Automotive VR (Video Case)

VR in the automotive industry

Virtual reality technology in the automotive industry has become an efficient sales tool for vehicle producers and dealers. They can demonstrate and market their products via virtual showrooms, where potential users observe, examine, and experience 3D vehicle exteriors and interiors, and can take a test drive.

VR and AR in the automotive sphere drives manufacturers to produce cars that provide immersive experiences and enables customers to use hi-tech tools to purchase the right product through the use of innovative technologies. VR automotive software can suggest contextual help to users and assist them in operating their vehicle correctly by providing navigation and error detection. In addition, vehicle apps may boost car sales more effectively than traditional advertising. Immersive programs can help drivers evaluate a potential car's design, its interior, available features, and even provide simulations of dangerous driving situations before they make their purchase.

VR in the automotive industry generally is used for mass-production and customer service. The VR application's goal is to provide all of the pros and cons of automobile models, deliver the experience of a vehicle's maintenance, and check its safety. VR software can provide textual, visual, and auditory instructions. The virtual reality automotive industry is now flourishing because of its ability to implement hi-tech tools in every stage of manufacturing.

Virtual Reality car showrooms are very popular these days. They demonstrate a vehicle's design, that model's features, and the car's components (parts). A virtual prototype is a complete and comprehensive copy of a physical model. A user may change specific components – the color and the material of the vehicle prototype – to find out what combination or variant the user prefers.

Virtual car design is based on a concept that designers, developers, and customers have agreed on before the development itself begins. In these projects headsets are used to manipulate the virtual vehicle, and to draw and add details to the automobile during the creative session.

As for VR prototype design, this is an effective and high-performance cooperation between designers and engineers to produce high-quality virtual machines. The virtual prototype of a vehicle is usually a result of 3D rendering and digitized sketches with additional iterations. Virtual car prototypes demonstrate all of a vehicle's components, structural details, and possible modifications (color, texture, material) to a customer.

Our company, ServReality, can create customized VR automotive solutions.

This example demonstrates VR implementation in an automotive context. Our team completed this project, taking into account the clients, their goals, the required elements, tools, development process, and critical deadlines.

Our customers: Two automobile producers, Skoda (Volkswagen) and Ford, who planned to implement VR and AR hi-tech in their companies' services.

Project goals: to create a VR vehicle simulator, which lets customers experience a vehicle without physical contact or any risk of damage or loss. We also had to enable the ability to upgrade exterior and interior 3D design with specific compositional details to enhance the product before its final release and sales.

Required elements:

• 3d animators, architects

• Data manager

• Senior developers (C++, C#, Unreal Engine)

• Business analyst

• QA

• Project managers

Tools used:

• Samsung Gear VR

• HTC Vive

• Sony PlayStation VR

• Oculus Rift

• Google Cardboard

Automotive company VR software development has four basic stages:

• Concept generation, software architecture formation

• Application prototyping

• Software and content creation

• Testing, QA, bug fixing

Project deadlines: five to six months from the idea-architecture phase and its constant adjustments