Z-Care: Virtual AR for Customer Care Assistance

The only real lesson of 2020 seems to be a reminder of the old adage, “expect the unexpected.” Like most of the world we were caught off guard by the new world we entered into. But, the new saying is that “COVID is an accelerator”. The business trends that would have taken a few years to roll out now became the new normal. This was the case with our Virtual AR system, which has been in the works for some time.

We have been working with Microsoft to find the best way to bring their augmented reality systems into the attractions industry. It is great tech, but we want to make sure the devices are robust enough to handle the rigor of being in the field in the attractions industry.

The concept proved out during the installation of “Formula Rossa Junior” at Ferrari World. That project during the spring of 2020 but travel restrictions prevented the Zamperla team from being on site to install the Junior Coaster. As a result, the team utilized VAR to work directly with the installation team to install the Junior Coaster. Without being on site for most of the project, our crew instructed the park how to move the big pieces of steel column and track, as well as the small items like proximity switches and bolts. All-in-all it was a project that proved out our belief that augmented reality offers a new way to partner with customers and offer the best service possible.

We do not think that virtual visits will replace on-site assistance. However, tech is an extremely important tool Zamperla has pioneered the use of and will integrate it moving forward. Our CEO Antonio Zamperla believes that technology is an amazing tool that that can both minimize our client’s uptime and reduce their cost of ownership.