WARM: Wearable AR and Tablet-Based Assistant Systems for Bus Maintenance

Abstract

This paper shows two developed digital systems as an example of intelligent garage and maintenance that targets the applicability of augmented reality and wearable devices technologies to the maintenance of bus fleets. Both solutions are designed to improve the maintenance process based on verification of tasks checklist. The main contribution of the paper focuses on the implementation of the prototypes in the company’s facilities in an operational environment with real users and address the difficulties inherent in the transfer of a technology to a real work environment, such as a mechanical workshop. The experiments have been conducted in real operation thanks to the involvement of the public transport operator DBUS, which operates public transport buses in the city of Donostia—San Sebastian (Spain). Two solutions have been developed and compared against the traditional process: one based on Tablet and another one based on Microsoft HoloLens. The results show objective metrics (Key Performance Indicators, KPI) as well as subjective metrics based on questionnaires comparing the two technological approaches against the traditional one based on manual work and paper.