The number of practical applications and use cases of AR and MR for utility safety, efficiency and training are growing exponentially. That message was heard loud and clear at the EUCI Augmented Reality and Emerging Technology for Electric Utilities Symposium held recently in Denver, CO.

Among the presenters at the EUCI event were Index AR Solutions Senior Vice President Scott Sommers and Mike Hoff, Director of Business Optimization and Innovation, MidAmerican Energy Company.

EUCI reported that over 60% of the utility workforce will be qualified to retire from the energy field by 2020 with millennials being their replacement. AR and MR offer valuable, cost-effective strategies for visual training and interactive maintenance in a way that is familiar to this oncoming workforce.

During their session, “Modern Utility Case Study in Experiential Training with AR,” Sommers and Hoff showcased how AR, thoughtfully paired with eBook technology, is being used to modernize the MidAmerican Gas Apprentice training program. The combined solution addresses a key challenge MidAmerican faced in its apprentice training programs by eliminating the significant learning friction presented by traditional materials such as books, binders and VHS tapes. By removing this friction, MidAmerican is reducing the time needed to train a technically qualified, safety conscious and customer-centric worker.

The combined solution, dubbed the SuperApp® for Gas Apprenticeships, supports the delivery of 672 training hours at MidAmerican Energy. In addition to multiple AR experiences, the 34 eBooks in the SuperApp® for Gas Apprenticeships solution feature more than 200 videos and over 1,600 images placed contextually across some 3,000 pages of digital copy. Replacing static, paper-based material with interactive, highly visual digital content boosts engagement and knowledge retention – ultimately creating a more effective learning experience, particularly for the younger generation entering the workforce.

Sommers and Hoff demonstrated how the overall result is a learning process that is both dynamic and experiential, resulting in improved outcomes.

The SuperApp® for Gas Apprenticeships is available for purchase by other utilities now, and is priced with customization included. Clients can buy complete apprenticeship phases or “a la carte” from a menu of individual eBooks and AR experiences.

It is part of the Index AR Solutions SuperApp® portfolio, a growing suite of pre-packaged AR applications and content tailored to address common workforce challenges across industry.

More information on the SuperApp® portfolio and development partnership opportunities is available at https://www.indexarsolutions.com/.