A new automotive repair app from CYTK.io uses machine learning and the Cloud to deliver fast, convenient and accurate repair data no matter where a technician is on their smartphone
By Jack Roberts
A machine learning software company from Michigan has developed a brand-new automotive repair search app for Smartphones with the potential to kick shop and technician efficiency into overdrive. The company is called CYTK.io and its new app CYTK SmartSearch (Mobile Assistant for Automotive Repairs) launches a revolutionary “Smart Search” feature, placing all of the information required to repair or maintain a vehicle in the palm of a technicians’ hand–all without ever having to step away from the vehicle.
CYTK.io, an industry-leading automotive repair and diagnostic information provider, has developed an app that can be downloaded to a smartphone and empowers technicians with an array of targeted search options. CYTK is powered by MOTOR’s repair information database and provides through a mobile application repair information such as procedures, Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) as well as wiring diagrams and even crowd-sourced YouTube videos to help speed up repair times!
“The underlying thesis with our mobile, AI-powered repair information search app is the idea that if technicians can have access to all the information they need to repair a vehicle on their smartphone and not have to step away, both the technician and the repair shop as a whole become exponentially more efficient,” explained David Zeigler, vice president, customer success, CYTK.io. “CYTK’s value to repair operations is an overall improvement in repair times, increased repair efficiency and morale of senior technicians while significantly boosting the training and learning curve for new technicians.”
Ziegler says the new app has been in development for over three years. “Our first phase was to build an Artificial Intelligence-enabled search engine that was designed from the outset to understand the language of automotive repair,” he says. “From there, our engineers went on to develop one of the first automotive repair apps that combines both touch- and voice-actuated keyword searches with a high degree of flexibility that allows technicians quick access to information by the most logical and fastest means possible.”
Once the CYTK SmartSearch™ (Mobile Assistant for Automotive Repairs) has been downloaded from the App Stores – iOS or Android (there is a monthly subscription fee for the service), technicians can use it to track down part numbers or repair information in a number of ways, says Bryan Levenson, CYTK.io’s CEO. He explains that technicians can simply scan the VIN number from the vehicle, or type in the year, make, model, engine and trim level of the vehicle. Even better, he says, the app is voice-enabled, meaning technicians can simply speak the information into the microphone to initiate a search. But CYTK SmartSearch provides more than just a list of parts numbers. Levenson says technicians can use it to quickly acquire everything from basic information to in-depth diagnostics for major repairs.
A powerful, microphone-enable search engine allows technicians hands-free access to everything from basic maintenance information to in-depth repair schematics, diagrams and even how-to videos.
“Using the CYTK app, a technician can quickly find out what type of engine oil the vehicle calls for and what the correct capacity is,” he explains. “Or, they can see how to reset the Service Engine light. If they need labor and time for a repair, they can call up a specific make and model and see the estimated time for replacing a fan belt, for example. You can even drill down and get the proper drain plug torque or DEF tank capacity and a multitude of wiring diagrams or TSBs.”
Levenson says CYTK’s Mobile Assistant for Automotive Repairs in time will be customizable and enable each business/user to enter their own labor rates and pricing structures.
What differentiates CYTK’s SmartSearch™ app from other desktop search repair software applications is not just the fact that it can be used on any smartphone or tablet device, Ziegler adds, but the fact that the CYTK engineering team began its development cycle by focusing on machine learning enabling the app to access its deep library of automotive repair information, but also learn how to better cross-reference and locate information based on user inputs.
“And we’re just beginning to leverage this technology in regard to the app,” Ziegler says. “We will soon be able to apply the CYTK machine learning capabilities to automotive repair message boards on the Internet. These are extremely content-rich sources of data and information where technicians compare notes and detail things that worked–or did not–on repair jobs. We will soon be able to extract those conversations in real time and apply them to our own search engine within the app. So, our database will grow. And at the same time, thanks to our machine-learning algorithms, our system will gain insights into what our users need and adjust accordingly to give them that. And as more searches are conducted over time, those results become prioritized, making it even faster and more accurate for technicians using it.”
Levenson says the target markets for the CYTK Mobile Assistant for Automotive Repairs app include aftermarket automotive repair shops, new and used car dealerships, light-duty fleets, mobile repair technicians and even do-it-yourselfers who are handy at turning a wrench. The CYTK SmartSearch is available now in both iOS and Android App Stores.
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