Mach E Brings New Visual Tech to Augment Repair Procedures
Bosch develops a virtual reality training suite to prepare Ford service technicians for working on the Mach E electric Mustang crossover.
While the debates surrounding the Ford Mustang Mach E are not-so-heartwarming overall, one thing is for sure: it isn’t like anything else in Ford’s fleet. That creates an issue when it comes to Ford service centers. Considering how drastically different an electric car is from a standard internal combustion engine one, it’s no surprise that techs will have many new things to learn. However, Bosch comes to the rescue.
The above video, courtesy of Bosch, brings to our attention to this virtual reality training program for Ford technicians to learn what they will be encountering with the Mach E. Which, we think, is woefully appropriate. The car of the future brings training techniques of the future, it seems.
The simulator looks a lot like many virtual reality games. Users point a VR laser pointer around to make a selection and likely use controllers to a VR headset like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. While this technology isn’t exactly the newest out, it certainly is beneficial to have. We can only imagine the amount of money it saves over flying technicians all over the place for training. We especially believe it saves a considerable amount over sending Mach Es to be torn apart and looked over. Ford certainly is living in a brave new world, whether or not you support their decisions.
“Technicians will be immersed in a simulated and gamified world, meaning they won’t need to rely on actual Mustang Mach-E vehicles to learn about its components, including the electric SUV’s new high-voltage system,” says Dave Johnson, director of Ford service engineering operations.
We don’t know about you, but we read the term “high-voltage system” and immediately think “high-danger system,” too. Thus, it’s excellent that Bosch and Ford are providing an effective, low-cost way to provide the Ford technicians with the information they need. The last thing we’d want is an electric car rolling into a shop with nobody knowing how to work on it.
Car and Driver report that the software walks users through the entire process from diagnostics to repairs. Additionally, Bosch is working on an extension for the software that will allow users to independently interact with specific parts of the Mach E. This will enable technicians to learn the car like the back of their hand without ever touching a real one.
Hate it or love it, the Mach E is coming. While many wish it weren’t at all, others just wish they would pull the Mustang namesake from it. However, it seems Ford is sticking to their guns with this one. It does have some pretty impressive technology backing it, and while we still are a bit hesitant, we can’t wait to see what becomes of these Mustang SUVs.
Video: Bosch