Twist of the scene: entertainment in the car becomes immersive thanks to virtual reality. For the first time in the world a car manufacturer (Audi, in collaboration with holoride, is spelled like this, tiny, yet another habit …) integrates VR into onboard entertainment and rear passengers will be able to wear virtual reality glasses and travel through immersive experiences in ‘field of gaming, cinema and events.
Audi and holoride: the car becomes an experience device
But since we are in the car, the contents of virtual reality will also adapt to the movements of the car. Just to understand if the car turns right, for example, the spaceship in the imaginary world will also fly in the same direction. In short, thanks to Audi and holoride, virtual reality (VR) will evolve into extended reality (XR). The heart of the innovative holoride technology is in fact the real-time connection between extended reality (XR) and vehicle data. This data includes physical feedback such as acceleration and steering, traffic information, route references and route duration.
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Among other things, the system does not debut on the usual research prototype, but on production cars, regularly on sale since this summer. The innovative technology was unveiled at the South by Southwest (SXSW) music, film and technology festival in Austin, Texas. The start-up holoride, whose goal is to make car travel a multisensory experience, is closely linked to South by Southwest and has won the prestigious Sxsw Pitch 2021 in the “Entertainment, Gaming & Content” category as well as the “Best in Show “.
“holoride – explain the Audi technicians – allows developers around the world to generate state-of-the-art extended reality formats. The “Elastic” platform includes a special software development kit that allows you to create immersive gaming experiences and entertainment formats. “Elastic Content” is already synonymous with a new range of contents that adapt to the movements of the cars, able to range from space adventures to the streaming of the most famous films and tours of the cities of art: the possibilities are endless “.
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On which models they will be standard
The models on which this new infotainment system will debut in the summer are so many: Audi A4, A5, A6, A7 Sportback, A8, Q5, Q7, Q8, Audi e-tron and e-tron GT. The new technology will initially be rolled out in Germany, the UK and the US, and then rolled out to multiple markets. To take advantage of the holoride functions, a specific headset enabled for the transmission of virtual reality data must be connected to the vehicle wirelessly, using Bluetooth Low Energy (Ble). And this is also standard, although the costs of this system are not established.
It all started in Munich
The start-up holoride was founded in Munich at the end of 2018 by Nils Wollny, Marcus Kühne, Daniel Profendiner and Audi, who owns a minority stake. holoride was awarded the Best of CES (Consumer Electronics Show) award in Las Vegas in 2019 and, the same year, was named one of the 100 Best Inventions by Time magazine. In partnership with Disney Games and Interactive Experiences, holoride has implemented a Marvel Universe VR gaming experience for cars. Additional production studios and game studios were visited on the occasion of the roadshow in California: a trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco to introduce potential partners to the opportunities offered by the new technology.
Visitors to the IAA 2021 Motor Show in Munich were among the first to make “immersive” journeys thanks to holoride technology, while the public at the Salzburg Festival was able to enjoy virtual reality once they settled in the rear seats of Audi e-tron, experiencing an extraordinary journey through time through the musical eras of the city in the footsteps of the young Mozart.
The future
But what’s the use of all this? It’s just a game? Not really: in the medium term, the expansion of Car-to-X connectivity, i.e. between the car and infrastructure, will ensure that traffic conditions become an integral part of the on-board experience: stops at traffic lights will turn into obstacles. unexpected events within a game or on occasions for a short quiz during an educational program. In addition, the progressive entrenchment of autonomous driving will lead to the expansion of the entertainment offer, opening the door to greater opportunities for learning and working while traveling.
“The holoride technology – explain the German technicians – will contribute to the transformation of the passenger compartment of the four-ring cars into a third living space, evolving the car into an” experience device “. A” vision “that opens up to a world of experiences able to go well beyond the simple journey from A to B, guaranteeing users hitherto unknown freedoms and allowing designers to adopt a new stylistic approach: from the inside out. passenger compartment according to the needs of users and, only later, the design of the body “.