloLens 2, and DI’s XRMentor. ClassroomXR is a software that delivers a virtual classroom experience, allowing the Penske technician to see the trainer's first-person view of the skills being taught. There is a live feed chat box, training manuals and photo guides to complement the lesson. XRMentor (formerly AUGMENTOR) is the AR software platform Penske experts use to create training content, and technicians use, to gain hands-on experience and work through the sessions in real time alongside the trainer.

One Penske technical trainer is in one city, at a Penske facility, providing live instruction while wearing a Microsoft HoloLens 2 device and positioned at a truck. A small group of technicians are then at several other Penske facilities, each on their own, following along via their company-issued work tablets (these devices are used daily for a wide variety of work duties, which includes wireless diagnostic work) while stationed next to a like vehicle for the practice repair.

While the planning and implementation of this program were in play prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic's arrival accelerated the timetable. Moving forward, Penske aims to train 70 new technicians each month through the end of the year and 1,000 new technicians by June 2022.