Car companies have been using virtual reality (VR) to improve and streamline the manufacturing process as well as the helping pick and customise their new cars before purchase. But what about the in-car experience for passengers? At CES 2019 this week Audi has been challenging just that concept with a VR experience that changes depending on how and where the car is driven.
Audi has co-founded a company called holoride with the sole focus being to provide immersive in-car entertainment. For the CES 2019 debut, Audi and holoride have teamed up with Disney Games and Interactive Experiences on a VR experience called Marvel’s Avengers: Rocket’s Rescue Run.
Sat in the back seat of an Audi e-tron passengers put on a VR headset, they find themselves transported into the Guardians of the Galaxy ship, piloted by Rocket. What’s unique about the experience is that every movement of the car is replicated in real time, so if the car speeds up so does the ship, if the car takes a left-hand bend the ship will fly around an obstacle accordingly.
Audi will be licensing this technology to holoride, which in turn will create an open platform for developers and other carmakers to build their own experiences. It’ll provide a software development kit (SDK) that serves as the interface to the vehicle data which can then be transferred into VR.
“Creative minds will use our platform to come up with fascinating worlds that turn the journey from A to B into a real adventure,” said Nils Wollny, Head of Digital Business at Audi, and future CEO of holoride in a statement. “We can only develop this new entertainment segment by adopting a cooperative, open approach for vehicle, device and content producers.”
The technology can be used for many applications whether they are arcade videogames or more educational experiences. holoride also claims that: “Since the visual experience and the user’s actual perception are synchronized, conventional movies, series or presentations can also be viewed with a significantly reduced chance of motion sickness.”
“Audi, Marvel and Disney Games and Interactive Experiences are celebrating Marvel Studios’ 10th anniversary with an Avengers experience that combines world-class content and innovative technology,” said Mike Goslin, Vice President, Disney Games and Interactive Experiences. “While this CES demo was developed purely in the spirit of exploration and experimentation, we are constantly evaluating emerging technologies to enhance our stories and experiences.”
Currently, the tech is still in its infancy, with holoride expecting this new form of in-car entertainment to market within the next three years using standard VR headsets. As development continues VRFocus will bring you the latest updates from holoride.