Plug Power Leading the way in Technical Training

With pandemic travel restrictions in place and an ever-changing environment, Plug Power needed a way to conduct technical field staff training to support its growing customer base.Under the guidance of the training team, Plug Power was quickly able to shift its training paradigm by investing in “smart glasses,” made by Rochester, NY company Vuzix. The platform allows the user to follow on-screen instructions and then capture via video or photo of the student performing a necessary skill.

The small kits are mailed out to a customer site being supported by a Plug Power tech. Then with support from a trainer, who can view what the student sees, and instructional videos posted on Plug Power’s training portal, the student can learn at his/her own pace. The glasses are controlled via voice or touch and accept 5 languages. The program launched in summer 2020.

“We turned to Vuzix and Ubimax soon after the COVID-19 pandemic arrived to help solve operational challenges related to onboarding and training our technicians,” commented Chris Suriano, Plug Power Vice President of Service.  “We look forward to expanding the use of AR smart glasses for the long-term to support more extensive use cases.” 

Like many challenges in the current pandemic as well as throughout history, necessity is the mother of invention. The Vuzix augmented reality technology has been highly successful while physical distancing must occur, but it has also given Plug Power an option into the future that allows training to take place without cost and time-intensive travel expenses. Just one more example of how innovation is driving growth in the industry.