Methodology for Digitalizing Railway Vehicle Maintenance Training Using Augmented Reality

The axle box of a railway vehicle is a critical component, and its maintenance involves complex procedures that are difficult to convey with traditional, document-based manuals. To address these challenges, augmented reality (AR)-based educational content was developed to digitize maintenance training and enhance its effectiveness. The content’s implementation was guided by a systematic storyboard, which was based on interviews with skilled staff. It also utilized specialized algorithms to improve the accuracy of mechanical measurement work and the efficiency of User Interface (UI) generation. The user experience of the developed content was comprehensively evaluated using a combination of two methods: a formative evaluation through direct observation of work performance and a post-survey administered to 40 participants. As a result of the evaluation, the mean work success rate was 62.5%, demonstrating the content’s high efficiency as a training tool. The overall mean score from the post-survey was 4.11, indicating high user satisfaction and perceived usefulness. A one-way ANOVA was performed and revealed a statistically significant difference in post-survey scores among the four age groups. The developed content was found to be more effective for younger participants. The results confirm the high potential of AR as a digital educational method for complex maintenance work.