2019 I/ITSEC

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Utilizing Augmented Reality for Air Force Maintenance Training (Room 320A)

Aircraft maintenance is critical to Air Force readiness. However, the 2014 drawdown, which saw a reduction in close to 20,000 airmen throughout the enterprise, combined with the retiring workforce have led to a shortage of maintainers and a skill and knowledge gap. The lack of an efficient method to store and transfer knowledge from expert maintainers and effectively train less experienced maintainers has resulted in increased personnel training costs as well as unplanned downtime, keeping the Air Force from pushing the boundaries of readiness. An example can be found in the 367th Training and Support Squadron (TRSS). Despite their current ability to develop a variety of training products, they have no mechanism to capture and provide hands-free training material on the actual equipment in use. Innovative solutions are needed to accelerate the development of junior maintainers to experts by leveraging the expertise of senior personnel. This paper details how the 367th TRSS integrated augmented reality (AR) into their training program to support knowledge capture from retiring experts and facilitate knowledge transfer to fellow maintainers. The paper will outline the targeted use case and associated metrics used to evaluate the impact of AR in enhancing aviation maintenance training. Generalized findings highlight where and how AR is best suited to support maintenance training, and outline the return on investment leading to an adoption plan for the 367th TRSS.