Major automakers like Ford, Volvo, and Rivian are changing gears in car design, trading the traditional clay-modelling technique for the advanced Extended Reality (XR). This shift, through the use of mixed-reality headsets, gives birth to a virtual model for designers and engineers, making the process faster and more efficient.
XR gives life to designers’ imaginations, making real-time adjustments, 3D visualizations, and performance simulations possible under varied parameters. It not only makes the design process more sustainable by reducing waste from clay modeling, but it also grants potential buyers a detailed 3-dimensional view of the vehicle even before it goes into production.
The Australian Ford design team uses Varjo’s XR-3 headset in its design process. Andrew Dallan-Jones, Visualization Manager at Ford Design, believes the headset has transformed the process by allowing early-stage discussions, spatial concept reviews, and prototype visualizations.
Rivian, a US-based electric vehicle company, has reported significant cost savings using the XR technology, accelerating their design processes. Similarly, Volvo, a long-standing supporter of mixed-reality collaboration, has improved its efficiency and reduced the time and resources spent on traditional methods by integrating Varjo headsets.
Varjo, a Finnish-based tech firm known for high-resolution headsets, intends to make vehicle prototypes more accessible by creating a cloud-based platform. Their advanced technology has opened new doors to digital interaction and product development by making the design accessible to teams globally.
Adopting extended reality for automotive design
By allowing users to interact with digital vehicle models as physical objects, teams can simulate in-person collaboration, boosting efficiency and allowing instant feedback. Varjo remains dedicated to maintaining high-quality standards and continues to set the pace in virtual and augmented reality.
The successful integration of XR in the automotive industry paves the way for its application in professional settings and leisure activities like gaming. This advancement could entirely change how we interact with our environment, offering richer, lifelike experiences. Businesswise, XR offers unique, personalized services that boost customer engagement, satisfaction, and profitability.
However, challenges such as high development costs and privacy concerns may slow the widespread adoption of XR technology. Still, the potential benefits are more significant, making the effort worthwhile. XR has shown so much promise that it’s poised to become a standard across various industries, playing an important role in the digital world’s progress.
