The Thing People Kept Coming Back To at CRE2026

At CRE2026, there was no shortage of ADAS equipment on display. 

Everywhere you looked there were calibration rigs, targets, scan tools and software platforms, all promising faster workflows, OEM capability, and the ability to keep up with modern vehicles. 

And to be fair, a lot of the equipment on show was impressive. 

On the Repairify Australia stand, we had our Repairify Digital ADAS rig set up and running across the three days. We spoke with existing customers, workshop owners, technicians, and people who’d never dealt with Repairify Australia before. Some had seen our systems online. Others were simply curious about what made our setup different. 

What kept coming up in conversation was interesting. 

People understood ADAS. They understood calibration. They understood the growing complexity of modern vehicles. None of that was really new anymore. 

For those who hadn’t come across it before, what really surprised them was the role Repairify Remote Services played behind it all.

Because while the Repairify Digital ADAS rig drew people onto the stand, the thing that genuinely surprised them was the small device sitting quietly beside it: the asTech Link 2.0. 

That was the moment where conversations changed from “What does this rig do?” to “Hang on… you can actually do that remotely?” 

One bloke flat-out didn’t believe us at first. 

Not in a sceptical way, more in a “surely that’s not possible” way. 

Once we explained how the asTech Link worked, you could almost see the penny drop. 

The process itself is fairly straightforward. The workshop connects the asTech Link device to the vehicle through the OBD port, then connects through to the Repairify Remote Services team. From there, authorised Repairify Australia technicians can remotely access OEM-level systems where required. That includes secure gateway access, module programming, coding, ADAS calibration procedures, pre- and post-repair scans, and manufacturer-specific functions. 

The important part is this: the vehicle never leaves the workshop. 

The technician on the floor still controls the physical side of the repair and calibration setup. The Repairify Remote Services team handles the software layer, the access, and the OEM-level procedures that can otherwise stop a job dead in its tracks. 

That distinction really resonated with people at the show. 

Because most collision repairers don’t want to outsource work. They want to finish it properly and keep it moving. 

And increasingly, that’s the challenge. 

Modern vehicles are no longer just mechanical systems. ADAS modules, radar systems, cameras, steering angle sensors and braking systems all operate together in sensor fusion. Replacing a component, or in some cases simply removing and refitting a bumper or body panel, can trigger the need for calibration, programming, or secure gateway access. 

As Matt Douglass, General Manager of Repairify Australia, explained during the event: 

Modern vehicles are built around integrated electronic systems. ADAS modules communicate with radar modules, camera modules, steering angle sensors, braking system sensors and body control modules, all working together in sensor fusion.

That growing complexity is exactly why Repairify Remote Services struck such a chord at CRE2026 this year. 

People could immediately see the practical value. 

Not theory. Not future-tech. Real workshop workflow. 

In fact, while the expo was running, the Repairify Australia Remote Services team coordinated with the European team on a live job involving a bricked Audi. Between the teams, they were able to recover the vehicle remotely and restore communication without the vehicle needing to leave the workshop. 

That’s the part that seemed to land hardest with repairers.

Not the technology itself, but the idea that a workshop no longer has to hit a wall just because a vehicle needs OEM-level access or specialist programming to finish the job. 

What also became clear at CRE2026 is that this isn’t standing still. While workshops were seeing the asTech Link 2.0 in action on the stand, Repairify Australia is already testing the next-generation Gen 3 platform for local conditions, reflecting just how quickly remote diagnostics and OEM-level access are evolving.

At Riverland Collision Centre, that shift has already had a major impact. 

We were struggling to keep complex diagnostic jobs in-house, says Jake Beaumont, Assistant Manager at Riverland Collision Centre. Repairify’s Remote Services changed everything—our turnaround times are faster, we’ve cut outsourcing costs, and our technicians are more confident than ever. It’s a game-changer.

That sentiment came up repeatedly across the three days at CRE2026. 

Not because workshops suddenly want to become software companies, but because they’re trying to solve a very practical problem: how to keep increasingly complex jobs moving without unnecessary delays, transport, or outsourcing. 

And oddly enough, the thing helping solve that problem isn’t always the biggest or flashiest piece of equipment on the stand. 

Sometimes it’s the little box plugged into the OBD port. 

To find out how Repairify Remote Services and the asTech Link 2.0 can help your workshop complete more diagnostics, programming, and ADAS calibration work in-house, get in touch with the Repairify Australia team to learn more about our Remote Services and ADAS solutions.