Category: Porsche

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Zurich-based WayRay Receives $80 Million From Porsche, Alibaba, More, To Bring AR To Automobile Industry

No sooner have we finished telling you about one augmented realtiy (AR) company that has secured lots of funding (Apprentice.io) then along comes another. But in this case the value is somewhat bigger – in fact it is ten times as big.

The company in question is WayRay, a Zurich-based firm that is focusing on holographic AR technology that also has offices in the US, China and Russia as well as growing interests in Germany. WayRay is looking to bring this technology to provide innovative solutions within the automotive industry and are also looking into avenues beyond this. This might explain in part how, while Apprentice received $8 million (USD) in Series A funding WayRay has just finished a round of Series C funding – netting a cool $80 million. As one of the investors is already its partner in this endeavour – sports car manufacturer Porsche.

“The WayRay team has unique expertise with a solid background in space engineering, hardware and software development. Their innovative ideas and products have great potential.” Said Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Member of the Executive Board for Finance and IT at Porsche. “We are convinced that on this basis we’ll be able to offer our clients customized Porsche solutions. That is why we have made this strategic investment decision.”

Other investors included the Hyundai Motor Company, the Alibaba Group, China Merchants Capital, multinational electronics firm JVCKENWOOD and more.

WayRay + Porsche

As mentioned it is not just Porsche who are interested in WayRay in the car industry. “WayRay has remarkable expertise in both hardware and software development for holographic AR display systems.” Explained Dr. Youngcho Chi, Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Vice President of Hyundai Motor Group. “The Hyundai–WayRay collaboration will help us establish a brand-new eco-system that harnesses AR technology to enhance not only navigation systems but establish an AR platform for smart cities and smart buildings, which are Hyundai Motor Group’s new business interests, in the long term, providing innovative customer experiences to our drivers.”

Vitaly Ponomarev, CEO of WayRay had this to say: “As a deep-tech company, we are committed to creating fundamental innovations that bring us far beyond holographic AR displays and new interfaces. A growing number of projects with carmakers and strong investors are fuelling the company’s growth and boosting our confidence in implementing complex innovations. We are proud to be recognized as a reliable partner able to meet the high standards set by investors like Porsche and Hyundai.”

WayRay look set to become a major name in AR going forward. VRFocus will bring you more news on their activities very soon

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Porsche Rolls Out AR Smartglasses For Vehicle Repairs

For personnel who work in areas such as maintenance and repair, having both hands available is pretty important. However, what if you need to call a specialist for some expert advice? At that point, you can either try and juggle phone, tools and components, or as automotive firm Porsche are doing, invest in some augmented reality (AR) technology to help.

Porsche are rolling out its ‘Tech Live look’ AR smartglasses technology to PCNA dealerships across the USA, which will allow local mechanics to connect with experts hundreds of miles away to get advice and directions.

Porsche Live Look

The system utilises the ODG (Osterhout Design Group) and R-7 smartglasses along with the AiR Enterprise software platform created by Atheer, Inc. This system allows service technicians who come across a complex or unusual problem on a Porsche vehicle can contact a remote expert, who will be able to see what the technician is seeing, and communicate information on how to proceed.

Remote technicians will even be able to use the AR technology to project schematics on to the local mechanics vision, or highlight a particular area or component, and send over documents for the mechanic to consult.

“Tech Live Look is the kind of digital innovation Porsche values because it raises the quality of the customer experience,” said Klaus Zellmer, President and CEO of PCNA. “By solving issues faster, our dealer partners can get their customers back into cars with less disruption. And our overall service quality increases as we share expertise more efficiently between our experts and dealer technicians.”

Pilots fr the technology took place across 2017, with these initial trials showing that service times were reduced by 40%, which equates to a significant cost saving for the company.

Porsche Live Look

The smartglasses are said to cost $2,750 (USD) per pair, but most Porsche dealerships were keen to embrace the technology considering the advantages it presents.

For future news of new developments in AR technology, keep checking back with VRFocus.

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Kish Hirani Talks To Porsche On The Future Of VR and AR In The Automotive Industry (Updated)

How exactly do you sell a car? What is the thought process that goes into it? Is it all about the journey outside, getting from A-B with the least fuss possible or is it perhaps the journey inside. The comfort, the ride, the experience you get driving the car. Practicality against luxury. Engineering against design. Productivity against feel. How can you connect with your audience? Moreover, how can you create a mix of the two schools of thought and visualise what you’re creating?

Car manufacturers are increasingly turning to the digital world in order to create both the design and the connection, with an example being the increasing occurrences of cars being a part of videogame conferences. If you can remember this happening you’re most likely remembering this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, California. During the event Porsche announced a brand new sportscar, the 911 GT2 RS.  It was also revealed as being both in and the cover star of the equally just announced Forza Motorsport 7.

Porsche are also interested in virtual reality (VR) technologies and the possibilities they could, in theory unlock. They have already dipped into virtual reality twice already with experiences revolving around their Panamera and 911 GT3 cars but with German rivals BMW and Audi looking into immersive technologies, Ford utilising Microsoft’s Hololens, other parts of the motoring industry investing and experimenting with VR and industry surveys backing up its use .It makes sense for Porsche to ask the question what VR, mixed reality (MR) or augmented reality (AR) could do for the company.

As such, on their official website they recently released a feature interview with Kish Hirani. Hirani is presently self-employed and working as a consultant on videogames, mostly within the VR/AR sphere and is the Chair at diversity in videogaming development advocacy group BAME in Games. Prior to this spent eight years at Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, which included work championing the PlayStation VR. Porsche also mention Hirani working with augmented reality (AR) from when it was a feature on the PlayStation Portable (PSP), the PlayStation Vita and on PlayStation 3 through the peripheral Wonderbook.

Indeed, it is the latter he is highly enthused about. “Nowadays, you can point a smartphone at an object and get more information about it straight away. Above and beyond what you see before you in the real world. That’s AR. It’s going to grow.”

Hirani also notes that teaming AR with artificial intelligence (A.I.) would be beneficial. “Learning-enabled artificial intelligence has reached this level in the meantime. A computer can register some things much faster and more precisely than possibly the eye can. You have this wonderfully large surface directly in front of you and it can be used for more than just looking through.”

“It’s very interesting to see a document on how a car will be made. With virtual reality, however, you can see how your own car is being made. It isn’t safe for you to stand by the assembly line in the factory, but, in the virtual environment, you can watch it with your own eyes. You don’t have to wait until the day you buy your car to get to know it, you can start much sooner in the development stage. It’s important to know everything about your vehicle. When you have a car that offers so much power and technology, it’s also exciting to take a look under the bonnet.” Later adding that there’s also an educational slant to doing things this way. “You can visualise how the power flows and the paths it follows, how mechanisms and motors work together.”

You can read the interview in full here. VRFocus will bring you more information on the discussions being made regarding the future direction of immersive technologies in industry very soon.

Update: The story has been updated with new information to clarify Mr. Hirani’s present role and former work with AR.