William Owen is Program Manager, Augmented Reality Remote Expert (ARRE) with Amentum, a global leader in advanced technology solutions.
Maintenance sits at the center of operational reliability, safety, and cost control. Yet across many enterprises, maintenance teams are still constrained by outdated processes, fragmented knowledge, and limited access to expertise—challenges that directly increase downtime and risk. Augmented reality (AR) is changing that equation by fundamentally transforming how maintenance work is performed, supported, and scaled.
As organizations look ahead to 2026, here are three ways AR can be used as a core maintenance capability that delivers consistent and measurable impact.
Working with Real-Time, Hands-Free Guidance
AR transforms maintenance at the point of work. Instead of stopping to consult manuals or toggle between systems, technicians receive contextual, hands-free guidance directly in their line of sight. Equipment diagrams, step-by-step instructions, sensor data, and safety alerts appear exactly when and where they are needed.
This real-time visibility reduces human error, accelerates task completion, and improves first-time fix rates—particularly for complex or unfamiliar equipment. Maintenance becomes more precise and repeatable, even under time pressure or in high-risk environments. The result is faster repairs, safer execution, and less unplanned downtime.
Extending Capabilities Anywhere, Instantly
One of AR’s most disruptive impacts on maintenance is its ability to eliminate dependence on physical proximity to expertise. Through remote expert functionality, senior maintenance specialists can see what field technicians see in real-time, annotate components, highlight corrective actions, and guide repairs step-by-step.
This capability dramatically changes maintenance response models. Issues that once required travel, escalation delays, or deferred repairs can now be resolved immediately. Organizations have reduced troubleshooting cycles from hours to minutes by bringing expert insight directly into the field, regardless of location.
For enterprises managing distributed assets—plants, facilities, fleets, or infrastructure—this ensures maintenance quality is no longer uneven or location-dependent. Every technician, at every site, has access to the same level of expertise and guidance.
Shifting Analytics from Reactive to Predictive
AR does more than improve individual repairs—it generates rich maintenance intelligence. Each AR-enabled task captures real-time data on asset conditions, failure patterns, repair duration, and technician actions. Over time, this creates a detailed operational picture of how assets perform in real-world conditions.
When integrated into maintenance and asset management systems, this data enables predictive and preventative maintenance strategies. Organizations can identify recurring issues, anticipate failures, optimize maintenance intervals, and extend equipment life cycles. Instead of reacting to breakdowns, maintenance teams can plan interventions based on insight, not assumption.
This shift reduces emergency repairs, lowers lifecycle costs, and improves asset availability—outcomes that directly support operational resilience and financial performance.
Moving from Pilot to Impact
With disciplined scaling and focused execution, AR can move from experimentation to sustained operational impact.
Enterprises that realize the full value of AR in 2026 will be those that treat it as a transformation tool, not a standalone technology. That means embedding AR into standard maintenance workflows, training programs, and performance metrics—and continuously refining its use based on results.
Maintenance will always be mission critical. Augmented reality can ensure it is also faster, smarter, and more resilient.