Augmented Reality in Automotive Technical Training: Technological Innovation Through Mobile Applications in Trujillo

This study evaluated the impact of an Augmented Reality (AR)-based mobile application on technical training in automotive maintenance at a company in Trujillo, Peru. The application was developed using Unity 3D, the Vuforia marker-based recognition engine, and C#, enabling technicians to interact with three-dimensional models of automotive components — including engines, valve trains, crankshafts, and braking systems — through touch-based rotation, zoom, and perspective controls overlaid on physical QR markers. This marker-based interaction architecture distinguishes the system by enabling step-by-step guided visualization of complex maintenance procedures without requiring physical equipment access. A posttest-only control group experimental design was employed with 60 technicians randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, using the Mobile-D methodology for software development. The results revealed a significant improvement in technical content comprehension, a 46.6% reduction in average training time (from 10,862 to 5,784 seconds), and increased satisfaction levels, reaching a mean score of 4.0 versus 2.6 in the control group. The Mann–Whitney U test confirmed statistically significant differences (p = 0.001) across all indicators, with large effect sizes (Rosenthal's r ≥ 0.86). These findings suggest that AR-based mobile applications represent a viable instructional approach for automotive maintenance training, though broader generalization requires validation across diverse organizational contexts.