Audi is the first manufacturer to offer virtual reality entertainment in series for its vehicles from next summer. And other brands are now also bringing virtual reality into real cars; however, preferably in the front row or in the development process.
From June, the second row of many Audi models will say: open your glasses and dream! Because the Ingolstadt-based car manufacturer is the first car manufacturer to bring a rear-seat entertainment system with VR glasses. The virtual reality glasses can be used to immerse yourself in different media formats such as games or films. In contrast to other rear-seat entertainment, which is played via screen systems, the various contents adapt in real time to the car’s driving movements. To use the Holoride system, a corresponding headset must be connected to the vehicle via Bluetooth. The entertainment program of the future is available with the latest expansion stage of the modular infotainment system for almost the entire model range of Audi A4 / A5, A6 / A7, A8, Audi Q5, Q7 / Q8, E-Tron / E-Tron GT on the main markets in Europe, North America, Japan and China.
The Holoride system is a technology that adapts virtual content in real time to the movements of the vehicle: if the car takes a right turn, for example, the spaceship in the imaginary world also flies to the right. If you accelerate, the spaceship also accelerates. The development of this innovative VR or XR technology (XR: Extended Reality) was developed by Audi and the tech start-up Holoride and is now going into mass production.
Virtual reality has now also arrived in real life with other manufacturers. But while the passengers in the rear can enjoy a new experience with Audi, the technology in the competition is often more available for the driver. For example, Volkswagen offers models such as the ID.4 and ID.5 with an augmented reality head-up display. This display projects important information such as navigation and assistance content onto the windshield in different fields and levels, with the display area for the displays being at a virtual distance of ten meters in front of the driver.
The technical heart of the augmented reality head-up display is the so-called picture generation unit, which is hidden inside the instrument panel. A bright LCD display sends the bundle of rays onto two mirrors and special optics separate the near and far planes from each other. The mirrors redirect the rays onto a concave mirror with electrical adjustment. From there, the information reaches the windshield and the driver’s field of vision. The so-called AR Creator serves as the image generator, which adjusts the placement of the symbols to match the environment. The framework data is provided by the front camera, radar sensors and navigation map.
However, the leap into virtual reality does not only take place inside the vehicles. BMW, for example, has been developing its models with the active support of virtual reality technology for several years, while Mercedes uses the technology in particular to fine-tune the ergonomic functions. VR technology is even more important in many companies when redesigning workplaces. In production, more and more work processes are compared using VR glasses before they are put into operation, so that the work is particularly safe and healthy for people.
To this end, BMW was one of the first car manufacturers to cooperate with the computer games industry in 2016. With the Unreal Engine from the game developer Epic Games in combination with virtual reality technology, new development methods and tools were created that are now used in design and work processes. Parts of the design development of the electric BMW iX were implemented with the game engine, which also played a key role in the planning of the Munich plant for the new BMW i4. Vehicles can already be virtually inspected and test driven at numerous car dealerships. Virtual life has long since begun in the automotive industry. Just relax and lean back – like in the new Audi A8.
Source: Stern
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