Dell Technologies has unveiled a new app that allows users to replace common parts on selected Dell computers through an Augmented Reality (AR) experience with step-by-step instructions.  

With smart phones already ingrained in everyday lives, Dell created a free application available on both IOS and Android that provides a step-by-step augmented reality experience to help customers replace parts on their Dell systems.

Dell’s AR Assistant guides users through servicing and repair procedures for more than 100 Dell PCs and servers in seven different languages. Dell is currently working to add over 20 additional systems by the end of the summer.

The app’s development was fast tracked during the early months of the pandemic when technicians were unable to visit people’s homes. Currently the use of the Dell AR Assistant is dependent on proper diagnosis first, then ordering parts through our technical support team. Dell’s plan is to make parts more readily and easily available for sale online for an even easier customer experience.

Dell provides product manuals and related resources online – and has for well over a decade. This includes downloads for software, drivers, BIOS, firmware, OS and security patches. The Dell AR Assistant is a natural extension of the manuals – in an easy-to-follow, customer-friendly format that can accessed from anywhere.

AR Assistant users can see their devices and how to repair them using mixed reality and informational overlays on the machine being repaired, leveraging a smartphone camera. The app also has an augmented clone technology on select systems, which displays a cloned server in any desired space and allows a full 360 degree interaction with amazing realism.

Tara Gale, Client Solutions Country Lead, Dell Technologies Ireland, said: “Repairability continues to be a priority for us at Dell Technologies. As we know users want more control over their devices – including repairs. As a longtime champion of repairability, Dell has changed the game with a first-of-its-kind augmented reality app for IT repairs, the Dell AR Assistant.

Our aim is to enable consumers to easily repair devices themselves where they are able to – and ultimately we’re looking to reduce repair time for issues that can be resolved by the users themselves, with a little help from Dell. We are excited to extend repairability to our customers directly and help them extend the life of their systems. Ease of repair is a win for our customers and the environment – and we’re proud to enable the next generation of consumer repairability with the Dell AR Assistant.”

The Dell AR Assistant also upholds Dell’s wide-reaching and longstanding commitment to sustainability. By making parts more accessible, replaceable and reusable, products can exhaust fewer resources and let users keep more circular materials in the economy. This is in line with Dell’s core tenets – repairability and sustainability – which were also reflected in Concept Luna, announced earlier this year.

For more information on the Dell AR assistant, visit Dell’s FAQ or take a look at quick demonstration of how the app works here.

For those not interested in making the repairs themselves, Dell has other repairs options – visit the Dell Tech Support page for more information.