NORTH OLMSTED —The 2015 Bosch Xperience Mobile Tour is bringing repair scenarios to shops across the country and letting technicians – through an interactive experience — assess their diagnostic skills.
The 50’ by 20’ Bosch Xperience truck rolled into the parking lot of the Motor Age and Aftermarket Business World offices this morning, and gave us an opportunity to try our hand at digital vehicle diagnostics using Oculus Rift goggles.
Bosch Trainer Mark DeKoster, also a Motor Age contributor, and Rob Darrow, strategic project manager with Bosch, walked four editors through the trailer, the roughly 40-minute program and some very cool technology. The Xperience tour began in June and runs through November, with two truck drivers and four trainers stopping at shops across the country to offer a hands-on, interactive training exercise while also emphasizing the importance of training and what Bosch can offer to shops.
“The technicians can use Bosch parts and feel comfortable that they are getting OE quality. But the end goal is always the same — to fix the car correctly,” DeKoster said.
The digital simulation gives technicians 15 minutes to diagnose problems on three vehicles. Sounds simple, right? DeKoster notes that a mere 10 percent actually get to the third car, while only 5 percent are able to properly diagnose all three vehicles in the exercise. The technicians are timed, and the fastest at each location gets a $25 gift card, and better yet, bragging rights. All participants are also entered to win a Dodge Hellcat, and the final winner will be announced in early 2016.
“The hope is for the technicians to realize the importance of training and that they need continued training to properly do their jobs,” DeKoster said.
DeKoster and Darrow said it will take time to determine whether the Oculus Rift technology will take hold in the market as a long-term viable training option for technicians, as cost and technical capabilities will be an issue. This is a topic that will be further discussed during a Bosch-lead presentation on the future of training at AAPEX in November in Las Vegas, DeKoster said.
For more information on the Bosch Xperience Tour, visit www.BoschXperience.com. To enter the Bosch American Muscle Giveaway, visit www.WinWithBosch.com.